The Schar Center has yet to open its doors, but the list of high-caliber events it’s set to host continues to grow. Elon University’s new arena will be the host site for the 2020 Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Championship, according to a league announcement on Monday.
The conference held its annual tournament at a neutral arena from 2011-2016 before switching to host sites starting with the 2017 iteration. Elon will be the fourth school to host the tournament after James Madison University (2017), Drexel University (2018) and the University of Delaware (2019).
The announcement comes as the Elon women’s program is riding high, having won the last two conference tournaments and making a pair of appearances in the national tournament field. Head coach Charlotte Smith has guided the Phoenix to a 52-15 record in that stretch.
Elon’s campus is no stranger to conference tournaments as the CAA’s best have previously descended on Alamance County for the league’s tennis and track and field championships. The university will host both of those tournaments again in the spring of 2019.
The announcement adds another marquee event to the Schar Center’s calendar. The new 5,100-seat arena will open this fall after breaking ground nearly two years ago. The Elon men’s basketball team will host a national powerhouse when the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill visits the Schar Center on Nov. 9.