(HALIFAX, N.S.) – Tickets for the 2019 Subway AUS Basketball Championships, presented by G-Series, are now on sale through Ticket Atlantic. This year's championship weekend will take place Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3, 2019 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
This marks the fifth consecutive year the women's championship is being hosted jointly by Atlantic University Sport at Scotiabank Centre.
The men's championship was hosted at Scotiabank Centre for the first time the year the facility opened in 1979 and has been hosted there over 30 times in the years since. The women's championship began running concurrently with the men's in 2015 as a two-year pilot and was announced as a permanent yearly fixture last year.
Attendance at the women's championship has increased steadily in the event's first four years at Scotiabank Centre. Last season's joint championships saw 18,000 fans come through the doors over the course of the weekend.
On the women's side, the Acadia Axewomen will look to defend their conference title. Heading into the holiday break, the Axewomen currently sit third in the AUS standings with a 5-2 record. They trail the undefeated Cape Breton Capers (7-0) in first, and the 2018 runner-up UPEI Panthers who are currently in second place with a 6-1 record.
The current AUS women's basketball standings are available here: http://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wbkb/2018-19/standings.
On the men's side, the defending champion UNB Reds sit in second place heading into the holiday break with a 5-2 record. Last season, the Reds captured their first AUS title since 1967. They currently trail the Saint Mary's Huskies in the AUS standings, who lead the pack with an undefeated 6-0 record.
The current AUS men's basketball standings are available here: http://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/standings.
Ticket packages can be purchased through the Ticket Atlantic box office by calling (902)451-1221 or their toll-free line at 1-877-451-1221. Packages can also be obtained online through the Ticket Atlantic website at www.ticketatlantic.com.
Those looking to buy floor packages may do so by calling the AUS office directly at (902)425-4235. Tickets for the best seats in the house are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans are encouraged to call early to secure their seats.
Floor 'super packages', which include a seat to all 10 games, are priced at $160. Lower bowl super packages will be sold at a cost of $115 for adults, $65 for seniors (60+) and students, and $25 for youth under 12. Fans also have the option of purchasing ticket packages for exclusively the women's championship or exclusively the men's. Prices for these breakout packages can be found on the Ticket Atlantic website.
Tickets for individual sessions will go on sale one week prior to the championship once team seeding and the tournament schedules have been determined.
Fans are encouraged to check out their favourite teams at www.atlanticuniversitysport.com for a look back at first semester play, current standings and the upcoming winter schedule as 16 AUS teams compete for a spot in the 2019 Subway AUS Basketball Championships.
The championship weekend will be filled with entertainment for all ages. Each of the games will feature a half-time show with live music, dancing, exciting contests and more. Giveaways and fan competitions will take place during timeouts and between quarters.
The championship weekend will consist of 10 games – five men's and five women's – played amongst the top six men's and top six women's teams in AUS.
The weekend will kick off with the women's quarterfinal doubleheader Friday afternoon. The fourth-seeded team will face off against the fifth-seeded team at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. matchup between the third and sixth-seeded teams.
The men's quarterfinals will take place Friday evening at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. and will follow the same format.
Semifinal Saturday will be jam-packed with action as the four winning teams advance to face off against the top two men's and women's teams. The women's semifinals will be played at 1 and 3 p.m. as the lowest remaining seed faces off against the conference leaders in the first matchup and the second-ranked team squares off against the highest remaining seed in the second game.
The men's semifinals will follow that evening at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. and will follow the same format.
The winners of each of Saturday's semi-final games will face off on Championship Sunday at 1 p.m. (women's) and 4:30 p.m. (men's).
Teams will be competing for their respective 2019 AUS basketball championship banners and the opportunity to compete in their U SPORTS national championships.
The AUS women's champion will advance to the 2019 U SPORTS women's basketball championship being hosted March 7-10 by Ryerson University in Toronto, Ont. The Atlantic conference is guaranteed just one berth in the championship, however an at-large berth will also be up for grabs nationally.
The Atlantic conference will once again have two berths in the men's national championship as Dalhousie hosts the U SPORTS Final 8 men's basketball championship March 7-10 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
The AUS berths will go to Dalhousie, as host, and the AUS champion. Should the Tigers capture the 2019 AUS title, the second Atlantic conference berth will be awarded to the runner up.