PEORIA, Ill. – The Civic Center was the center of attention in Peoria on Sunday.
The facility hosted two big events on Sunday. In the Exhibit Hall was the final day of the 2023 Official Spring Home Show. In Carver Arena, the Bradley Braves men’s basketball team took on and defeated Drake, 73-61, in a winner-take-all game for the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
Civic Center General Manager Rik Edgar says the stakes of the Bradley game made a unique opportunity for people making the trip to downtown Peoria.
“We saw many people coming here early because they knew about the messaging that parking was going to be competitive. So what happened is they went, took in the Home Show for a couple hours, and now they’re lined up for the game,” Edgar said.
The Bradley Braves game was a sell-out on Sunday morning, with attendance listed at 10,458. Edgar says it’s the first sell-out of a Braves game that he can remember, with fans lining up a couple hours before tip-off.
“We’re seeing a large amount of people who may not have sampled Bradley basketball in person or today. So we’re hope they’re here to see a win and continue to support the program in the years upcoming,” Edgar said.
The Home Show ran from Friday afternoon to Sunday with around 138 exhibitors. Attendance figures are not known yet.
