NORFOLK, VA. – 2021 marks 50 years of a great basketball tradition. The MEAC tournament is usually a big deal for Norfolk business, but at a time when it was anything but that, the sporting event has gone almost unnoticed by some fans.
“Had no idea MEAC was going to be held this weekend,” said Kejdra Williams of Chesapeake.
Her friend Maya Bivens from Norfolk agreed.
“Usually it’s on the radio, seen on the buses,” Bivens said.
“Billboards, everything,” added Williams. “I haven’t seen anything about MEAC at all.”
The event was an economic engine for Downtown Norfolk. Fans and out-of-towers flocked to sports bars and filled hotels near the Scope Arena. However, the COVID-19 crisis has forced the organizers of the MEAC tournament to downsize the event.
State restrictions have limited the number of seats in the area to 250 people per game, putting a strain on businesses including Baxter’s on Granby Street.
“It’s usually one of our best months of the year and it’s getting … it’s tight,” said Daryl Bresach, general manager of Baxter.
Baxter’s is hit by a double punch. Some customers went out after finding that the smaller conferences were not broadcasting.
“They wanted to see the game because they came to go to the game but couldn’t get in,” said Bresach. “They wanted to see it on TV, but it wasn’t offered because it wasn’t available. The television stations took over all of the major conferences. “
With No MEAC tickets are sold to the general publicHotels also feel the pinch.
The GM for Waterside Marriott, Jesse Hemphill, told News 3 that only 40 rooms are currently booked per day of a four-day tournament, compared to about 200 rooms per night prior to the pandemic, which would generally raise about $ 70,000.
“A bit of sales helps, but this is another heartbreak from what the pandemic did,” Hemphill said.
In collaboration with Visit Norfolk and Festevents, MEAC is hosting the MEAC 50th Anniversary Championship Watch Party to see the championship game on a big screen in Town Point Park on Saturday. The event sold out quickly.
“We still wanted to make sure that it was celebrated and that we were doing our best to let people know that this tournament is still going on, even if with COVID it might look different from previous years,” said Sarah Hughes , Marketing and Communications Director at Visit Norfolk.
Hughes said in 2019 the city saw an estimated $ 4.9 million economic boom during the four-day tournament.
The first MEAC watch party of its kind won’t get anything close to that number, but this year Hughes said it was about bringing people together safely and in a way that is socially aloof.
“It’s a way for people to still be together and cheer on their team even though they can’t participate in the scope,” she said.
Spray-painted circles on the park’s lawn keep people 10 feet apart, and hand sanitizing stations are installed throughout the area.
The outdoor event starts at 12 noon. Several local organizations, including Visit Norfolk, are planning other upcoming outdoor performing arts events.
