Sports

About 8,000 people came to the Quad Cities this past weekend for basketball, and they'll be back next year.

The Missouri Valley Conference women's tournament ended Sunday, but it already agreed to return to the TaxSlayer Center through 2021. 

Basketball players from all over the Midwest are arriving in the Quad Cities for the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. Hoops in the Heartland begins Thursday at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline.

Augustana College will send six students to Boston this weekend, to compete in the NCAA Division Three Indoor Track and Field Championships. Senior Michael Johnson has the 7th fastest time in the 60 meter dash, while Junior Katie Eastburn has the 7th fastest time in both the 200 and 400 meter dash.

St. Ambrose University has hired a new Director of Athletics. Mike Holmes is currently the Athletic Director at a private catholic university in Steubenville, Ohio. Now, the native Iowan is coming home in July to take the helm of athletic programs at St. Ambrose.

A former star quarterback for Monmouth College has signed a two-year contract with the New York Giants. It's Alex Tanney's first multi-year deal since graduating in 2011.

The Augustana College men's basketball team will face Aurora University on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Division Three championship. The Vikings will have home court advantage, thanks to their 24-3 record. The Aurora Spartans' record is 17-11.

For the ninth time in 14 years, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin has named Augustana men's basketball coach, Grey Giovanine, Coach of the Year. Going into the conference tournament this weekend, his team is ranked third in NCAA Division III, with a 23-2 record. 

Augustana College now has the top-ranked team in NCAA Division III men's basketball.

The Quad Cities River Bandits have hired a new manager. This morning, the Bandits and Houston Astros announced Ray Hernandez will lead the single-A baseball team.

Last year, Hernandez was the development coach for the Astros' Triple-A franchise in Fresno, California. This will be the 30-year-old's first job as manager. He's a native of Sacramento and played two seasons in the Arizona Diamondback’s farm system.