Eastern States Exposition, Hoop Hall to Host Major 3-on-3 Basketball Competition
SPRINGFIELD — Hooplandia, the largest 3-on-3 basketball competition and celebration on the East Coast, will take place on June 26-28, 2020, hosted by Eastern States Exposition and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The event will feature hundreds of games for thousands of players of all ages and playing abilities, with divisions for young girls, boys, women, men, high-school elite, college elite, pro-am, ‘over the hill,’ wheelchair, wounded warrior, Special Olympians, veterans, first responders, and more.
More than 100 outdoor blacktop courts will be placed throughout the roadway and parking-lot network of the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds in West Springfield. Slam-dunk, 3-point, free-throw, dribble-course, vertical-jump, and full-court-shot skills competitions will be spotlighted. Themed state courts will be mobilized along the Exposition’s famed Avenue of States. Featured ‘showcase games’ will be held on new court surfaces in the historic Eastern States Coliseum and on the Court of Dreams, the center court of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Eastern States is proud to co-host this terrific new signature event for all of New England and beyond,” said Eugene Cassidy, president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition. “We are always looking for paths to reinvent our role in promoting commerce and community and appreciate opportunities to collaborate with other regional icons, like the Basketball Hall of Fame. We are excited to transform our grounds into the magical kingdom of Hooplandia for thousands of visitors next summer.”
Added John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, “the role of Greater Springfield in the global growth of basketball is undeniable, from Dr. James Naismith to our annual Enshrinement Week at the Hall of Fame and points in between. Hooplandia is a natural extension of this legacy, with a grassroots competition and celebration befitting this area and all of New England. We are thrilled to help launch and build this event, which we hope will inspire hoopsters of all ages from throughout the Northeast.”
A year-long community outreach effort will begin immediately. Registration will open on March 1, 2020. Information and engagement is available now through www.hooplandia.com or on Instagram: @hooplandia.
