Nationals 2018 Host Bids

Following the NCDA’s voting policy, the vote will be preferential. Teams will submit their ballot by ranking each school in order of their preference and email this ballot to the League. The most preferred school will host Nationals 2018. For Nationals 2018, there are five schools placing a bid to host:
Akron, NIU, VCU, JMU, PSU.

Voting will run from May 1st to May 6th, or will end early if each Member Team casts a ballot by email to ncdadodgeball@gmail.com

Example Ballot

1. Delta
2. Oakland
3. Marshall
4. K-State
5. UofL

Member Player Representation

Member Teams are left to their own devices to determine their preferences. However, some teams in the past like to run their own mini-preferential election within the team. Some may have each officer submit a preferential ballot. Some have their entire club membership vote. Let me me know if you would like this. I can count those in our voting program and deliver your team’s preferential ballot through that process.

* Candidates are presented in a randomized order.

University of Akron

Akron, OH

Akron will host Nationals 2018 at either Goodyear Hall or the Recreational and Wellness Center. The Goodyear Hall will have access to but is not limited to:

concession stands
Summa healthcare professionals
4 courts for Friday-Sunday
Goodyear theater for the Captains’ Meeting, with stage and auditorium seating
The hall would donate $1000 for the event for financial support
Wifi availability for livestreaming needs

If Nationals won’t be held at Goodyear Hall, it would be at the Recreational and Wellness Center we would have:

With wellness staff at our disposal
5 courts most likely for Friday-Sunday
Classrooms for the Captains’ Meeting

There is an option for a banquet to be hosted Saturday night at a cost of 10-15 dollars per person.

There are also many hotels within close proximity that are willing to give accommodations such as comped rooms for Executives and Officials, and a $5 rebate from each room that would go back to the NCDA to help with any financial needs.

These hotels are:

Cambria Hotel near Akron/Canton Airport
Courtyard By Marriott Downtown
Doubletree By Hilton Akron/Fairlon
Hampton Inn Akron/South
Hilton Akron/Fairlon
Hilton Garden Inn Akron
Holiday Inn Akron West-Fairlon
Quality Inn Akron/Fairlon
Residence Inn Akron/ South Green/ Fairlon
Sheraton Suits Akron Cuyahoga Falls

There are also certain Hotels willing to host the banquet and Meetings. Any questions, you can contact Colby Briceland: bricelandc2@gmail.com

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, IL

NIU’s BID FOR NATIONALS 2018

While NIU Dodgeball has been on campus since September 2012, NIU is new to the NCDA this year and would love the opportunity to host Nationals for 2018! We are a small school but what we lack in numbers, we make up for in commitment! Travel costs have us hindered, as we have a very low sport club budget (that we are hoping to elevate greatly in 2018), but hosting Nationals would be a wonderful way to get acquainted with all the other schools as not only a chance to play dodgeball, but to network as well.

We can reserve up to 8 courts for the entirety of the weekend chosen for Nationals. All courts have nets that we put up on the sides and on the base line. We have a large conference room where players can place their things as well as hang out and stage for upcoming games. Additionally, there are many open lockers with electronic locks so no physical lock is required. The Recreation Center will be mostly vacant during the weekend so there will be plenty of space for players to relax as well as plenty of open space for people to Film. Wi-Fi is open to all as well.

PARKING

Our Recreation Center has free parking and parking is free all over campus after 5pm on Friday and all day and night on both Saturday and Sunday.

FRIDAY NIGHT

We have many dining options on campus as well as a buffet-style dining hall approximately 5 minutes walking distance from the Recreation Center. (ZM: DeKalb has amazing food)

We can reserve court space on Friday if necessary to accommodate different schedules. There are many opportunities close to campus for students looking for nightlife.

LODGING

Hotels are plentiful and can be cheap. There is even one in the middle of campus (Holmes Student Center) which features a close proximity to the Recreation Center and plentiful parking options. Red Roof Inn ($60), Hampton Inn ($130), Holiday Inn ($120), and other options are available as well.

OFFICIATING

We are open to bringing in Referees from anywhere. However, I may be able to source some from our sport clubs on campus as we have volunteer Referees for similar sporting events.

T-SHIRTS

We are super open to the idea of making custom shirts for each team including school logos and interesting designs. We can produce dry fit or soft cotton depending on what each team wants.

BALLS

I know it can be an issue not having enough balls if not all the teams bring extras. NIU will try to purchase 100 regulation type 8.5” balls and attempt to have them fairly broken in for Nationals. This should help teams from losing too many of their own and hopefully keep the games even by all players using the same balls.

CAPTAINS’ MEETING

We will reserve our conference room for Captains’ Meeting as well.

QUESTIONS

For any questions, please let me know and I will address it!

-Clint Summerfelt (#15) | crsummerfelt@gmail.com

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the city of Richmond are proud to announce our official bid to host Nationals in 2018. The Dodgeball Club at VCU along with the city of Richmond’s tourism board, Richmond Region Tourism, will be working to provide a great atmosphere for visiting teams should we be selected as hosts for the event. Attached below are some of the important things to know about the bid.

Dates: April 20-22, 2018
Facility: Stuart C. Siegel Center & Cary St. Gym

VCU’s Stuart C. Siegel Center is home to the VCU Men’s & Women’s Basketball Programs. The venue holds six courts as well as available bleachers for up to 1,500 seating capacity for spectators. Additionally, the concourse level is open for all guests to be able to walk around the facility in order to watch any games they are interested in. Between each court are curtain dividers in order to separate each court. We will also have access to the video and sound systems present at the arena which will allow for scoreboard use and any visuals of teams and players which we would like to use.

In the event where we will need more court space we will also have the student gym, Cary St. Gym, at our disposal. We will have up to two courts available that also contain bleachers and curtain dividers.

Food:

The city of Richmond has one of the highest number of restaurants per capita in the world, finding food is as simple as walking outside. This includes both national chains, as well as local favorites. As an example, Subway, Five Guys, Waffle House, Qdoba, Chipotle, Panda Express, Noodles and Co., and Tropical Smoothie are all located on the same block or within a 5 minute walk of the facility. The Dodgeball Club at VCU also has a partnership with our local Buffalo Wild Wings, and we will be able to work towards securing a discount for visiting teams, similar to what was offered by the University of Kentucky at Nationals 2017. Richmond Region Tourism can also help in guaranteeing discounts and providing vendors to come to event as well.

For individuals 21 and over, the city of Richmond also has a proud tradition of local breweries that are open to the public. Message for more details.

Lodging:

The city of Richmond also has an abundance of hotels located a short drive away from the facility at very affordable rates such as the HI Richmond Hostel which holds up to 8(!) guests for $30 per night per room. Additionally, Richmond Region Tourism will be contacting local hotels to secure rebates for the League for any participating teams that attend.

Other Items:

Richmond Region Tourism is also in good connection with local media networks, including local Richmond news stations, and even ESPN Radio. They would be helping us use their connections to hopefully provide media coverage for Nationals to an extent we’ve never had before.

We will also be eligible to apply for grants from a local business organization called SportsBackers which grants up to $1,000 for sports tournaments and can help us further find sponsors for Nationals. That extra money will be helpful for providing even more to make Nationals better and grant the League extra funds.

Lastly, SAVAGE, who is the League’s official apparel sponsor is based out of Richmond, VA. Per their deal with the NCDA, the League is eligible for a store credit of up to $1,500 on apparel items. With less money to be spent on apparel for Nationals, that again places even more money that can be used on other things to help make Nationals better.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me – Hunter Ford

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

Facilities

JMU’s University Recreation Center (UREC) is a new, state-of-the-art, $137 million-dollar complex spanning a total of 280,000 square feet. We would have access to 5-7 courts (all with functioning and usable scoreboards as well as dividers) over the course of the weekend, with the potential of even hosting some Friday night games. This gym has it all, from tons of viewing areas surrounding every court, to a huge pool, hot tub, and sauna area perfect for relaxing after a long day of dodgeball. The gym has the capacity to EASILY accommodate upwards of 800 people coming to Nationals if we are looking at an ambitious figure. There are viewing areas above the courts, perfect for recording or livestreaming games, as well as glass penalty box type areas on the courts perfect for seating more spectators. We would also have racquetball courts reserved for teams to warm up in and/or keep their stuff, as well as a meeting room that can accommodate up to 200 people, perfect for the captains’ meeting as well as hanging out between games. Moreover, there is a dining facility in the main lobby that specializes in rice bowls comparable to Chipotle’s, and at a very reasonable price. When OSU and MSU made the trip for BEAST this past year, both teams were blown away with how amazing our facility was (see photos below). The building has full Wi-Fi capability, great cell service, and outlets all over every wall. As far as facilities around the League go, JMU’s is the nicest, and most fit to host a national tournament for the growing NCDA.

Hotels and Lodging

After doing a quick Google search, I found that there are 25+ hotels within 5 miles of JMU’s campus, starting around as little as $50. We are extremely confident in our ability to get group rates at some of these hotels, as it has been done before by other JMU sports clubs. In addition, there is an abundance of large cabins within a 15-minute drive, in places like Massanutten, a local ski resort, that rent for the weekend at great rates.

Surrounding Area

Harrisonburg is a safe and secure area that has a lot to offer for visitors for the weekend. If you’re into the outdoors and “neature” is your thing, the Shenandoah Valley is perfect for hikes, long or short, as well as some breathtaking views. For those of you who are looking for a social experience, JMU never comes up short in that category, as many of you know. Friday and Saturday night could be accommodated to get large groups of people together for good times at very reasonable costs.

Food

Of the NCDA schools, JMU’s will take anyone to town in the food category. On campus food is ranked in the top 10 nationally every year by Princeton Review, and for good reasons. Not only would the dining facility INSIDE the gym be open, but there would be others open within a 5-minute walk. On top of that, there are over 75 restaurants within 2 miles of campus, ranging from B-Dubs to tons of local favorites with low priced food and beer (for 21-year old’s of course). Harrisonburg’s cost of living is ridiculously low, resulting in high quality restaurants at insanely good prices. With JMU club sports’ involvement in the community, a catered lunch on Saturday could have a high probability, or, from experience, a great pizza deal could be guaranteed. We all obviously like to eat, and everyone would leave Harrisonburg after a JMU Nationals more than satisfied with their dining experiences throughout the weekend.

Additional Perks

These are all wildcards, but are things that we believe should be taken into consideration along with all the previously mentioned great things.

1. An East Coast Nationals could do wonders for the exposure of the League. With JMU’s centrality on the coast, it would be perfect for getting the word out about the NCDA to the immense number of schools within a few hour radius. It is also a reasonable location for a lot of the newer programs to get to for Nationals, which could help retention numbers a lot. JMU’s popularity has been growing rapidly over the past few years with our new gym, the expansion projects of programs like our College of Business, and hosting College Gameday and winning an FCS National Championship. With all the buzz surrounding the school, us hosting NCDA Nationals could bring more attention to the sport.

2. As Mike Hinely previously stated, an East Coast Nationals would free up a lot of money in the budgets of the teams in the area to travel around the country throughout the year, which would be a positive for everyone in the League. Seeing as the number of teams in Michigan and Ohio is high, the drive to JMU is a bit closer than the drive to VCU, and thus would be a little more “central” in regards to the League as a whole, if we are looking solely at the East Coast.

3. This is not a knock on any other captains or presidents around the League, nor is it me neglecting anyone’s efforts, but I am extremely confident in the abilities of myself and my executive board to put on a spectacular national tournament. We are all really excited with the thought of hosting Nationals, and have already been brainstorming tons of ideas on how to make it the best Nationals yet. After seeing the past two Nationals run extremely well, I’d like to be the next in line to continue making NCDA Nationals awesome. With my involvement at JMU and community ties, I know we would be fully prepared to put on Nationals for hopefully upwards of 30 teams.

4. I can personally guarantee that you will NEVER have to read a horrendously written post from Mike Hinely ever again.

Thank you for your consideration, and if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and message me!

– Doug Schilling

Penn State University

University Park, PA

After hosting our first ever tournament during the 2017 spring semester, and planning additional tournaments for the 2018 season, Penn State would like to officially place a bid to host the NCDA Nationals at our university at University Park, PA.

Facilities

We’ve received permission to utilize our Intramural Building for the weekend. This is our largest multipurpose facility with all of the required amenities and more. We have nine (9) total basketball courts in the IM building. Three (3) have curtains all in one room that are suitable to host three games at once. Three more courts do not have separators, but we are able to separate using spectators and seating to host two games in this room. The IM building has an indoor track for spectators to view games from above (as well as get a better angle for filming). There are also three (3) basketball courts in the back with no back walls, but may be used for warmups and gear storage. Additionally, we have 10 racquetball courts for warming up, the fastest arm contest, storage, etc. There is also a large conference room downstairs which may be used for the Captains’ Meeting.

Parking

East Parking Deck is approximately a block away from IM building. We are also working on gaining access to the commuter parking lots across the street from the IM building next to Beaver Stadium. These lots are mainly used for parking during Penn State football weekends. The lots will be more than enough to accommodate all of the dodgeball teams that attend Nationals, and all are within a 5 minute walk from the facility.

Friday Night Option

We are able to rent out IM Building for Friday evening if there are additional games required to be played on Friday night.

Officiating

Multiple PSU alumni (Ken Russ, Rob Cameron, Damian Paz, etc.) have said that they would love to return to Nationals and assist in planning and officiating. With the help of other NCDA alumni, we will be more than equipped to officiate the tournament. We will also have 10-20 club sports staff members on hand helping things run smoothly throughout the day for any injured players or off-court issues.

Wi-Fi

Penn State Club Sports can work with Penn State Wireless to accommodate each team with free Wi-Fi for live streaming, internet, and communications at no cost.

Lodging

There are many hotels in the area that are cheap and about 5-10 minutes away from campus. We will be working to see if there is a way to receive any deals from any hotels in the area. Our university hosts more than 100,000 visitors on football weekends; there will be ample availability for NCDA teams to find close lodging for the weekend. In addition, Penn State has a revolutionary app called Order-Up, which was designed by college students to deliver more than 50 restaurants of food to hungry students, often with daily specials and deals.

Food

State College has a wide variety of food and dining options. A few of these include Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Primantis Brothers (which makes the best sandwiches and burgers), Waffle Shop, Taco Bell, and numerous other options in order to quench hunger. In addition, Penn State also has a revolutionary app called Order-Up, which was designed by college students to deliver more than 50 restaurants of food to hungry students, often with daily specials and deals.

Questions

We’d be happy to answer any questions or address any comments! Thanks, and have a great summer!

Best wishes,
Jake Nasiadka #55
Morgan McLean #15