Central Michigan University Athletics
MAC Softball Tournament To Remain At Firestone Stadium Through 2005
6/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 4, 2002
The Mid-American Conference and Firestone Stadium have agreed on terms for Firestone to be the host of the MAC Softball Tournament from 2003-05. The multiple year bid includes a two-year option for 2006-07 and was approved by the conference's Joint Committee in Traverse City, Michigan last week at the annual Spring Meetings.
With the partnership between the Mid-American Conference and Firestone Stadium, the stadium's staff will be responsible for marketing, media relations and ticket sales, as well as game operations.
Until this past season, the MAC softball tournament had been played at the highest seed. The league's softball coaches brought up the proposal of a neutral site location at the annual coaches meeting last August. The tournament received approval to play at Firestone in January of this year for one year only. With the success of the 2002 tournament, the conference committees agreed to a long-term relationship with the historic softball venue.
The Mid-American Conference has sponsored eleven softball tournaments (1982-86 and 1997-present), with the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament. During the years without a tournament, the regular season champion advanced to the NCAA post-season. Central Michigan has claimed nine of those championships, including the last four consecutive titles.
The new tournament venue, which was built in 1925 by the founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, houses two playing fields on a 13-acre site. Considered one of the premier softball sites, the stadium field comes complete with grandstand seating for 1,100 spectators and an additional 1,500 bleacher seats along the first and third baselines at the main field. The stadium was owned and operated by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company until 1988, when Firestone donated the historic stadium to the City of Akron. The stadium is located at 1575 Firestone Parkway, Akron, OH 44301. For further information, contact Joey Arrietta, Director of Stadium Events, 330-376-8188
