Philly chosen as site for Final Four

The NCAA has selected Philadelphia to host the Women's Final Four in the year 2000. The University and St. Joseph's University will co-sponsor the event. The city of San Jose, California was the other winner in the bid for the women's championship site, and will host the games in 1999. San Jose and Philadelphia must now be approved by the NCAA Executive Committee next month. "We wanted to give one to the East and one to the West," Atlantic 10 Commissioner Linda Bruno explained, who served as the chairperson of the committee responsible for selecting the Final Four sites. "But once we settled the geographic issue, it was difficult," she said. "It came down to Philadelphia having the fourth largest TV market. We would get more attention from surrounding Northeast cities. "The news media coverage in the Northeast is great," Bruno added. "We certainly saw that this season in how everyone covered Connecticut." Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Femovitch worked closely with St. Joseph's Athletic Director Don DeJulia and representatives of the city of Philadelphia to put together the city's bid. "The facilities -- the Core States Spectrum, the new Convention Center and the new Marriott -- were key," Femovitch said. "We were also able to demonstrate institutional, city, and corporate support." "The NCAA requires host institutions and support from the city, and the Core States Bank really came through with their sponsorship," she added. And DeJulia said he expects even more support from other companies. "Core States will probably help bring other businesses into the mix," DeJulia said. The women's Final Four has not been held in the Northeast since 1982 -- the first year the tournament was held. The Palestra hosted the final national tournament for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women that same year. Philadelphia has a rich women's basketball tradition, dating back to the early seventies when nearby Immaculata College won three AIAW titles. "There's always been a strong interest in women's basketball in Philly," Femovitch said. "Big Five basketball has grown in the past few years and hopefully that will continue." She also noted that interest in women's basketball has been steadily rising. Tickets for next year's Final Four in Charlotte, N.C., are already sold out. "It's a tremendous opportunity for women's basketball and women's sports in Philadelphia," she said.