One of the top sports events in the Quad Cities will be held here for at least one more year. The convention and visitors bureau and the Missouri Valley Conference have tentatively agreed to extend their current contract for the women's basketball tournament through 2019 at the iWireless Center.
Bureau president and ceo, Joe Taylor, says the original, three-year agreement, was for 2016, 17, and 18.
"It's good for our sports resume. It shows we are able to bring the highest caliber sports to the quad Cities and have successful outcomes."
It also brings thousands of visitors to the Quad Cities in March, which is usually a slow time of year for tourism.
Next March during the tournament, the Missouri Valley Conference will celebrate the 25th anniversary of women's athletics.
"While details have yet to be worked out, we'll certainly have more parties, more reunions, more hall-of-famers, more pioneers of the sport being here in the Quad Cities during March 8-11 when the tournament is held here."
He estimates the tournament brings up to 14,000 people to the Quad Cities each year - players, coaches, and fans.