‘Show Time. All the time’: A-10 Women’s Basketball chooses Henrico as its home for next 3 years

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Atlantic-10 Women's Basketball Championships are staying in Henrico County! The conference extended its contract with Henrico's Sports and Events Center through 2029.

The center has hosted this big-ticket tournament for the past two years. This recent update means that championships take place in the Henrico community for another three years. Not only that, but the A-10 commissioner has selected the venue to host the conference's 50th anniversary season in 2026.

8News spoke with Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority, about this exciting announcement. He reflected on when he learned the center would be hosting the A-10 Women's Basketball Championships for the first time.

"People started calling me like, 'Okay, what's this building?'" Bickmeier said, laughing.

He knew from the beginning what he had in mind for the coveted strip of land near Telegraph Road in Glen Allen.

"We went into this thinking, 'You know, we want to be a multi-purpose event center,'" Bickmeier said. "'We want to go after big events.'"

That dream came to life. The center is continuing to make its mark, solidifying itself as the home to the large-scale tournament for the past two years.

"We learned last week from the A-10 Commissioner that our agreement with them has been extended another three years," Bickmeier said.

The A-10 conference spotlights star athletes -- which means some of the best women's basketball players are coming to Central Virginia. These athletes bring their coaches, fans -- and their wallets — with them.

Bickmeier told 8News that this year's tournament raked in almost $2 million. After adding in the first year's revenue, that's $3 million in economic impact.

"The A-10 helped put this building on people's radar," Bickmeier said. "And we're thankful for that, and thankful for that partnership."

The venue may have fewer than two full years in the books, but it certainly does have a full roster ahead. Bickmeier said the big-name A-10 conference allows the center to live up to its slogan: "Show Time. All the time."

"It has allowed us to do a lot of different things, as well," Bickmeier said.

Those "different things" include a variety of activities, from soccer to wheelchair basketball and even beyond. In fact, the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships will be at the sports and events center in 2027. Bickmeier said he's excited for what's next.