SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Southern Conference basketball fans can purchase their tickets to the 2011 SoCon Basketball Championships and make travel accommodations to follow their team.  The league's basketball tournament returns to McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn., site of the 2005 and 2009 Southern Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships.

The Southern Conference, in its 90th season of intercollegiate competition, is a national leader in emphasizing the development of the student-athlete and helping build lifelong leaders and role models.  The conference has been on the forefront of innovation and originality in developing creative solutions to address issues facing intercollegiate athletics.  From establishing the first conference basketball tournament (1921), tackling the issues of freshman eligibility (1922), developing women's championships (1984) to becoming the first conference to install the three-point goal in basketball (1980), the Southern Conference has been a pioneer.  The Southern Conference is the nation's fifth-oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. 

Single session tickets as well as tournament ticket books are available through the McKenzie Arena box office at (423) 266-6627 or tickettracks.com.  Tickets are also available through The Citadel ticket office, who can be contacted by calling (843) 953-3647.  Full tournament books which include admission to every men's and women's game are $75.  Single session tickets are available for $15.  Information about special packages, lodging and other tournament information is available at SoConTravel.com

The first men's game will take place Friday, March 4, at 2:00 p.m.  The women's championship game is set for Monday, March 7 at 4:00 p.m. and will be televised by SportSouth, while the men's title game tips off at 9:00 p.m. and will be broadcast by ESPN2.

The nation's longest running conference tournament, 2011 will mark the 91st year of the Southern Conference Tournament.