WHEELING, W.Va. -- The Mountain East Conference announced today an agreement with the City of Wheeling that will place the MEC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament in the city for a minimum of the next two years. Additionally, The Health Plan will serve as the presenting sponsor for the event.
 
The MEC will host its tournament at newly renovated WesBanco Arena in 2019 and 2020, with a league option for 2021. The 2019 Mountain East Basketball Tournament will be held March 6-10.
 
"We are very excited to announce this partnership with the City of Wheeling and The Health Plan," MEC Commissioner Reid Amos said. "We believe that the MEC Basketball Tournament has been a first-class experience for our student-athletes, and Wheeling has committed to a bid that provides an opportunity to take the championship experience to a new level."
 
"The bid efforts by Wheeling's local host committee in securing and continuing to seek additional incentives, sponsorships and other financial commitments for our league will provide a financial opportunity that is unprecedented for the MEC and we are confident that it is among the best offers for an NCAA Division II conference basketball tournament. "
 
“Hosting the MEC Basketball Tournament in Wheeling presents the city with a great opportunity to build on the growing momentum in our community and adds another arrow in the quiver of making our downtown a destination for residents and visitors,” Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott said. “It has been encouraging to see so many community partners work together to secure this bid."
 
"The Health Plan is thrilled to be a major sponsor in the MEC Championship Tournament. Bringing this event to Wheeling will certainly create a welcome level of excitement in a city that is coming alive again," said Jim Pennington, President & CEO of The Health Plan. "We want to thank RED, Oglebay Resort & Conference Center, Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, WesBanco Arena, the City of Wheeling and Mayor Glenn Elliott, and the Ohio County Commission for all of their hard work in helping to bring this tournament to Wheeling. It was truly a business collaboration of individuals who love the City and are eager to bring this tournament to the next level. We are looking forward to 2019.”

 About The MEC: The Mountain East Conference features 12 NCAA Division II institutions in three states and sponsors 19 championship sports. MEC teams have won two NCAA team championships in just under five years of existence, have had seven teams play for an NCAA title and won 18 regional championships. Student-athletes also excel in the classroom with over 1,500 earning academic recognition in 2016-17. The MEC has also produced seven Elite 90 awards, recognizing the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who has reached the competition at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 men's and women's championships across its three divisions. The Mountain East Conference headquarters are in Bridgeport, W.Va.
 
About The Health Plan: The Health Plan (www.healthplan.org) is a clinically-driven, technology-enhanced, and customer-focused health maintenance organization that manages and improves the health and well-being of its members. Established in 1979, the West Virginia-based company, with offices in Wheeling, Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia and Massillon, Ohio has offered a complete line of managed care products and services designed to provide health care systems and clients with innovative health care benefits and plans at a reasonable cost across the mid-Atlantic region and nationally.
 
About WesBanco Arena: Located in downtown Wheeling, WesBanco Arena was built in 1977 and completed a $6.3 million renovation in 2016. The arena seats 5,500 and serves as the host for the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), as well as many other sporting events, conventions, trade shows, concerts and others. The renovations to the arena include a state of the art four-panel video board, upgraded seating throughout the arena, ribbon boards, enhanced technologies, a newly constructed lobby, main entrance and box office.