[givemethemic]

We put in the best bid again and this is what the conference has chosen.

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY SELECTED AS HOST OF 2009 AND 2010 BIG SOUTH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference Council of Chief Executive Officers has approved the selection of High Point University as the host institution of the 2009 and 2010 Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander.

"The Big South Conference is confident that High Point University will do an outstanding job in hosting the 2009 and 2010 Big South women’s basketball championship,” said Kallander. “This was a very competitive bid process with four outstanding bids, and High Point came out ahead. We also want to thank the city of Asheville, the Asheville community and UNC Asheville for hosting the past two women’s basketball championships. They set a new standard for hosting this great event.”

The 2009 and 2010 tournaments will be contested at the Millis Center on the campus of High Point University. High Point will host the entire Big South women’s basketball tournament for the first since joining the Conference in 1997. HPU hosted individual Women’s Tournament games each season from 2003-06 as part of the League’s home-site format during the four-year span. In 2007, the Conference returned to a single-site format for its women’s basketball tournament and UNC Asheville was selected to host in 2007 and 2008.

“We could not be more pleased and excited to be hosting the 2009 and 2010 Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournaments at High Point University,” stated High Point Athletics Director Craig Keilitz. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to highlight the extraordinary transformation that the University has made over the last three years, while also allowing us to showcase the remodeling that is currently happening inside the Millis Athletic Center. We are thrilled that our women’s basketball team will have the opportunity to play on their home floor for the chance to participate in the excitement of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.”

“This is a great opportunity for the school,” added High Point women’s basketball head coach Tooey Loy. “I am sure we will do a first class job just like everything else here at the University. This is exciting for our program. Being able to play on our own home court, where we have been very successful, for the next two years with a chance to make the NCAA Tournament is ideal.”

[BJWilliams]

what the heck??? Ok its official..Kyle kallander is A) the WORST conference commissioner in the country and B) has a RAGING anti-Liberty bias

[Sly Fox]

No big surprise. We could be the only one putting in a bid and Kyle would find a way to send it elsewhere. Perhaps he would like to share the four bids publicly. Give me a break.

[givemethemic]

HP, LU, UNC-A, Winthrop

[olldflame]

I'm OK with this. I never expected we would get the bid, and HP is a big improvement over UNCA; both the facilities and the location.

[Sly Fox]

I was suggesting the contents of the bid be released.

My favorite part of the release was where Kyle talked about the Justice Center setting a new standard.

[givemethemic]

He will never do that... I asked down at the tourney and he wouldn't really get into it... Here is what hurts us... We have to many seats in there mind... They want a full gym... anything under 5,000 seats in my mind is not an ARENA or a DOME... a potential full gym is better than one that is 1/3 of the way full in there minds. Now there is one benefit and that is that nobody will have to travel more than 3 hours so I am sure the central part of it is what sold them which for that you can't really argue to much..

[jcmanson]

Big deal, we will keep winning the 'ships regardless of location.

[Old School]

It is official....it's the Big Joke Conference. Winthrop has got to be steaming also.

[Fumblerooskies]

Just a shorter drive to watch our women win again.

[Cider Jim]

a potential full gym is better than one that is 1/3 of the way full in there minds.

Problem solved: let LU host it, but play the games at LC or Randolph or LCA.

[SuperJon]

I don't see how anyone can complain about this. HPU, while their gym is small, is the perfect size for the women's tournament and in the right location. It's centrally located and will look full on tv. A big arena isn't good when there's 1000 people there.

[thesportscritic]

It is official....it's the Big Joke Conference. Winthrop has got to be steaming also.

i was thinking of the Big Suck conference. at least the location is much closer than Asheville.

[Sly Fox]

I don't see how anyone can complain about this. HPU, while their gym is small, is the perfect size for the women's tournament and in the right location. It's centrally located and will look full on tv. A big arena isn't good when there's 1000 people there.

It is official. SJ has become the official spinmeister for Kyle.

[flameshaw]

Can't complain with the site seletion. Regardless of site chosen, still doesn't change the fact KK is a moron.

[SuperJon]

I don't like Kallandar as much as the next person, but look at it from a sport organization as opposed to a Liberty fan.

[Cider Jim]

It is official. SJ has become the official spinmeister for Kyle.

Well, Super is graduating with a degree in Sport Management next month, so maybe he wants a job or a reference from KK.

[thepostman]

I don't see how anyone can complain about this. HPU, while their gym is small, is the perfect size for the women's tournament and in the right location. It's centrally located and will look full on tv. A big arena isn't good when there's 1000 people there.

i thought the same thing as i started reading all the complaints....

[JDUB]

maybe in 2011 we can host it at the intramural court outside. that would be the perfect spot to hold all 5 wbball fans.

[LUconn]

Who cares if it's a full gym? The only reason that ever matters is for TV appearences. And even then nobody expects a women's game to be more than 15% full. Are these games even on TV? I doubt it.

[thesportscritic]

um yes these games are on TV other wise we wouldn't be going for the full gym effect. the championship and semifinals are on FSN or on some other TV station every year.

[bigsmooth]

i see both sides of the story. but there is certainly an anti-LU bias. and not unless things have changed, the games have been on sportsouth for awhile.

[olldflame]

The TV people (including ESPN, Sportsouth, all of them) complained when it was at LU because if LU wasn't playing in the game they had a small crowd in a large facility. They had to try to get people to sit together and it limited the camera angles they could use so as not to reveal all of the empty seats.

[Fumblerooskies]

Who cares if it's a full gym? The only reason that ever matters is for TV appearences. And even then nobody expects a women's game to be more than 15% full. Are these games even on TV? I doubt it.

...and there were PLENTY of fans disguised as blue seats at UNCA's bandbox in the title game this year.

[LUconn]

um yes these games are on TV other wise we wouldn't be going for the full gym effect. the championship and semifinals are on FSN or on some other TV station every year.

Let me change it to: Is anybody even watching these games on TV? I doubt it.



Everybody is expecting an empty gym. It's not a shock to see one. So either pay people to sit in the stands to look good on TV, or just rotate the site every year to be fair.