🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I'm surprised at myself for not paying attention to this, but I somehow missed this.

This year the Big10, of which I am a fan, is having their conference tournament in DC. I knew that, wasn't too thrilled about it, but it is what it is. Maryland will have a nice home court advantage because fans from Minny, Iowa, Wisc, Nebraska etc, won't drive to DC, while driving to Chicago or Indy, where the tournament has always been, is much easier from most Big10 locations.

In 2018 however, and this is a biggy, the tournament will be in Madison Square Garden. A WEEK EARLY! MSG is being used by the Big East the next weekend. So you've got a tournament being played in a location that a likely 1st round loser, Rutgers is the only local tie, and where fans from perennial finalists/semifinalists Wiscy, MI, MSU, Indy are 1000 miles away! If you are Big Dance bound and get knocked out in the quarterfinals on probably Friday afternoon, your next game in the Big Dance will be 2 weeks later. I can't see how a layoff like that can lead to a productive tournament.

The Big10 is obviously trying to expand their footprint to the east coast, despite that their fans aren't too thrilled about it. But to do so and then make a foolish plan is just crazy.

Now, the Big12 of course is oft discussed in expansion. I'm starting no rumors today, but would/could they expand to some other part of the country might this same thing happen where the league tourney is being played in a location that makes no geographical sense? Add another Ohio Valley school like Cincy and suddenly you've got two teams from that region and voila, the Phillips 66 tournament from Cincinatti, or Louisville, or PIttsburgh. I like the big12 tourney in KC, or OKC, or Dallas for obvious reasons. I'd hate to see the day that it weren't so.

@wissox

I seriously doubt if the Big 12 Tournament would be held at a location other than the 3 you mentioned. I cannot think of another candidate city.

Personally, I prefer KC for obvious reasons (even if it is on Missouri) and then OKC.

@JayHawkFanToo I agree, but I was shocked, like a what the heck type moment, when I heard the Big10 was in DC. Expansion is what made that happened.

The Big 12 had a hard timing filling the seats when it's not in KC. I don't look for them to move it beyond OKC or Dallas. I'd also expect 80%of the games to be in KC as its pretty full even for the less markee games.

Half empty arenas are bad optics.

@wissox
Most of the coaches in the Big 10 are probably happy with both locations' recruiting potential at least.

@mayjay I don't know. Izzo in the article I read was pretty vehement against it. Not sure how big of a recruiting tool it'd really be.

@wissox I was thinking it gives the assistants long enough to contact a slew of recruits. But maybe not.

@wissox Yeah it could very easily move. to an outer space 🚀 location & all us Joe schmos would simply be SOL. But after researching ticket prices, lodging, etc, for just a short getaway for my girl & I to Tulsa, we've decided the view from the lazy boy is best for the future of da piggy 🐷 bank. Facts are, hoops will never be the cash cow 🐮 CFB is & tv contract 💰 will always dictate how the pies get sliced. Should KU fall on a few bad years or Heaven forbid a bad coach, we would then be in a universe of💩 as awful as our FB team is now .... an entire freaking universe .

@globaljaybird you r good!🤹‍♀️

@wissox

I imagine it is something that was negotiated when Maryland joined the Big 10; a payoff of sorts to compensate for what they had to pay to leave the ACC.

The Big 12 has three locations that are usable - KC, OKC, Dallas. The women's tournament has done okay in all three locations. The men's tournament has not done well anywhere other than KC. I think part of the challenge for the men is that you have to get local buy-in, and ISU fans are less likely to make the trip to OKC (probably an 8 hour drive) or Dallas (probably like 13).

ISU is one of the best traveling fan bases in the conference. Cutting their numbers in half or more, you lose a lot of fans, especially since their fans traditionally stay the entire weekend when in KC. That's huge since none of the Texas schools will make up for that if the tournament moves to one of the other two locations.

San Antonio would always be a fun destination for a Big 12 tournament, but we have bill similar to the HB2 bill that North Carolina passed working its way to legislature that has already gotten comments from the NCAA and NFL about not have not awarding any future Final Four's or Super Bowls to Texas anymore. That would eliminate 3 Final Four venues and 2 Super Bowl locations.

I'd personally love to see the Big 12 tournament come to Houston at Toyota Center, but the SWAC currently has their tournament there, but I imagine the Big 12 could force that tournament up a week if the ever really wanted to have their tournament in Houston which I don't realistically see happening anytime in the near or distant future.