SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/572890
September 2015 46 www.sportseventsmagazine.com Situated in the heart of southern New England, Connecticut is home to coastal towns, small communities and large cities— all of which are easily accessible to the more than 23.5 million people living within a two-hour radius. "Connecticut offers many venues on all levels, public and private, collegiate and univer- sity, stadiums and arenas that offer tremendous opportunities for regional tournaments and national championships," said Bob Murdock, director of sports marketing for the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau. n Search for CVBs, sports commissions & sports facilities at www.sportseventsmagazine.com Connecticut's Sports Events Scene… S I T E S E L E C T I O N G U I D E : C O N N E C T I C U T GUIDES BY PAIGE TOWNLEY t Connecticut Hartford Hartford, the state capital, is located in the heart of Connecticut. A new $56 million Minor League Baseball stadium is under construction north of downtown and expected to open next spring. Hotel rooms: 1,934 downtown; 6,500 in Greater Hartford area Major facilities: XL Center is a 16,000-seat, multi-purpose arena located downtown. Rentschler Field Stadium accommodates football. New Britain Stadium hosts baseball games. Husky Volleyball Den is the state's largest indoor volleyball training center fea- turing six regulation-sized volleyball courts under one roof. Stafford Motor Speedway hosts NASCAR modifed track events. Convention center: The Connecticut Convention Center offers 540,000 square feet of space for sports like cheering and boxing. Contact: Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, www.ctmeetings.org. New Haven From youth sports to the Special Olympics World Games, New Haven has welcomed events of all sizes and scope. Greater New Haven, in south central Connecticut, is composed of 20 municipalities. Hotel rooms: 1,400 Major facilities: Yale Bowl is a 61,446-seat football stadium. Beckerman Athletic Center houses a gym with space for three collegiate-sized bas- ketball courts and a natatorium with a 25-yard, six-lane competition pool. The 75,000-square-foot Connecticut Sportsplex has fve outdoor felds for baseball and softball. Connecticut Tennis Center and Cullman Tennis Complex at Yale University consists of 22 outdoor Deco Turf II courts, fve outdoor clay courts, four indoor Deco Turf II surfaces and a 15,000-seat tennis stadium. Ingalls Rink at Yale University accommodates hockey. Jess Dow Field at Southern Connecticut State University is a sta- dium for football, soccer, feld hockey, and track and feld. New Haven Athletic Center offers a 100,000-square-foot feld house ideally suited for basketball, wres- tling, track and boxing. TD Banknorth Sportscenter at Quinnipiac University features separate basketball and hock- ey arenas. Yale Field is a 6,200-seat ballpark. Payne Whitney Gymnasium contains training centers for crew, gym- nastics, swimming and fencing. Contact: Visit New Haven, www.VisitNewHaven.com. n Take A Walk On The Wild Side The Beardsley Zoo, in Bridgeport, is home to more than 300 animals that represent primar- ily North and South American species, including many endan- gered and threatened species. n www.beardsleyzoo.com Skiing in Western Connecticut Ski Sundown