Thursday, April 03, 2014

Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Opens Pat Summitt Exhibit

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, located inside the Bridgestone Arena, has announced a new, permanent Pat Summitt Exhibit that will open on Friday, the first day of activities at the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four.

The Nashville Local Organizing Committee (NLOC) is providing free admission to the Pat Summitt Exhibit from April 4th-8th, allowing basketball fans to experience the new exhibit during their time in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Pat Summitt Exhibit will feature memorabilia, photos, videos and interactive displays highlighting the former women’s college basketball coach.
Now serving as head coach emeritus of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team, Coach Summitt holds the most all-time wins for a coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men’s or women’s team in any division.

She coached from 1974 to 2012, all with the Lady Vols, winning eight NCAA national championships, second only to the record 10 titles won by UCLA men’s coach John Wooden.

She is the only coach in NCAA history, and one of three college coaches overall, with at least 1,000 victories.

“Pat Summitt has been the single most influential person in women’s sports,” said Bill Emendorfer, executive director, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “As a native Tennessean, her roots and values run deep with the heritage of this great state. It seems fitting to open the Pat Summitt Exhibit during the Women’s Final Four. The exhibit offers a unique opportunity to follow this Tennessee legend from her youth to her career as both a player and coach. It will be an opportunity to catch a glimpse of how Coach Summitt rose from a Tennessee farm girl to a national legend.”

The Pat Summitt Exhibit at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame will open to the public on Friday, April 4th from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

The exhibit will also be open; Saturday, April 5th, 9:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday April 6th, 10:00am to 9:30pm. (Game Night), Monday April 7th, 10:00am to 5:00pm, and Tuesday, April 8th, 10:00am to 10:00pm. (Game Night).

“Our NLOC decided early in the process that we needed to leave our community with a lasting legacy of celebrating women’s basketball and women’s athletics. Working closely with the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, we committed to opening this Pat Summitt exhibit in Nashville during Final Four week. What better way to celebrate Tennessee’s own Coach Pat Summitt than with 30,000 basketball fans,” said Margaret Behm, co-chair, Nashville Local Organizing Committee. “Coach Summitt changed women’s basketball in this state and in our country and we are proud to be a part of this living legacy that celebrates her amazing career.”

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is located inside the Bridgestone Arena, 501 Broadway in Nashville. For more information, visit www.tshf.net.

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