If Stony Brook men’s basketball team does make it to the America East championship game, it will be able to host the game in Pritchard Gymnasium against conference rules.

Last fall, the school met with the conference’s executive committee and received a waiver from the conference to be able to host the game in the 1,500 seat venue.

According to Sean Tainsh, the America East’s director of communications, conference rules state that in order to host a men’s basketball championship game, the game must be played in a venue that seats at least 3,000 people.

According to Tainsh, the conference granted the waiver because the neighboring arena, the school’s other potential venue that seats 4,160, is unavailable due to its ongoing renovation project.

“Stony Brook’s arena is unavailable completely,” Tainsh said. “Pritchard Gym is the only other venue on campus where they could host the game.”

Jim Fiore, Stony Brook’s director of athletics, said that the school managed to convince the conference also to reduce the amount of tickets the visiting team would be provided.

Normally, at least 600 seats would need to be allotted to the visiting school. However, as part of the waiver, according to Fiore, Stony Brook would only need to provide 300 seats to the opposing school.

Stony Brook, currently first in the America East standings, has been tough to beat in Pritchard Gym for the last few years. The Seawolves have not lost a conference game in the venue since Feb. 7, 2009, when the they lost 63-61 in overtime to Binghamton.