Will Conference USA tournament stay in Biloxi? Future unclear after scheduling snafu
The business owner who first brought the Conference USA baseball tournament to Biloxi says he is fighting to keep it there, but a scheduling mix-up and increased costs are threatening its future on the Coast.
This will be the fourth year for Conference USA Baseball Championship at MGM Park, from May 20-24. The tournament is always the same week in May, and dates were announced May 3, 2019.
Yet when the Biloxi Shuckers’ 2020 schedule was released by Southern League three months later on Aug. 1, a game was scheduled on May 20, opening night of the C-USA tournament.
“The Wednesday we need the stadium for the tournament is double-booked,” said Timothy Bennett, president of Overtime Sports and a part owner of the Shuckers.
He and Overtime Sports are being charged $27,500 by Shuckers management to pay for a double header the prior night to free up the stadium.
Ken Young, president of the team and part owner of the Shuckers, confirmed the mix-up in dates and didn’t offer further comment.
“Instead of looking at other locations, I decided to pay the money to the team and take the financial hit,” Bennett said.
He pays a variety of other fees for groundskeepers, ushers, ticket takers, security and medical and fire personnel for the tournament.
To help cover the costs, the first Coca-Cola Classic Golf Tournament will be played Jan. 28 at Fallen Oak. In an agreement with Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, the private golf course in Saucier will open to the public for the tournament. Up to 30 teams can register and play in the four-man scramble.
He’s hoping the business community will recognize the economic impact of holding the tournament on the Coast and will sign up to play in the golf tournament, he said.
“With increased costs threatening the continuation of the C-USA championship baseball tournament here in Biloxi, we see this (golf) tournament as a way for us to garner support from the corporate community,” Bennett said, “while at the same time offering a fun competitive tournament on one of the top golf courses in the country.”
In Biloxi, Overtime Sports set a new attendance record for the C-USA tournament. The economic impact of more than $5 million a year, or $20 million for the four years, comes from the teams flying in, the thousands of hotel room nights for the week of the tournament, meals and other expenses.
National television coverage on ESPN networks and CBS Sports is a bonus, Bennett said.
“We are very pleased to be back in Biloxi this coming May,” said C-USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod. “MGM Park is an outstanding venue to showcase our baseball and we have received outstanding support from Overtime Sports, South Mississippi and the Gulf Coast region in the past seasons.”
Bennett is in negotiations with C-USA to extend his contract to host the championship games. He’s also contacted Biloxi to see if there is an interest in the city partnering with him to host the tournament and create a shared revenue, he said.
“While those talks are ongoing, I have not received a definitive answer yes or no,” he said.
“Other cities in the region have taken note and they want that exposure, economic impact and the tournament, he said. He expects to know in the next month or two whether he will again host the tournament.
Bennett, who worked for more than 10 years to get MGM Park built, has a management contract with the Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson. Unlike MGM Park, it has artificial turf, which allows tournament play to resume much more quickly after a rain storm.
Bennett said more than 70 NCAA college baseball games are confirmed at Smith-Wills Stadium in 2020, including two NCAA tournaments soon to be announced. The stadium in Jackson also hosts football, high school baseball, soccer and concerts.
Still, Bennett said he wants Conference USA to remain on the Coast.
“Right now were fighting to keep the tournament in Biloxi,” he said.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
