More support behind WIAA tourney bid

ASHWAUBENON - A bid to lure the WIAA State basketball tournaments to the Resch Center is getting some more support.

The tournaments have been traditionally held in Madison, most recently at the UW's Kohl Center.

However, because of some potential scheduling conflicts at the Kohl Center, Madison has been fighting to keep them. 

The Green Bay area is trying to take them away.

Now one local Packers-connected board, meeting Wednesday, is offering some money to bring the tournaments to the Resch.

It's estimated the state basketball tournaments have a more than $6 million dollar economic impact, and those with PMI Entertainment in Ashwaubenon hope that money will soon be on its way to the area.

"Everybody wins, you know," said PMI President Ken Wachter.  "This building from this standpoint, we'll get 100,000 people going through, the hotels will all be full, the bars and restaurants will all be full, everybody wins, it's a winner for everybody."

And the bid to do that just, got another boost of support, this time from the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District Board.

"Part of our mission is economic development of the Brown County area," said Board Executive Director Pat Webb.

The board controls the money raised by the Lambeau Field sales tax.

At its afternoon meeting, the board voted to provide a monetary incentive to the WIAA to help offset potential expenses.

"Right now, we offered $25,000 for the first year and up to $25,000 more without board approval at this point, to try to sweeten the pot a little bit, to bring the tournaments here," Webb explained.

But before anyone starts scheduling events, the WIAA still has to make a decision.

The Big Ten hockey tournament originally posed a scheduling conflict starting next year.

Recently however, the conference reportedly decided to move the hockey tournament to a neutral site, resolving that issue.

WIAA officials say there are some other events that could pose future conflicts at the Kohl Center.

Neither Madison's mayor or its convention and visitors bureau were available for comment.

But at a recent meeting with the WIAA board, the mayor was clear he wanted to keep the tournaments at the capital.

"There is just no substitute for going to state and when you say going to state it means only one thing. And that's playing on the hardwood of the state university," said Mayor Paul Soglin in an interview on January 25th.

The Packers organization has also pledged support to bring the tournaments to the area.

The WIAA is expected to make a decision within the next few weeks.