Mid-Con tournament says two more years in Tulsa

The city of Tulsa is getting credit for scoring big points with the NCAA's Mid-Con basketball conference. <br/><br/>Their 2006 tournament is going this week at Union High School's Activity Center.

Tuesday, March 7th 2006, 10:00 am

By: News On 6

The city of Tulsa is getting credit for scoring big points with the NCAA's Mid-Con basketball conference.

Their 2006 tournament is going this week at Union High School's Activity Center. News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says the conference's contract with Tulsa is going into overtime.

When ORU's Golden Eagles are on the court, you can count on Bill and Bobbie Jean Beavers in the stands. Bill Beavers: "We've traveled to a lot of away games and away tournaments, all we can make!" The Beavers have been to every game of the last two Mid-Con Tournaments in Tulsa, whether or not ORU was playing.

The couple spent Tuesday afternoon at the women's championship, watching two teams from hundreds of miles away. They're not surprised others are doing the same. Bill Beavers: "Tulsa's a good place."

And the Mid Continent Conference thinks so too. The conference has agreed to a contract extension, bringing the basketball tournament back to Tulsa in 2007 and 2008.

Tulsa Sports Commission executive director Mike Dodson: "I don't think Tulsa can feel shortchanged at all in being identified as a sports city." The fourteen games over four days brings in millions of dollars in economic impact.

Stan Walker and his wife Heidi drove down from Chicago to watch their daughter Amanda play for the championship. Stan Walker: "She's only a freshman this year, this is only our first year experiencing this and it's been great."

As Amanda fights through defenders, her dad says the trip to Tulsa has been anything but a struggle. Stan Walker: "The ride was real nice, and this town of Tulsa, it's the first time I've been here, and it's absolutely fabulous, I mean the restaurants, people have been so friendly, it's been a real pleasure."

Last year's Mid-Con tournament in Tulsa set new attendance records. Meanwhile, the Beavers and Walkers are both planning for a return trip to the tournament, next year.