Bon Secours Wellness Arena announces inaugural Greenville Winter Invitational Basketball Tournament

October 5, 2022

Bon Secours Wellness Arena, in partnership with Furman University and VisitGreenvilleSC, is delighted to announce the inaugural Greenville Winter Invitational, a multiple-team basketball showcase taking place at The Well on Saturday, December 17th. The one-day, six-team tournament will feature matchups between the men’s basketball teams from Furman University, Clemson University, University of South Carolina, East Carolina University, Stephen F. Austin State University, and the University of Richmond.

“Our intention is to make the Greenville Winter Invitational an annual and highly-anticipated event, growing in size and scope,” says Beth Paul, general manager of Bon Secours Wellness Arena. “We are grateful to partner with Furman University and VisitGreenvilleSC on such a unique opportunity to create an amazing event from the ground up that teams, athletes, and fans will look forward to participating in year after year.”

The Greenville Winter Invitational will be a one-session ticketed event. Several ticket options will be available, including all-inclusive courtside and floor seating with access to The Well’s backstage club and all-inclusive Arena bowl seating with access to the Harley Davidson Motor Lounge and Wicked Weed Green Room. Presale tickets for the tournament will be available for purchase on October 6th.

Tickets go on sale to the public beginning October 7th at www.bonsecoursarena.com.

December 17th Tournament Schedule:
 2:00PM University of South Carolina vs. East Carolina University
 4:30PM Furman University vs. Stephen F. Austin State University
 7:00PM Clemson University vs. University of Richmond

Bon Secours Wellness Arena is proud to donate a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales to Clemson University Men of Color National Summit and United Way of Greenville County’s OnTrack Greenville program. Clemson University Men of Color National Summit’s mission is to help illuminate pathways to higher education and close the opportunity gap for African American and Latino high school males, and the United Way of Greenville County’s OnTrack program is a school-based community collaboration whose mission is to align and leverage community interventions and resources to keep students on track towards high school graduation and post-secondary success.

“VisitGreenvilleSC is thrilled to partner with Bon Secours Wellness Arena for an exciting new signature basketball event right here in our beautiful city,” says Jonathan Brashier, interim CEO/president of VisitGreenvilleSC. Brashier adds, “We can’t wait to welcome teams and fans for the inaugural year of the Greenville Winter Invitational on December 17th and we look forward to this event growing year after year.”

“The opportunity to collaborate with Bon Secours Wellness Arena and VisitGreenvilleSC to bring the Greenville Winter Invitational to our city continues to strengthen the bond between Furman University and the Greenville community,” says Jason Donnelly, Furman University’s athletics director. “We could not be more pleased with the field of teams competing and feel this will be a great event for Furman Basketball and college basketball fans across the nation”.

The first ever Greenville Winter Invitational comes on the heels of Bon Secours Wellness Arena and Greenville emerging as a popular basketball tournament host due to the city’s charm and hospitality coupled with the quality of The Well and Paul’s commitment to providing an incredible experience for teams and fans. Most recently, Bon Secours Wellness Arena hosted the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament regionals this year and the venue will host the NCAA Women’s Tournament regionals in 2023. Additionally, the Southeastern Conference signed a three-year contract with The Well to host the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament beginning next year and it was announced that the first and second rounds of the 2026 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament will take place at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

An award-winning sports and entertainment venue, Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a Greenville Arena District (GAD) managed facility. The GAD’s history with the sport of basketball dates back to when The Greenville Memorial Auditorium opened its doors, before completion, and held its first event, a basketball game between Furman University and the University of West Virginia on December 1st, 1958.

Bon Secours Wellness Arena is located at 650 North Academy Street in Greenville, SC. For more information and to see The Well’s full schedule of events, visit www.bonsecoursarena.com.

 

About Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Located in Greenville, SC, Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a 15,000-seat sports and entertainment arena that hosts live events including family shows, sporting events, concerts, minor league hockey, seminars and conventions. Club seats, party suites and luxury suites with premium services concierge are available in the arena. The Bon Secours Wellness Arena is managed by the Greenville Arena District and dates back to 1940. The Greenville Arena District oversaw the Greenville Memorial Auditorium which opened in 1958.

About Greenville Arena District Board

Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a Greenville Arena District managed facility. The Greenville Arena District Board is a political subdivision of the State of South Carolina. The nine members of the Board are nominated by County Council and appointed by the Governor of South Carolina. Members’ three-year terms are served voluntarily, without compensation.

About VisitGreenvilleSC

VisitGreenvilleSC is a non-profit, economic development organization that is responsible for promoting the greater Greenville area as an attractive destination for meetings, conventions, tradeshows, sporting events, and leisure travelers. As the official sales and marketing organization of the City and County of Greenville, the goal of VisitGreenvilleSC is to increase visitor-generated revenue from local, regional, and national markets, thereby strengthening Greenville’s economy.