Sept. 20, 2005
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State athletic department was singled out for its efforts in hosting the first and second round games of the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship when it received an Award of Achievement from Northern Ohio Live magazine at the publication's annual awards dinner on Monday night (Sept. 19) at the State Theatre in downtown Cleveland.
Cleveland State received the award in the category of sports accomplishment. The first and second round games, which were played in front of sellout crowds of almost 40,000 people in the Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center last March, had an estimated financial impact of $15 million to the economy of greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga county.
"This award is recognition of the hard work and efforts of the staff of the CSU athletic department, SMG and the Wolstein Center staff, and the hundreds of volunteers who helped to make this event a national success," CSU Director of Athletics Lee Reed said. "For four days last March, basketball fans around the world were focused on Cleveland State University, seeing the energy and vitality that makes Cleveland State University something truly special.
"We look forward to bringing the games back to CSU and the Wolstein Center in the near future," Reed added. "Since we are able to take the tournament games back to their roots and play them in an on-campus facility as impressive as the Wolstein Center, it shouldn't be too long before we are back in the championship rotation."
The other two finalists included 2004 Olympic pole vault champion Tim Mack and the respective foundations of the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians for their sponsorship of high school athletics in Cleveland.