[LUconn]

yeah, from some of these posts I wonder if some of you have ever been to a tournament game. This conference and it's teams don't have enough of a following to have any of these games at a place where all of the fans would have to travel. They may do it for one game but in a tournament format you're talking about people planning for a long weekend. The only way to get bodies in the seats is to have it at the schools. The only fair way to decide which arena(s) is by the regular season. If that winds up in an arena built for 2000 people, it's not really that much less than you'd get at a neutral site 500 miles away. I like the way it's done now.

[WinthropEagleFan]

yeah, from some of these posts I wonder if some of you have ever been to a tournament game. This conference and it's teams don't have enough of a following to have any of these games at a place where all of the fans would have to travel. They may do it for one game but in a tournament format you're talking about people planning for a long weekend. The only way to get bodies in the seats is to have it at the schools. The only fair way to decide which arena(s) is by the regular season. If that winds up in an arena built for 2000 people, it's not really that much less than you'd get at a neutral site 500 miles away. I like the way it's done now.

Well said. As a basketball fan, I did enjoy the neutral site format, just to be able to see all of the games. But unless a local team was playing, it didn't draw many people as a whole. And the type of neutral-site facility that would provide a good atmosphere are few and far between in the region. Most would be too big (which causes the atmosphere to be lousy if you don't get enough people there).

[R i]

Radford seemed like a great place to have it. It was one of the few tournaments I have been to several of the games.

[g-webb1994]

You could perhaps play the final game at a neutral site and promote it. You could use Time-Warner or Bojangles arenas in Charlotte.

OT - getting Longwood in the conference and balancing out the schedule will be a help, maybe divisional play?

[ballcoach15]

Maybe Longwood has a suitable site for tourney, and that's how they got voted into the league. It can't be much else.

[jbock13]

Wrong answer, try again.

[Purple Haize]

Considering the direction a Major BCS conference is going. We are trying to be the Mini East!

[ballcoach15]

Maybe the Big East and Big South should just combine conferences.

[BigStuffWU]

You could perhaps play the final game at a neutral site and promote it. You could use Time-Warner or Bojangles arenas in Charlotte.

OT - getting Longwood in the conference and balancing out the schedule will be a help, maybe divisional play?

I think that if the BSC wants attendance, it's got to be done at the home courts. There are centrally-located venues that are feasible... they're just too big. Charlotte or Greensboro would be a perfect location... again, Time Warner and Greensboro Coliseum are just entirely too big for the Big South. Bojangles Coliseum (the old Charlotte Coliseum) is slightly too big (~9,500) and is ancient. Love the place, have lots of memories there, but not the place for a BSC final.

We have a unique distinction (for now) as being the first conference championship game during tourney week. I know a lot of fans that are ambivalent (at best) or completely apathetic (at worst) tune in to the Big South Championship because it's the first game on. The question is - do we want it in a cavernous arena or at a packed home court? Seems obvious to me.

[jcmanson]

I wish we could have the entire tournament hosted by the team who finishes #1 in the regular season. One requirement: must have at least 3200 seats so Longwood and CSU (and Coastal until their new stadium is done) are not allowed to host, and it would go to the #2 finisher in regular season.

[TDDance234]

I wish we could have the entire tournament hosted by the team who finishes #1 in the regular season. One requirement: must have at least 3200 seats so Longwood and CSU (and Coastal until their new stadium is done) are not allowed to host, and it would go to the #2 finisher in regular season.

Agreed. This is how it used to be, isn't it?

[ballcoach15]

I do not think the Big South cares anything about attendance. this thought is based on their current tournament format. Worse thing a conference can do is have tourney at highest seed's arena, simply based on their high seed. A packed gym is not all that great when 99% of the fans are from host school. They need to do tourney so that they can bring in fans from all schools involved, and some neutral fans as well. If I were commissioner of any conference, I would never even dream of having highest seed be the site for tourney.

[Purple Haize]

A packed gym is great. PERIOD. For your argument to work, Cameron would have to give 50% of their seats to someone else.
The ONLY time a packed house isn't that impressive is when the seats are taken by corporate sponsors with now emotional attachment to the game. Think of that like church! Ha

[ballcoach15]

Bottom line is there are venues within the boundaries of Big South conference that could be used for tournament. In any conference, jsut becasue Podunk College or Horseshoe University wins regular season title should not enable them to host conference tourney on their home floor. Tourney should be on a level floor

[LUconn]

I do not think the Big South cares anything about attendance. this thought is based on their current tournament format.

Worse thing a conference can do is have tourney at highest seed's arena, simply based on their high seed.

A packed gym is not all that great when 99% of the fans are from host school.

They need to do tourney so that they can bring in fans from all schools involved, and some neutral fans as well.

You say these things as if they're obvious facts, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Do you have reasons behind any of these statements?


Have you seen any of the other smaller conference championships on TV where it's 1500 fans in a 15, 000 seat arena? The constant squeak of the shoes. The one guy that yells something during a foul shot. Hearing clearly what the coach is saying to his players. It's embarrassing.

[ballcoach15]

it is embrassing, that;s why conference should find a suitable site. a tourney game should have fans from each school in attendance, not just 2 or 3 parents, the bus driver and a member of the athletic administration.

[WinthropEagleFan]

I think the intention for the current format is to have a full-house/loud crowd for TV, and to reward regular season success by giving home court advantage to the higher seed. They don't intend for the crowd to be even for the two teams.

[g-webb1994]

Looks like the impasse is over.....

http://www.bigsouthsports.com/ViewArtic ... =205367605

[Purple Haize]

it is embrassing, that;s why conference should find a suitable site. a tourney game should have fans from each school in attendance, not just 2 or 3 parents, the bus driver and a member of the athletic administration.

We are not the Big East or ACC. If you want a crowd your best bet is to host at highest seed. If you want a level playing field, at this level you won't have a packed house. I would rather have a packed house

[ballcoach15]

It's unfair to one team to have to play championship game on the oppents home court. that should be a no-no. play it at a neutral site

[WinthropEagleFan]

It's unfair to one team to have to play championship game on the oppents home court. that should be a no-no. play it at a neutral site

It's not unfair if your intention is to reward regular season success. I don't see a problem with giving an advantage to the team that wins the regular season title.

[thepostman]

It's unfair to one team to have to play championship game on the oppents home court. that should be a no-no. play it at a neutral site

How is it unfair?? You play well enough during the regular season and you are rewarded with home court. Seems completely fair to me

[jbock13]

I have to say I agree with the neutral court sites. I just feel it gives the real best team the opportunity to fight it out on an even court.

[thepostman]

I have to say I agree with the neutral court sites. I just feel it gives the real best team the opportunity to fight it out on an even court.

I think it adds value to the regular season. I don't understand why that is a bad thing

[LUconn]

The "real" best team 99% of the time is the one that won the regular season. Giving them the added advantage of home court is the best way you can ensure that team is representing you in the NCAA tournament instead of some last place team that catches lightning in a bottle. The current format is the best thing the Big South could possibly do.