ALLENTOWN, Pa. – “This is a first-class venue, a championship experience, and a welcoming community that is ready to celebrate Ivy League basketball.”
That’s how Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris described PPL Center and Allentown as the league prepares to bring its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to the city for three years beginning in 2028.
The Ivy League announced the agreement in September, naming the venue as the host of Ivy Madness in 2028, 2029 and 2030. Wednesday’s event celebrated the partnership and highlighted the opportunity to bring the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball championships to Allentown.
The agreement gives Ivy Madness a home base after years of rotating the tournament among venues within the league’s footprint. Harris said the conference has spent the past decade evaluating facilities and exploring options to establish a location where it could anchor the tournaments, enhance the experience and grow the event.
“We have finally found that location here in Allentown in the Lehigh Valley,” Harris said.
She cited PPL Center’s facilities, downtown Allentown’s revitalization and the region’s location within the Ivy League’s footprint as factors in the decision. The arena is close to the league’s schools and major metropolitan areas, making it accessible to fans traveling to the tournament.
The league also hopes the event will attract new fans from the Lehigh Valley who may not have previously attended an Ivy League basketball game.
Ivy Madness launched in 2017 and brings together the four highest-finishing men’s and women’s teams for a weekend of championship basketball. The winners earn automatic bids to the NCAA tournaments.
Harris said the three-year commitment will give the league and its local partners time to develop the event and build a lasting relationship with the community. She said the goal is to make Ivy Madness an annual must-see event in Allentown.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said the city has a strong basketball culture, pointing to the popularity of local playground tournaments and a past event featuring LeBron James’ son.
“We are going to show you that Allentown is a basketball crazy city,” Tuerk said during Wednesday’s announcement.
Tuerk said the tournament will bring thousands of visitors to the city and provide another opportunity to showcase downtown Allentown. He also emphasized the importance of attracting more events to support local businesses.
“We need more and more events in downtown Allentown,” Tuerk said, recalling a conversation with Abe Abdouche, the owner of the Americus Hotel, earlier Wednesday.
State Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh, said the tournament fits into broader efforts to bring more consistent activity to downtown businesses, including restaurants, retailers and hotels.
“Consistency is crucial for the success of businesses and the restaurants, so they can staff consistently,” Miller said in an interview after the announcement.
Miller said 2027 could be a significant year for downtown, pointing to the anticipated opening of Jefferson’s regional medical school campus and other projects alongside the growing slate of events at PPL Center. More consistent activity, he said, can help businesses plan staffing and benefit from visitors throughout the year.
PPL Center General Manager Brian Krajewski said the tournament offers an opportunity to showcase the arena, downtown Allentown and the broader Lehigh Valley to student-athletes, families, fans and alumni who may be visiting for the first time.
“It really is a special opportunity,” Krajewski said, emphasizing he was looking forward to a “marquee event that we can kind of hang our hat on here at PPL Center.”
Editor’s note: What’s next for PPL Center? We’ll take a closer look in the coming days with an in-depth interview with General Manager Brian Krajewski about the arena’s event strategy, its future and what it could mean for downtown Allentown.