VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - SportsCenter weekday co-host Jay Harris will serve as the master of ceremonies at the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Tournament Tip-Off Banquet schedule for Monday, March 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“We are elated to begin the 2009 MEAC Basketball Tournament with an exciting event such as the tip-off banquet,” said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas. “I am very pleased that Jay Harris can once again play a role in this memorable event for our student athletes, coaches and MEAC sponsors.”
The 2009 MEAC Basketball Tournament begins March 10-14 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. The tip-off banquet, the tournament's opening event, recognizes student athletes for their academic and athletic achievements during the 2008-09 MEAC basketball season.
Harris joined ESPN in February 2003 as an ESPNews and SportsCenter anchor. Prior to ESPN he worked for WPGH-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a weeknight news anchor.
A native of Norfolk, Va., Harris is a graduate of Old Dominion University where he received a bachelor's degree in Speech Communication in 1987. In 2003, he was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the university and was selected as the keynote speaker for the university's 100th commencement ceremony in 2004.
Harris is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He is married with one child.
Harris has received several notable professional honors including: a Silver World Medal from the New York Festivals, a Robert L. Vann Award from Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, and an EXCEL Award from the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals.
Ticket books for the basketball tournament can be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet, online at ticketmaster.com and at MEAC member institutions. For more information on the MEAC Basketball Tournament call (757) 416-7100 or log on to
www.MEAChoops.com.
About the MEAC and Basketball Tournament
The MEAC Basketball Tournament is a single elimination championship playoff that involves 11 Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, and South Carolina State. A bonus game including the North Carolina Central and Winston-Salem State men's basketball teams will also highlight Championship Saturday.
The tournament is played at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (LJVM) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Both the men's and women's tournament champion receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tickets are available at www.meachoops.com, by calling the MEAC Office (757-416-7100), through Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, at MEAC School Box Offices and at the LJVM Coliseum Box Office.
