{"id":286654,"date":"2026-09-15T18:48:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/286654\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T18:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:48:11","slug":"ivy-league-bringing-conference-basketball-tournament-to-allentown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/286654\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivy League Bringing Conference Basketball Tournament to… Allentown?"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n Penn
\n <\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Kevin
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

\"PPL<\/p>\n

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

College basketball sicko Jon Rothstein had it first:<\/p>\n

Sources: The Ivy League has signed a three-year deal to hold its conference tournament at the PPL Center in Allentown, starting in 2028.<\/p>\n

The agreement will conclude following the 2029-30 season.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

And the press release:<\/p>\n

PRINCETON, N.J.\u00a0\u2014 The Ivy League will bring the excitement of Ivy Madness to the Lehigh Valley beginning in 2028, as the league announced today a three-year agreement for its annual men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball tournaments to be held at PPL Center in Allentown, Pa.<\/p>\n

The partnership establishes PPL Center as the home of Ivy Madness in\u00a02028, 2029 and 2030 \u2014 bringing an event that showcases the top four men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams in the league together to compete for the league\u2019s automatic berths into the NCAA Division I Basketball Championships.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are incredibly excited to bring Ivy Madness to PPL Center and the surrounding communities beginning in 2028,\u201d Ivy League Executive Director\u00a0Robin Harris\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIvy Madness has grown into an incredible celebration of our student-athletes, institutions and the competitive excellence of Ivy League basketball. The PPL Center provides a neutral site in a first-class venue, a vibrant downtown setting and a location that is accessible to so many of our alumni and fans. We believe this partnership creates an exciting opportunity to continue elevating the championship experience for our student-athletes and Ivy League basketball overall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPPL Center is thrilled to welcome Ivy Madness to the Lehigh Valley. As a hub for our community, we take pride in hosting a diverse range of events that bring people together. Ivy Madness is an exciting new addition to our calendar, offering a great experience for local fans while also welcoming visitors from across the region,\u201d said\u00a0Rob and Jim Brooks, co-owners of PPL Center.<\/p>\n

Located in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, PPL Center provides Ivy Madness with a premier arena setting and a centralized location within the league\u2019s geographic footprint. The state-of-the-art venue is home to the American Hockey League\u2019s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and has hosted a wide range of major sporting and entertainment events, including NCAA championship competition.<\/p>\n

The move comes during a period of significant national success and momentum for Ivy League basketball. On the women\u2019s side, the league has established itself as one of the strongest conferences in the country, consistently producing nationally ranked teams, several years with multiple bids into the NCAA Tournaments and multiple WNBA draft selections. Ivy League men\u2019s basketball has similarly maintained a strong national profile, winning eight games in the NCAA Tournament since 2010 \u2014 including two Sweet 16 appearances \u2014 while producing a variety of NBA talent in the past few seasons.<\/p>\n

The 2027 version of Ivy Madness will be held at the historic Palestra as part of the venue\u2019s 100th anniversary celebration before the event begins its run at PPL Center in 2028.<\/p>\n

The PPL Center is owned by the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority (ANIZDA). Maybe they paid to host this. I don\u2019t know. I\u2019ll look around. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing that would explain this move, because it makes little sense otherwise. Allentown isn\u2019t exactly rife with Ivy League graduates. It\u2019s not particularly close to any of the schools. Princetown and Penn are more than an hour away. The tournament features four men\u2019s teams and four women\u2019s teams. Do you see Harvard and Yale alumni descending on the PPL Center in March? It is attached to a Tim Horton\u2019s, which might be a nice experience for these folks. But we\u2019re talking snooty Ivies here. Haughty elites. They probably have their vacations already booked, and they\u2019re going to their old-money coastal enclaves.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s curious is that you have the Palestra. It\u2019s right there, and will host in 2027 in a one-off year. Is it a home court advantage for Penn? Maybe.<\/p>\n

The Ivy tournament typically rotates from campus to campus, so you\u2019re going to have situations where teams are playing in front of home crowds. There are times when this can tilt the playing field, but it just feels like there are better options out there. Maybe let the #1 seed host the tournament on campus every year. I don\u2019t know. But Allentown makes little sense. No disrespect to Allentown, but the fit is weird. <\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team’s 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University.
\n
\nemail – k.kinkead@sportradar.com<\/p>\n

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