[SuperJon]

The head of the Joel Coliseum is putting together a preliminary bid for the Southern Conference basketball tournament.

The conference, which includes schools such as Appalachian State University and UNC Greensboro, is looking for a site for its tournaments from 2012 through 2014.

Bucky Dame, the director of public assembly facilities for the city, is working on the proposal. Dame visited this past season's tournaments in Charlotte and has talked with SoCon officials.

In addition to Joel Coliseum, the coliseum annex could provide a venue for early-round women's games.

Joel to bid to be host of SoCon Tournament

I know most people here don't care about Winston-Salem or the SoCon. However, I post this article for two reasons:

1) The LJVM, home of Wake Forest basketball, is wanting to host the SoCon (men's and women's) tournament.
2) The LJVM is already set to host the MEAC tournament.

There's no chance they'd ever consider hosting the Big South tournament. I know that the level of play isn't significantly different, but is our conference's perception that much worse to the general public than the SoCon and the MEAC?

[Libertine]

It's got nothing to do with level of play. It has everything to do with number of fans that will come watch the tournament. The fans of most SoCon teams travel well. The fans of most MEAC schools travel very well. The fans of most Big South schools will be sure to remember to follow along on live stats.

[SuperJon]

Yeah, I knew it didn't have to do with level of play. You basically said what I was thinking that I didn't articulate worth a crap. I just think it's really sad that MEAC basketball is more attractive to people that our league.

[Sly Fox]

The MEAC doesn't travel particularly well either for hoops. But an arena in NC does add in other factors in its decision-making process from time to time.

[olldflame]

The Southern Conference tournament is a like a poor man's ACC tourney. Smaller scale, but there are alums of places like the Furman, Davidson and the Citadel who have gone every year for decades.