Posted May 06, 2021 in Press Releases
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland to welcome youth athletes
#LACEUPYOURENEXT
CLEVELAND – Dru Joyce Classic, a premier U.S. travel basketball tournament, will move to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland in Downtown Cleveland on June 25-27, 2021. This event will bring athletes and coaches from across the country to participate in a three-day basketball competition.
“The year 2020 will go down in infamy, but we are excited about continuing our partnership with Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring Dru Joyce Classic to new venues in the heart of Downtown Cleveland,” said Dru Joyce, Tournament Director, NEOBasketball Association.
In its 17th year, Dru Joyce Classic will feature over 20 basketball courts between Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Athletes in second to 11thgrades will compete as teams for a championship in their age group. This event will showcase each athlete’s ability to compete at a higher level and gain exposure to college coaches who travel to this tournament.
Dru Joyce launched the tournament in summer 2003 to help Ohio athletes see increased recruitment. Formerly, having coached LeBron James and Dru Joyce III, Joyce’s son, at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School basketball team, he decided to create an event in Ohio that would allow sanctioned travel tournaments for college coaches to attend.
Previously hosted in Akron, this tournament was named the King James Shooting Stars Classic and boasted 318 teams on over 30 venues across the area in its first year.
“We’ve been committed to building a culture of experience, competitiveness and safe basketball,” said Devin Joyce, CEO Passion8 Event Management, LLC. “Cleveland has a strong line up of sporting events coming to the city over the next few years, such as the just completed 2021 NFL Draft, 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend and 2024 Women’s Final Four; I’m excited this event is one of them.”
Registration is now open for teams online; qualifying is not required. A full schedule of events is forthcoming and will be available via drujoyceclassic.com.
Traditionally, athletes have attended from over 15 states and three countries. This event is projected to garner an estimated $2,000,000 in economic impact to Northeast Ohio.
The health and safety of all participants remains Dru Joyce Classic’s utmost priority. The team is working closely with local and state health officials to adjust to any mandates that may be necessitated due to the current event landscape. Further information including safety protocols will be provided closer to the event dates.
To learn more about Greater Cleveland Sports Commission or to keep up-to-date on new developments and activities follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
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About Greater Cleveland Sports Commission: Since 2000, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) is responsible for attracting over 200 sporting events which provide more than $843 million in economic activity to Northeast Ohio. GCSC serves to measurably improve the economy of Greater Cleveland and enrich the community by attracting, creating, managing and enhancing significant sporting and competitive events. For more information, visit clevelandsports.org.
About Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: The newly transformed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is Northeast Ohio’s premier sports and entertainment facility and major attraction for top-tier concert tours, family shows and signature events, as well as home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters and the annual MAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. Each year, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse hosts more than 200 diverse ticketed events and 1,400 private events that draw over 2 million patrons to downtown Cleveland. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is established as a successful host site for high profile events of international and national scope, including the 2016 Republican National Convention, the 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals and will be the host for the upcoming 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, 2022 NBA All-Star Game, 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Final Four, 2025 Division I Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds and 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. In Pollstar Magazine’s 2019 Mid-Year Report of Top 200 Arena Venues Worldwide for Entertainment Ticket Sales, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse ranked No. 11 in the United States and No. 27 worldwide in ticket sales for top touring attractions. Visit RocketMortgageFieldHouse.com.