With its spacious athletic facilities and state-of-the-art amenities, the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex was an ideal destination to host part of the NCAA Division-III women’s basketball tournament.

St. Thomas hosted the first and second round of the national tournament on March 6 and 7. Along with the Tommies, Luther College, St. Norbert College and University of Minnesota-Morris utilized the sports complex that was constructed in 2012. Assistant Athletic Director Tyler Grey said the quality of the facilities plays a crucial role in determining host sites.

“The freshness of it, it has a little bit of a wow factor, just because how new it was built and that it’s still in pretty good shape,” Grey said. “We’ve been fortunate in this facility that we have a lot of good things at our fingertips and really have a top notch facility, so we can fairly easily accommodate an event, especially with the four teams coming in.”

The bidding process to host part of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament started the week before the MIAC tournament. Grey said he had to fill out a step-by-step budget, along with convincing the NCAA that St. Thomas is an adequate facility.

“You’re responsible for providing what your facility can hold as far as people, as far as locker rooms for teams, as far as athletic training facilities,” Grey said. “The biggest thing about the bid is just to make sure the NCAA knows that you’re willing to host, that you can host it and it’s just kind of their weeding out process as far who they’re willing to bring these events to.”

This wasn’t the first time St. Thomas hosted part of national tournament this year. In the fall, the St. Thomas volleyball team, which was No. 4 in Central region, played host to seven different teams and three rounds, compared to four teams and two rounds in the women’s basketball tournament. Grey said a team’s record plays into the decision-making process.

“Obviously the NCAA wants to have the best teams in the country be able to host,” Grey said. “If you’re one of the top teams in the nation, in all of Division-III, you’ve earned the right to host at your place.”

Grey said the overall goal is for the fans and the players to enjoy the national tournament event at a great venue.

“You want them to enjoy the whole experience,” Grey said. “You want them to enjoy the game, you want them to enjoy the atmosphere. You want them to enjoy how they’re treated when they come here. You want them to leave this building thinking ‘I just had fun, I really enjoyed that. That was a great experience for me.’”

Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.