[Sly Fox]

Conference USA basketball tournaments coming to Huntsville, NCAA tournament berths on the line
Published: Apr. 06, 2023, 11:30 a.m.



By Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Championships will be at stake as well as bids to the NCAA tournament when Conference USA brings its men’s and women’s season-ending tournaments to Huntsville.

The league, which will add Jacksonville State this summer, announced plans Thursday to hold its tournaments at the Von Braun Center’s Propst Arena in both 2024 and 2025 with an opportunity to extend.

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Who doesn't want to spend early March in Huntsville, Alabama?

Let the record show that I thought I was going to get to attend tourneys in Frisco at Jerruh's The Star with the curtain dividing men & women until this announcement.

[JK37]

Was the curtain divider idea really on the table?!

[Sly Fox]

More than just an idea. That is exactly how the league has rolled for the past five years. The downside was obvious. But the upside is you could follow both tourneys simultaneously.

The good news is that nearly half of the league will be within a 3.5-hour drive. The bad news is that the tourney is no longer a cheap flight like in Frisco (DFW or Love Field). So I wouldn't expect great crowds.

[JK37]

Kinda neat. Never knew they were doing that. Would’ve been fun!

[LUOrange]

So does this help TUNA's aspirations or is this merely coinky-dink?

[BlueBlood]

Kind of feels like hold-over members WKU, MT and LT decided it was their turn to have the championship in their region.

I’ve got no issue with it. It’s central.

[Sly Fox]

This is the city of Huntsville ponying up in hopes of tons of fans flocking to their outpost. I've been several times to Rocket City. Nothing that will encourage spouses to agree to using up vacation time for that experience.

The four schools that benefit are WKU, MTSU and newbies Jax State & Kennesaw State. La Tech is over a 7-hour drive from Ruston.

[Cider Jim]

I did the math: only 8 hours and 18 minutes from Lynchburg to Huntsville. Will that take Ballcoach one or two days to drive?

[alabama24]

I have strong ties to Huntsville, and to this specific venue. I am thrilled.

[sstaedtler]

More than just an idea. That is exactly how the league has rolled for the past five years. The downside was obvious. But the upside is you could follow both tourneys simultaneously.

The good news is that nearly half of the league will be within a 3.5-hour drive. The bad news is that the tourney is no longer a cheap flight like in Frisco (DFW or Love Field). So I wouldn't expect great crowds.

It's cheap for me if I am flying to Nashville and then simply renting a car and driving 2 hours. Nashville is very easy to fly into.

[flameshaw]

Used to travel to Huntsville quite often. Like the city. Best steak I have eaten in my life. Think it was the Fog Cutter if my memory serves me correctly.
Could do a lot worse. It will be a 2day hard bike ride for ballcoach. But as they say; "no hill for a climber"