News Releases

Buchanan named Honorary Chair of 2010 Subway Final 6 Men's Basketball Championship

Friday, January 29, 2010

Corporate ticket campaign underway, early sales of ticket packages already ahead of 2009

Atlantic University Sport and the Organizing Committee of the 2010 Subway Final 6 AUS Men's Basketball Championship are pleased to announce that Dr. Carl 'Bucky' Buchanan will be the Honorary Chair for the 2010 tournament, to be held March 12-14 at Centre 200 in Sydney.

"We are pleased to have Bucky Buchanan serve as the Honorary Chair for this year's Subway Final 6 Championship in Sydney," says Phil Currie, Executive Director of Atlantic University Sport. "Bucky's accomplishments during his career speak for themselves and he has always been a great ambassador for university sport. We could not think of a more appropriate way of recognizing his contributions."

Dr. Buchanan, a native of Sussex, New Brunswick, attended university in the United States, graduating from Northwestern State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education degree and from The University of Tennessee with a Master of Science degree.

He remained in the U.S. for the next two years as a Professor of Physical Education and Coach at both The University of Tennessee and Appalachian State University in North Carolina. In 1968, Dr. Buchanan returned to Canada and accepted the position of Athletic Director at Xavier College (now CBU) in Sydney, Nova Scotia, holding this position for more than twenty-five years.

In 1980, Dr. Buchanan received his doctorate degree with a concentration in Educational and Sport Administration from Walden University in Naples, Florida.

Involved with hockey on a local, provincial, and national level, his coaching includes winning the Nova Scotia College Conference (NSCC) and Atlantic College championships 15 times; winning the Gold Medal of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) in 1978, the Silver Medal in 1981, and the Bronze Medal in 1974 and 1975; and being named 'Coach of the Year' in the CCAA in 1986.

Cape Breton University became a member of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference in 1987 under the initiative and guidance of Dr. Buchanan.

In 1986, Dr. Buchanan received the Canada Celebration Medal for his contribution to sport in Cape Breton, and in 1987 he received the Medal of Merit from the Government of Canada in recognition of his contribution to fitness and amateur sport in Canada. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the 1987 Jeux Canada Winter Games, which were held in Cape Breton.

In 1996, Hockey Canada honored Dr. Buchanan by presenting him with the Gordon Jukes Award for his contribution to hockey in Canada. He served as Honorary Chair for the inaugural Tim Hortons Cup for Atlantic University Sport. In 2002, he received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal from the Government of Canada.

Dr. Buchanan received Life Membership from Hockey Nova Scotia in 2002 and served as Chair of the World Junior Hockey Championships for Sydney in 2003.

The former Associate Professor, Hockey Coach, and Athletic Director retired from Cape Breton University in 2000 after 32 years of service to the university, ACAA, and the AUS.

Ticket sales for the Subway Final 6 Men's Basketball Championship have been impressive with Kirk MacRae at the helm of Corporate sales. "As a local franchisee of Subway Restaurants in Sydney, Kirk is completely immersed in the community and connected across the region we are extremely grateful to have his passion for basketball and his business acumen on our team," said Currie. "He is on target to help us achieve our goal of selling out Centre 200."

Currie also reported that advance sales of ticket packages is 100% ahead of the same period in 2009. "The preliminary numbers we've seen to date for ticket package sales have been incredibly positive. The university basketball fans here in Cape Breton have responded in a big way to show their support for this marquee event and we're looking forward to showcasing our product to capacity crowds in March.

The Subway Final 6 AUS Men's Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 12-14, 2010. Tournament packages are on sale now and can be purchased through the Centre 200 Box Office at 902-564-6668 or on-line at: www.centre200.ca.