This feels like groundhog day.

(02-21-2018 10:32 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 07:29 PM)GSUALUM17 Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 06:42 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 04:32 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 11:12 AM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  Need a destination City to make the trip more palatable/fun for the average fan.

The average fan does not and will not go to a conference basketball tourney.

Maybe.. but all we can do is try and make the destination as attractive as possible.

so fans can bring families who will also enjoy the trip

Thing is, the nature of a basketball tournament is what makes it so difficult for families to go. This year's Sun Belt Tournament is a Tuesday through Sunday. Entire families are not going to pull kids out of school for a week, take a vacation from work etc to go watch a basketball tournament when there is a high chance there favorite team might be one and done.

Go to home sites, let the highest seed host throughout. That's the only way we're going to draw anything more than flies for the tournament

Anyone who has been to NOLA by now already knows that despite being located in a "destination city" no one is showing up.

Why not have the SBC tournament during a weekend? Seems like a simple enough fix.

The home site concept is probably fine with Panthers fans...I would imagine our chances of hosting the tourney is as good as anyone in the league

It should be held in Boone. Our convocation center is big enough, and there will never be any threat of App being competitive in the tourney.

(02-23-2018 02:46 PM)GSUALUM17 Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 10:32 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 07:29 PM)GSUALUM17 Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 06:42 PM)TheEagleWay Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 04:32 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  The average fan does not and will not go to a conference basketball tourney.

Maybe.. but all we can do is try and make the destination as attractive as possible.

so fans can bring families who will also enjoy the trip

Thing is, the nature of a basketball tournament is what makes it so difficult for families to go. This year's Sun Belt Tournament is a Tuesday through Sunday. Entire families are not going to pull kids out of school for a week, take a vacation from work etc to go watch a basketball tournament when there is a high chance there favorite team might be one and done.

Go to home sites, let the highest seed host throughout. That's the only way we're going to draw anything more than flies for the tournament

Anyone who has been to NOLA by now already knows that despite being located in a "destination city" no one is showing up.

Why not have the SBC tournament during a weekend? Seems like a simple enough fix.

The home site concept is probably fine with Panthers fans...I would imagine our chances of hosting the tourney is as good as anyone in the league

We sort of do,but we’re at the mercy of ESPN. They choose when the tournament title game is.

Save your breath, guys.

The tournament is not leaving New Orleans.

(02-25-2018 09:53 PM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  Save your breath, guys.

The tournament is not leaving New Orleans.

If we stop and actually look at the facts such as fan interest, attendance, income and the travel time to a site, it would help. My thought would be to divide the tourney along division lines with the games to be played at the division champs and the finals played on the campus of the higher rated team. This would increase interest, attendance, and income while helping fans to travel and reduces time away from classes. It would probably insure that our best team is also the conference representive for the NCAA and actually reward the two teams performing best during the entire season.

at the regular season champ arena would be ok with me. they have earned it and their fans might be energized enough to get a good turnout. these neutral city sites dont work for G5 teams because very few locals in any city worth traveling to would be interested in watching any of our teams. until the conf. gets better and has a few teams that are good enough to generate some national buzz there would be little interest. when you see a clip of these games on the local sports news and there are only a few hundred fans there, it just reinforces the "small time" image.

I can guarantee you that if this year we played all tournament games at the higher seeds home court at 7 PM on weeknights or on a weekend, the first round in which Louisiana and GSU participated would have more attendance than the total atgendance of any neutral site tournament in the history of the conference.

You can’t just all of a sudden host a tournament without notice. There are a ton of logistics involved, including making sure hotels are available for teams, coaches, cheerleaders, and bands. The hosting campus needs notice so no other major events occur at that time. Or you are asking every campus in the league to not have major plans for that week “just in case.” The hosting city needs notice to plan for traffic patterns and emergency personnel. And if the arena hosts other events (such as concerts) they will have to not plan anything for that timeframe “just in case.” There are so many reasons why this model isn’t in use.

(02-26-2018 09:01 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  You can’t just all of a sudden host a tournament without notice. There are a ton of logistics involved, including making sure hotels are available for teams, coaches, cheerleaders, and bands. The hosting campus needs notice so no other major events occur at that time. Or you are asking every campus in the league to not have major plans for that week “just in case.” The hosting city needs notice to plan for traffic patterns and emergency personnel. And if the arena hosts other events (such as concerts) they will have to not plan anything for that timeframe “just in case.” There are so many reasons why this model isn’t in use.

I'm going to make a real easy assumption and say that we are all talking about what our plans should be in years to come. Obviously we can't make a change immediately. But this New Orleans /neutral site idea is absolute nuts and someone needs to put a stop to it. Does anyone here know anyone that has actually attended any of these games in New Orleans?

If the Myrtle Beach chamber gets motivated the tourney will be in Myrtle Beach

(02-26-2018 10:47 AM)Tealblood Wrote:  If the Myrtle Beach chamber gets motivated the tourney will be in Myrtle Beach

Perhaps. They already are important advertisers within the conference. But they'll have to convince Benson to personally travel away from New Orleans.

He's got it so easy now.

(02-26-2018 10:37 AM)Florida RedWolf Wrote:  

(02-26-2018 09:01 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  You can’t just all of a sudden host a tournament without notice. There are a ton of logistics involved, including making sure hotels are available for teams, coaches, cheerleaders, and bands. The hosting campus needs notice so no other major events occur at that time. Or you are asking every campus in the league to not have major plans for that week “just in case.” The hosting city needs notice to plan for traffic patterns and emergency personnel. And if the arena hosts other events (such as concerts) they will have to not plan anything for that timeframe “just in case.” There are so many reasons why this model isn’t in use.

I'm going to make a real easy assumption and say that we are all talking about what our plans should be in years to come. Obviously we can't make a change immediately. But this New Orleans /neutral site idea is absolute nuts and someone needs to put a stop to it. Does anyone here know anyone that has actually attended any of these games in New Orleans?

Yes, I have. The Cajuns are usually pretty well represented, but we are pretty close by. We also have a large alumni base in the metro area, and there are very few wives in the Lafayette area who will be mad if hubby drags them to NOLA for a long weekend, as long as he gives them the car and lots of plastic money.

That being said, we still don't attend as well as we should, and very few others attend at all.

Let's be real. While people can say "put it here" the reality is we can't get anyone in the league not named Louisiana to average 2,500 in ANNOUNCED attendance, much less butts in the seats.

You might as well keep it at a neutral site where the guys close by almost double everyone else's attendance.

(02-26-2018 12:21 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2018 10:47 AM)Tealblood Wrote:  If the Myrtle Beach chamber gets motivated the tourney will be in Myrtle Beach

Perhaps. They already are important advertisers within the conference. But they'll have to convince Benson to personally travel away from New Orleans.

He's got it so easy now.

Myrtle Beach is a really good place to play golf. I hear he plays.

(02-27-2018 10:28 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  Let's be real. While people can say "put it here" the reality is we can't get anyone in the league not named Louisiana to average 2,500 in ANNOUNCED attendance, much less butts in the seats.

You might as well keep it at a neutral site where the guys close by almost double everyone else's attendance.

Let's just do what we do for football and have the top team from each division play at the higher seed's place.

Cajunnation and I have a long illustrious history of opposing the conference tournament.

You want a tournament, fine send #3 in a division to go play #2 with the winning traveling to #1. Then send the worst remaining RPI to play the best remaining.

But that isn't going to happen, the presidents and AD's want an event and if we could consistently field some really good teams a neutral site would work once you get past the games involving teams who fans are just ready to bring the season to a merciful ending.

Georgraphically speaking the midpoint of the Sun Belt is about halfway between Columbus, MS and Meridian, MS.

That means Huntsville, AL, Southaven, MS, Tupleo, MS, Jackson, MS, Biloxi, MS, Birmingham, AL, and Montgomery, AL are you sites closest to the midpoint.

(02-27-2018 03:58 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Cajunnation and I have a long illustrious history of opposing the conference tournament.

You want a tournament, fine send #3 in a division to go play #2 with the winning traveling to #1. Then send the worst remaining RPI to play the best remaining.

But that isn't going to happen, the presidents and AD's want an event and if we could consistently field some really good teams a neutral site would work once you get past the games involving teams who fans are just ready to bring the season to a merciful ending.

Georgraphically speaking the midpoint of the Sun Belt is about halfway between Columbus, MS and Meridian, MS.

That means Huntsville, AL, Southaven, MS, Tupleo, MS, Jackson, MS, Biloxi, MS, Birmingham, AL, and Montgomery, AL are you sites closest to the midpoint.

We need to find some place with 2 courts like Hot Springs had if we want to keep playing the men and women at the same site. The tournament now lasts basically a full week. It starts Tuesday morning and doesn't end until 8pm Sunday evening. If the Little Rock women make it to the final, I'll have to take off work Monday (so would just about anybody, except maybe USA and ULL if their women make it to the final). I know a few folks that actually go to the whole thing, but obviously you have to be retired and they are.

put the Sun Belt tournament at the 8,000 seat Landers Center in Southaven MS.

It's 30 mins from the Tunica casinos/hotels...25 mins from downtown Memphis...15 minutes from Graceland...plus Southaven/Olive Branch MS is a nice area with hotels and outlet malls to shop at.

We just can’t say “Ok (city name here) we are hosting our basketball tournament here for (enter time frame here).” It has to be bid on and contracted on with that city. For all the grief Hot Springs got, at least they bid on the tournament.