First Tom Joyner Sky Show of 2007 To Be in Raleigh During MEAC Basketball Tournament

[Raleigh, NC] – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today that the 2007 Basketball Tournament will host radio personality Tom Joyner as he broadcasts his acclaimed live “Southwest Airlines Sky Show” in Raleigh at 6 a.m. Friday, March 9 at the Progress Energy Center. The broadcast will be the first Sky Show of 2007, and one of the premier events of tournament week.

The Sky Show, free to the public, returns to the tournament for the second year, featuring the complete cast and crew of the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Two live performances from a national recording artist, yet to be revealed, will punctuate the event.

The Conference will also make a financial contribution to the Tom Joyner Foundation, a certified 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

“With the overwhelming response to the Sky Show last year, and Tom’s commitment to HBCUs, we made it a priority to bring the Sky Show back,” said MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas. “The MEAC and Tom share a commitment to assist deserving students in obtaining an education. We’re proud to show our support through our financial commitment to the Tom Joyner Foundation.”

“We’re really happy that MEAC shares my passion in helping to keep kids in school,” said Joyner, whose nationally syndicated radio show airs in 120 markets, reaching nearly 8 million listeners. Joyner’s Foundation has raised more than $55 million to provide scholarships to students currently attending HBCUs. “You know I always love a ‘party with a purpose’, so being part of MEAC in Raleigh is a perfect way to participate in one the hottest basketball tournaments in the country, and to make sure that even more students at HBCUs can complete their education.”

Listeners are encouraged to arrive early to ensure access to the event. As the largest, free, live African-American entertainment series in the country, the show has drawn record crowds during its broadcasts across the nation.

Find out more about this event, and the many other MEAC basketball tournament events on www.meachoops.com. The event schedule is subject to change.

About the MEAC Basketball Tournament
The MEAC Basketball Tournament involves 11 Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman College, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and South Carolina State University.

The tournament is played in Raleigh (Wake County) through 2008. Both the men’s and women’s tournament champion receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tickets are available at www.meachoops.com, through Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, at MEAC School Box Offices and at the RBC Center Box Office.

CONTACT:
Jim Tobin
Brogan & Partners
919 719-8982
jtobin@brogan.com