Lincoln businesses are bracing for a very busy week. Saturday and Sunday Pinnacle Bank Arena is hosting the Big Ten Wrestling Tournament. That will be followed by the first ever combined boys and girls state high school basketball tournament.
“The reason we did it as a one year week kind of thing was Big Ten wrestling,” Lincoln Convention and Visitor’s Bureau executive director Jeff Maul told LNK Today. “That was the accommodation we had to make and putting it all in one week you’re looking at $5 to $6 million of economic impact all coming in one week.”
Maul says on Monday girls and boys teams will begin playing tournament games all over Lincoln. “Pinnacle Bank Arena, Devaney Center, LPS high schools.” Maul says check the schedule because the girls and boys will be rotating teams throughout the day at all of the venues. “It’s not like we’re going to go boys all one day and girls the next day. It’s going to be throughout the week.”
For fans coming into Lincoln for the week long tournament Maul says they have resources at Lincoln.org. “There a tab on our website dedicated to boys and girls basketball,” Maul says. “Parking information, interaction with our downtown merchants, city wide merchants. We’ve got over 45 merchants that are part of our VIP Card. These are special discounts and treats for people coming in for state high school basketball.