Real Deal

[skirby 55]

The basketball tournament Real Deal on the Hill is moving from NW Arkansas to Little Rock. One of the primary reasons has to do with the availability of flights into LR. There were a number of teams already flying into LR and then driving to NWA. Also, the locations of gyms will be closer to each other in LR as opposed to NWA. This year there were more than 250 teams involved in the tournament.

[Stormcrow 0]

The basketball tournament Real Deal on the Hill is moving from NW Arkansas to Little Rock. One of the primary reasons has to do with the availability of flights into LR. There were a number of teams already flying into LR and then driving to NWA. Also, the locations of gyms will be closer to each other in LR as opposed to NWA. This year there were more than 250 teams involved in the tournament.

[Mith242 69]

Yeah that and they're having to turn away a lot of teams because there's just not enough places to play.

[Aporkalypse 1]

Yeah that and they're having to turn away a lot of teams because there's just not enough places to play.

[Mith242 69]

The gym availability situation should be way better. You've got some very nice public high school facilities plus several private high schools with top facilities, UALR, Alltel, Philander, Ark Baptist, etc in close proximity. I would think LR and NLR could handle the volume without needing more distant suburbs.

You also more than double the hotel rooms, which should help. LR hosted the national youth soccer championships and handled that heavy volume well.

The negative to me is not getting all of these AAU kids in Bud Walton Arena and looking at the UA campus. LR is a much better site but I saw that as a big benefit.

[skirby 55]

THV #11 is reporting that the tournament will draw 350 teams and over 5,000 players from 40 states. There will be over 850 games played.