Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Announces “The Jump Off” – 1st Ever Global Championship THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Hall of Fame (WBHOF) announced the launch of “The Jump Off,” the biggest and best showcase created for the world’s top women’s teams. Launching in May 2020, this international women’s basketball event will feature teams from 5th-10th grade competing across eight different regional brackets to arrive for the final showdown in Knoxville during the WBHOF Induction celebration in June 2020. The championship games will be played at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum and televised on a national sports network. “We are thrilled to share the values and mission of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame with the next generation of promising athletes,” said Dana Hart, Hall of Fame President. “This women’s basketball event, spanning multiple grades around the globe, will feature tomorrow’s basketball stars and leaders.” The road to Knoxville will begin with the two top teams at each grade level competing on a regional level to earn the coveted spot at the global championship. The eight regions are New England, Northeast, West, Gulf, 22
EVERYTHING KNOXVILLE December 2019
Midwest, Tennessee Valley, Texas, and International. Teams that qualify for the national championship in Knoxville will take part in a national media day, the Parade of Teams at the Opening Night Celebration, breakout sessions with Hall of Famers, and receive tickets to the 2020 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The championship event is owned by 212 Sports Group and directed by Kate McGuinness, a former partner at All American games, who helped to build the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on NBC and served as an executive producer of “The Ride,” a reality show for high school quarterbacks on Fox Sports and MTV2. Kate continues to re-imagine opportunities to engage, challenge, and showcase today’s elite youth athletes and tomorrow’s legends. “This national showcase event will bring the world’s top youth teams together like no other,” said McGuinness. “This is a standout tournament showcasing the rich spectrum of women’s basketball, where this game began and where it is going. It will serve as a cornerstone property for women’s basketball in America.
We are beyond proud to be a part of The Jump Off.” The international selection team chaired by Bob Geoghan, founder of the McDonald’s AllAmerican Game, that has brought the top talent evaluators from across the country to evaluate the top teams in each state. Bob and his team have selected the best basketball players in the country on an annual basis for more than 50 years. Selection criteria for “The Jump Off” include 2019 record, level of competition, top prospects, strength of club (historically), and retention of top athletes. Our national selection team will release the teams per state (“Watch List”) in the upcoming months at five grade levels – 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th. From our state by state “Watch List,” two teams per grade level will be selected from each state to represent their state. These top two teams will be seeded 1 and 2 from each state as they play in the regional playoffs. For more information on “The Jump Off,” visit www.wbhof.com/plan-your-experience/ wbhof-global-championship. Teams ready to vie for their spot can nominate their team by following instructions on the website.