ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) – This year, March Madness is not only an opportunity to watch some of the greatest ball games in the country, but it also supports a charity in Asheville helping with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
For the twenty-sixth time, Asheville is scheduled to host the Southern Conference Championship for basketball, the winner of which will advance to the NCAA Division 1 championship. Undeterred by Hurricane Helene, this year both men and women are set to compete in basketball, along with championship tournaments for collegiate wrestling. A portion of all premium ticket proceeds will benefit the Always Asheville Fund led by Explore Asheville.
Set for Mar. 6-10 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville, the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will feature the teams from the following schools: The Citadel, Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU), Furman University, Mercer University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), Samford University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Western Carolina University (WCU) and Wofford College.
The wrestling tournaments, held concurrently to the basketball brackets, will be held from Mar. 7-8 at Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville. The teams competing are Appalachian State, Bellarmine University, Campbell University, The Citadel, Davidson College, George Washington University, Presbyterian College, UTC and VMI.
A hoard of other events surrounding the championships are scheduled including the Ingles Mascot Challenge. Anyone can vote on which mascot they think made the most entertaining commercial. Voting is open now through Mar. 9, 2025. The winning mascot will earn a $1,000 scholarship. Additionally, Ingles will also be donating $1,000 to Hoops Against Hunger.
Dave Friedman, Associate Commissioner for the Southern Conference relayed the history of Asheville’s connection to the basketball tournaments. “The Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships have taken place in Asheville each year since 2012,” Friedman wrote. “However, the league staged the tournament in Asheville for over a decade, between 1984 and 1995 too. Overall, this will be the twenty-sixth time Asheville has hosted the SoCon basketball championships.”
“The Southern Conference Tournament dates back to 1922,” Friedman explained, “and was the first conference tournament in college basketball.”
Asheville is the home of the championships for a good reason, Friedman expressed. “The Southern Conference and Asheville continue a tremendous mutually beneficial relationship in 2025. SoCon fans swarm to Western North Carolina from 10 different communities in the Southeast to enjoy a city that rolls out the red carpet. Fans love the great food, drinks, local stores and friendly people, not to mention five intense days of basketball that culminate with cutting down the nets and tickets punched to the NCAA Tournament.”
For the 10 teams in the Southern Conference, “The Road to Asheville is the culmination of basketball season,” Friedman conveyed.
Because the Land of the Sky is so integral to the inner workings of their organization, the conference felt compelled to help with hurricane recovery efforts.
“The impact of Hurricane Helene was felt throughout the SoCon footprint,” the associate commissioner explained. “Recognizing the devastation in and around Asheville, the Southern Conference partnered with the World Central Kitchen and raised more than $10,000 for efforts on the ground. This year a portion of premium ticket sales to both the basketball and wrestling championships will be donated to the Always Asheville fund.”
The Ingles Southern Conference Volleyball Championship was supposed to be held in Asheville in November, but due to conditions on the ground, that was impossible. The league and organizations in Asheville jointly agreed that the Southern Conference should return in March for the basketball and wrestling competitions to help bring tourism back to the city.
If you have not attended the tournament before, the associate commissioner gave a pitch for the event. “There is something for everyone in and around the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships,” Friedman wrote. “The Ingles Southern Conference Tournament offers whatever experience a fan might be looking for, and the community has consistently embraced and supported the product.”
The final game of the men’s tournament will air live at 7 p.m. on Monday, Mar. 10 on ESPN. The winner of that game will advance to the 64-team bracket for the NCAA Division 1 title. Most of the other matches held in Asheville will be available on the streaming service ESPN+ starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 7. The women’s tournament will also be available primarily on ESPN+ running from Mar. 6-9. For the full tournament schedule, click here.
If you are interested in watching the games in person, some seats are still available. Click here to purchase tickets for the basketball games. To watch the wrestling matches, click here.