A Sea Of Red

The co-commish of the BSC said that in some way or form the tournament will be at ONE site next year so fans can see more games and that it has been something that the coaches and players have been asking for

BUT

the men's tournament stays the same.

I don't usually subscribe to conspiracy theories:

BUT

If it's so good for the women, why not for the men who would have a better following?

Not like we haven't done it before

Is possible that it has something to do with LU hosting the Championship game for how many years in a row now.

BUT what about the men you say?

Let's just say Winthrop isn't LU and doesn't have a chancellor name Falwell

I'm very possibly wrong, but I want to hear what yeveryone has to say

You raise some interesting questions. Yes, you would think that if it's that way for the women, why not the men? Doesn't make sense to me.

The chances of the mens tourney ever being located in Lynchburg if we go to a stationary format are practically zero. At least with the current format we have a shot.

If any of the other schools could draw any fans for womens hoops they would consider moving it as well.

Maybe I have spent too much time with the sheep but are you saying that both the Men's AND women's tournament will be held at one spot? Or are they keeping the womens side the same, but re formatting the men's?

Men's stays the same

Women change

The answer to this is YES! there is a conspiracy, but the conspiracy is simply built around dollar signs. It is legitimate to say that the Big South conference is aware of its association w/ Jerry Falwell, but it in no way impacts where the tournament is held. The reason the men's will not change is because more people will attend first round games if it is on the home floor of the higher seed. At the same time, television networks are more willing to travel to multiple sites for a men's tournament when they know the ratings will be higher simply because it is men. However, the women will only get tv broadcasts if the televisions trucks can stay at one location and then the tv money outweighs the difference in whatever the gate may have been at first round higher seeds. Basically, the driving force for the big south is money and this is the reason why we see so many tweeks to the tournament format each year.

http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

Future tournaments may be played at one location

Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
March 12, 2006

All games of the Big South women's basketball tournament will move to one site beginning next season. The only question is where that site will be.
Big South commissioner Kyle Kallander said the matter will be discussed at the conference's upcoming spring meetings. The women's coaches have expressed a desire to have all eight teams in one spot.

Currently, the quarterfinals are held at the home courts of the top four teams. The semifinals and championship rounds are held at the site of the regular-season champion.

This has not been a money-making format for the Big South. All four quarterfinals drew less than 1,000 fans. Even Liberty, consistently the top team in the conference in attendance, drew just 611 fans for its Tuesday game with Charleston Southern.

One reason for the low numbers is that league schools are on spring break. The second of two "championship weeks" is the ideal time for the Big South to hold its tournament, though. Power conferences like the ACC and SEC hold their tournaments during the first week so they don't have to compete with their men's tournaments.

Kallander said schools may be able to bid for the rights to host the tournament, or that the regular-season champion could be awarded the tournament.

That will all be hashed out at the meetings.

I interviewed Kyle during halftime of the women's game on saturday and he goes into further details about the tournament and the conference as a whole you can listen to the interview on the archives page of flamessports.com click on the High Point Chamionship game