We have had several questions regarding format and location for the RSEQ post-season tournament this coming March. Recall that several years ago, in an effort to promote their product, RSEQ went to a four-team, two-day mini tournament with the site rotating among the member schools. If I recall correctly, the first such tournament took place at Laval in 2014, followed by Bishop’s in 2015 and then last season at McGill.
According to well-placed sources, the tournament is poised to take on a new look including a permanent site in Montreal, akin to how it is done in Atlantic Canada with their very successful AUS tournament each and every year in Halifax at the Metro Center (now called TD Center Halifax).
This season, the RSEQ Final 4 will be jointly hosted by UQAM and Concordia and will be held at the Pierre-Charbonneau Center in Olympic Park. Although no firm plans have been announced, the prevailing thought is that this is the perfect venue for the RSEQ Final 4 concept – an annual event at a neutral site that could be well promoted, consistent and get corporate sponsors behind it.
Apparently, Pierre-Charbonneau Center has been recently renovated and is a basketball specific facility that seats 2,700 which according to our sources appears to be a perfect venue for a conference tournament. It is the former home of the Montreal Jazz of the National Basketball League of Canada, the Montreal Royal of the American Basketball Association’s current incarnation and the Montreal Sasquatch of the Premier Basketball League. The venue played host to the wrestling events at the 1976 summer Olympics.
We hope to have more details as they become available.
