Q Casino + Resort and University of Dubuque Partner to Create Key City Collegiate Classic Hockey Tournament

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Q Casino + Resort and the University of Dubuque announced details today regarding a new collegiate tournament in Dubuque to help kick off the NCAA Division III hockey season. Called the Key City Collegiate Classic, this tournament will feature the men's hockey teams from the University of Dubuque, Augsburg University, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, and Aurora University. The games will be played at ImOn Arena, which is home ice for the University of Dubuque hockey team.

"We are pleased to be able to partner with Q Casino + Resort and their new Island Social venue to bring a season-opening, NCAA Division III hockey tournament to the city of Dubuque," said Nelson Edmonds, vice president for student engagement and intercollegiate athletics at the University of Dubuque. "This will offer a great opportunity to not only showcase the talents of our student-athletes and the new hockey program, but also put a spotlight on our facility and all this great city has to offer."

This is the inaugural offering of what the University of Dubuque hopes will become an annual, season-opening tournament featuring Division III teams from around the country - all played at the city-owned ImOn Arena. Island Social, the presenting sponsor, is a new family entertainment venue at Q Casino + Resort, which is scheduled to open later this fall.

"We are excited to be a part of something new that has the potential to truly become a much-anticipated, annual event the entire community can embrace and enjoy," said Stacy Kansky, chief commercial officer for DRA and Q Casino + Resort. "Welcoming hockey fans from around the Midwest and beyond will have a positive, economic impact on the community. It also provides us an opportunity to put a spotlight on Schmitt Island and encourage people to come back to visit the many things we have to offer here."

"As the first NCAA hockey team in Iowa, we want to do whatever we can to help grow the game and introduce people to collegiate hockey," said Seamus Gregory, head coach for the University of Dubuque men's hockey team. "We want to create a tournament which provides us an opportunity to play some quality matches early in the season, but also use it as a way to attract new fans, as well as student-athletes who are interested in playing at this level. The Key City Collegiate Classic provides us this opportunity, so we are excited to be the host team for this new tourney."

Live and Local Coverage from KCRG-TV9
Additional media support will be provided by KCRG-TV9, who will cover the University of Dubuque and Augsburg College match on Friday, November 1, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. through HD broadcasts on KCRG 9.2. This will include the ability to stream online at KCRG.com, as well as live and OnDemand at Zeam.com

Fans can also view this coverage via: https://www.kcrg.com/9point2liveevents/ or https://zeam.com/events/.