New York is mostly known for the city that lies at the southernmost tip of the state, New York City. The Big Apple is home to hundreds of sports venues, but around the state there is much to offer to sports planners. Buffalo, Rochester, Long Island and Syracuse all have great sports facilities for hosting tournaments.
Sports Events in Buffalo
Just a few minutes down the road from Niagara Falls, Buffalo is a town famous for its intense winter storms. The winter weather has made Buffalo a prime location for ice sports like hockey. Buffalo is home to quite a few warm weather sports venues as well.
On New Year’s Day, 2008, Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium was the center of the hockey universe. The NHL’s first annual Winter Classic took place in the Bills’ stadium, featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Buffalo Sabres. This spectacle had an attendance of over 71,000 hockey fans as the Penguins beat the Sabres in a shootout. When the NHL isn’t borrowing the stadium, it is home to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. The stadium holds 70,000 and is 20 minutes from downtown Buffalo. The artificial turf field has been the home of the Bills since 1973.
For other football fields in the area, look to universities in Buffalo. The Buffalo State Bengals call the 3,000-seat Coyer Field their home. Besides football, it hosts the men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams and the university’s track and field program. The State University of New York at Buffalo’s UB Stadium is home to the Bulls’ football team. The field was built in 1993 and has a capacity of about 30,000. An artificial surface was installed in 2005.
Being a cold-weather city, Buffalo has produced outstanding hockey players throughout the years. Just as outstanding are the venues. The HSBC Arena is the home of the NHL’s Sabres and National Lacrosse League’s Bandits. Opened in 1996, the 19,000-seat arena helped host the NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament in March 2010 and the IIHF under 20 World Junior Hockey Championship in December of 2010.
Local hockey venues in the Buffalo area are in high supply. The Amherst Ice Center has three NHL-size rinks and one Olympic-size rink. The center has held the USA Hockey National Championships. The Buffalo State Ice Arena is home to the men’s and women’s hockey teams for Buffalo State. It has a capacity of 1,800 and has a pro shop on site. The arena has held the NJCAA Championships, and the Western New York Federation High School Hockey holds part of its regular season and playoffs at the arena. The Holiday Twin Rinks was the home of the NCAA Division I UB Bulls hockey team. The rink was also the original practice rink of the Buffalo Sabres. The rink, currently the home of the Buffalo Hornets Hockey Association, has hosted numerous tournaments and is home to 30 different teams.
Rochester Sports Venues
Rochesteris famous for being one of the stops on the historic Erie Canal. It’s the third biggest city in New York and has plenty of sporting venues within its limits. Golf in Rochester is some of the best in the nation, and many other facilities in the area are top-notch.
Rochester boasts one of the nation’s best selection of bowling centers, with a total of 16.. The AMF bowling franchise has six locations in Rochester, three of which have over 50 lanes. Empire Lanes has 64 lanes, Olympic Lanes-80 and Terrace Gardens Lanes-56. Local Clover Lanes has 50 lanes and is a Rochester favorite. The lanes have been family-owned and-operated since 1957.
The Rochester area has 35-golf courses. Greystone Golf Club is an 18-hole Scottish-style golf course that was given four-and-a-half stars by Golf Digest. Shadow Pines is an 18-hole, 6,000-yard course that challenges golfers with wooded areas and streams. One of the more difficult courses in Rochester, Wild Wood, will overwhelm you with its scenic views. The 27-hole Shadow Lake Golf Course has a 6,000-yard, 18-hole course, as well as a 9-hole executive course for tuning your game between tournament rounds.
Long Island Sports Planning
Home of the Hamptons, Long Island is an area rich in history. Planners will find a great selection of venues in this historic city.
With several courts in the area, Long Island is a prime location for a basketball tournament. The Mack Sports Complex, formerly the Hofstra University Arena, is a 93,000-square-foot arena that can seat 5,000. It holds the Hofstra men’s and women’s basketball teams, and during the 2008 election held the third and final presidential debate.
Island Garden on Long Island has been used as a practice site for the NCAA tournament and has held numerous youth tournaments since its opening in 1998. It is designed to host three games at once and hosts over 120 games a week.
For track and field in Long Island, consider the 49-acre Mitchel Athletic Complex, which is a full stadium featuring a 9-lane track. It hosts local high school and collegiate events on a regular basis.
Syracuse Sports Venues
Syracuse started as a major railroad city, transporting salt throughout the state. From its simple mining beginnings, Syracuse has become one of the state’s major cities. With Syracuse University in the heart of the city, it has plenty of tournament-ready venues.
Gymnastics in Syracuse is unlike any you will find elsewhere. With five prime locations, planning an event in the city is a breeze. Parry’s Gymnastics and Creative Activity Center in Baldwinsville is a one-of-a-kind location. Designed as a training gym, it is fully equipped with everything a gymnast needs. The 12,000-square-foot GC2 Gymnastics facility is fully equipped as well. The gym boasts a 25-foot tumble track and an in-ground foam pit. GC2’s Rhythmic program is nationally ranked and uses the facility as its home gym.
Syracuse University’s 50,000-seat Carrier Dome is home to the school’s football and basketball programs. “The Dome,” as fans call it, is the only domed stadium in the Northeast and the largest venue of its kind on a college campus. Since its completion in 1980, the Dome has held Syracuse’s football, basketball and lacrosse home games. One of the best multi-purpose venues in the country, it has held numerous rounds of the NCAA championship tournaments in basketball, lacrosse and track and field.
During the winter months, Syracuse is an excellent skiing and snowboarding location with five major skiing venues. The massive Greek Park Ski Resort has 32 trails varying on terrain. The park is equipped with a half-pipe for those who look to get a little more extreme. Labrador Mountain has 22 trails, 12 of which are available for night skiing. It also has a half-pipe and offers a terrain run with jumps for snowboarders. The runs on Labrador Mountain can be as long as 4,500 feet.
Sports Event Locations in New York City
New York city, the largest city in the country, is home to some of the most stories franchises in the history of professional sports. Each of the city’s five boroughs offers sports planners a wide range of locations to host a tournament.
In the Bronx, the Uptown Sports Complex is a multi-purpose venue that specializes in gymnastics. It is a 16,000-square-foot complex with a full workout center. The gymnastics center is fully equipped and tournament-ready.
Manhattan is the home of New York City’s most iconic sights including the Empire State Building and Central Park. The NBA’s Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers call Madison Square Garden their home here. Manhattan’s 30-acre Chelsea Piers is a massive venue that encompasses several different sports. The Piers have 30 bowling lanes, a full spa and workout center, and six restaurants. The Field House has two hardwood basketball courts and the largest gymnastics training facility in the city. There are two indoor soccer fields as well. The Sky Rink at the Piers is home to the River Rats Hockey Club teams and hosts an adult league.
Queens boasts the City View Racquet Club. The 80,000-square-foot facility has seven indoor clay tennis courts. They are temperature-controlled for year-round competition. For squash, the club boasts three singles courts and one doubles court. The venue also has a juice bar, full-service spa, pro shop and a lounge for relaxation between matches.
Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn was New York City’s first municipal airport back when it opened in 1931. Today, it is home to one of the biggest sporting venues in the Big Apple. The Aviator Sports and Events Center encompasses a variety of sports facilities. The center has two hardwood basketball courts, two indoor soccer fields, the city’s most complete gymnastics center, twin ice sheets that are NHL-size, a full fitness center and a 35-foot-high rock climbing wall. Outdoors, the center features two full-size artificial turf fields for football, soccer, lacrosse or field hockey. The 5,000-seat center is home to the annual NYPD vs. FDNY football game.
Staten Islandis home to the Staten Island Skating Pavilion. The pavilion is the only year-round ice rink in the borough. It is home to the NY Titan travel teams and hosts local high school games as well. The pavilion provides figure skating lessons and training to local skaters and is a great place to compete.
From Buffalo to New York City, New York State is full of excellent facilities for sports planners to consider. With so much variety, New York is a great place to host your next tournament.
