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Missoulian article on financial costs of BBall travel

BWahlberg

BWahlberg

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http://missoulian.com/college/griz/article_fb14778c-569a-11e0-a0bc-001cc4c03286.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The article talks about the financial hardship of the basketball tournament, is cost UM nearly $1000 per player to travel to Greeley. And then it points out the additions of UND and SUU could potentially add costs especially if those teams wind up hosting tournaments - which it would.

The new Big Sky needs a single location for the tourney, but the challenge remains - who will go? Would 2000+ UNC fans have bought plane tickets to Phoenix this year to attend the tourney? What about 2000 Griz fans? At the bottom of the article they talke about a single/neutral location needing to be a destination like Phoenix or Vegas. I wonder if they should look at having something that more fans could drive to rather than fly to, like Salt Lake which would be moderately drivable for about half the schools in the conference or it could be a quick and easily accessed flight for most all of the schools/fans.
 
it would be interesting to see a comparison of the total tournament travel costs vs the conference payout vs tournament revenues. In the past the semifinal and championship game combined could sell 10 - 20,000 tickets depending on the host and who is playing, and a portion of that is kicked back to the league to be distributed to the schools. Northern Colorado was able to shoehorn about 6300 in to their gym for the 2 days combined. That has to cut down the revenue for the conference by about 50% compared to Weber State hosting for example.

The advantage that Vegas has over Salt Lake is that the hotel has other revenue opportunities, so they can afford to basically give away (or deeply discount) the rooms, lowering the cost to the schools. In Salt Lake (or any BSC host city) the arena has to make money, the hotels have to make money, and the restaurants all have to make money without being subsidized by gambling and entertainment options. Vegas could make money on about 1/2 as many people attending the games as any other city.
 
Vegas already hosts 3 Conference tournaments in a short time. MWC, WAC, and WCC. I think they are combined mens' and women's tournaments as well. At least the MWC is a combined event. I think all conference teams go to the tournament as well not just the top 4.

I don't know where you would put a third tournament
 
I think a rotation of predetermined sites would make sense. Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, SLC, Spokane. Sac State fans are all going to want it in Reno, NAU will want it in Vegas or Phoenix, EWU and UM will want it in Spokane, Weber will want it to be in SLC every year.

There's not one perfect place that will be fair and please everyone. But with a predetermined rotation, you solve the problem of travel. It might even make it more attractive to fans, going somewhere different each spring.
 
billings_poke said:
Vegas already hosts 3 Conference tournaments in a short time. MWC, WAC, and WCC. I think they are combined mens' and women's tournaments as well. At least the MWC is a combined event. I think all conference teams go to the tournament as well not just the top 4.

I don't know where you would put a third tournament
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In another article it said the South Point Hotel had an arena with 6500 seats for basketball and a 2100 room hotel. Even if they still lose $5k it's better then losing $15k. It is by far the best choice and no hometown refs :lol: .
 
I know of no NCAA rule that requires us to have a conference tournament. Therefore, if you are serious about avoiding the travel cost, you dump the tournament and award the auto bid to the regular season champ. On the other hand, if you are hell-bent to keep the tournament despite the absence of any NCAA rule requiring one, then you need to let the regular season champ host it.
 
Actually I think we all missed the most important point in the article. Proof positive that the conference conspired to have UNC win the tournament:

"As long as you're only getting the one bid, it is really important to try to send your best team forward," Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said. "Our best opportunity to advance our league is to start getting in a position to win a game in the tournament."
Click to expand...

award home court for the tournament, call enough fouls to get them the win, whatever it takes. :shock: :lol:
 
griz8791 said:
I know of no NCAA rule that requires us to have a conference tournament. Therefore, if you are serious about avoiding the travel cost, you dump the tournament and award the auto bid to the regular season champ. On the other hand, if you are hell-bent to keep the tournament despite the absence of any NCAA rule requiring one, then you need to let the regular season champ host it.
Click to expand...
Ivy League awards the regular season winner.
 
griz8791 said:
I know of no NCAA rule that requires us to have a conference tournament. Therefore, if you are serious about avoiding the travel cost, you dump the tournament and award the auto bid to the regular season champ. On the other hand, if you are hell-bent to keep the tournament despite the absence of any NCAA rule requiring one, then you need to let the regular season champ host it.
Click to expand...

I could live with this.
 
griz8791 said:
I know of no NCAA rule that requires us to have a conference tournament. Therefore, if you are serious about avoiding the travel cost, you dump the tournament and award the auto bid to the regular season champ. On the other hand, if you are hell-bent to keep the tournament despite the absence of any NCAA rule requiring one, then you need to let the regular season champ host it.
Click to expand...
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Just kill the damn thing already.
 
Why no have men and womens' tourney's in the same place but in rotating years, the men regular season winner's court, and the next year the women regular season winner's court....could be motivation to win, and at least someone would be happy....or drop the tourney...what does it really prove?
 
Not a big personal fan of gambling but I like pretty much everything else about having a basketball tournament in Las Vegas. Montana cities, Spokane and North Dakota cities all have weekly, reasonable priced plane tickets (Allegiant Air) to there.

Would the warm temps entice Griz fans into a mid-spring getaway?
 
'68griz said:
No. Las Vegas is one of my least favorite places in the entire world. But, that's just me.
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I once lived there and I must agree...Las Vegas is one of the most dismal overbuilt places on earth. It is a shadow of what it once was, and while I think a national champ. football game for the FCS would be pretty good, it would take more than a Big Sky bball tourney to get me up there....Interesting that on the local news here in LA tonight, it was announced that the bullet train has cleared all studies and will be creating 30K jobs as soon as the money is recieved....Stupidly, as usual, it will not extend to either the 16 million people in the LA basin or the 5 million in San Diego......still....
 
BWahlberg said:
http://missoulian.com/college/griz/article_fb14778c-569a-11e0-a0bc-001cc4c03286.html

The article talks about the financial hardship of the basketball tournament, is cost UM nearly $1000 per player to travel to Greeley. And then it points out the additions of UND and SUU could potentially add costs especially if those teams wind up hosting tournaments - which it would.

The new Big Sky needs a single location for the tourney, but the challenge remains - who will go? Would 2000+ UNC fans have bought plane tickets to Phoenix this year to attend the tourney? What about 2000 Griz fans? At the bottom of the article they talke about a single/neutral location needing to be a destination like Phoenix or Vegas. I wonder if they should look at having something that more fans could drive to rather than fly to, like Salt Lake which would be moderately drivable for about half the schools in the conference or it could be a quick and easily accessed flight for most all of the schools/fans.
Click to expand...
Yea, I thought about SLC, but there is really no appeal to go there, and I doubt there are any business men in SLC that are chomping at the bit to get the BSC to have their tourney hosted there. Vegas is a different story, and it is drivable for many of the schools. Just like the NC football games, I am sure there are airline companies or travel agents that would LOVE to get on board for creating a charter flight and package deal for fans. And there are a large contingency of Griz fans in Vegas that would improve UM's attendance. I like the idea personally.
 
MT Jack said:
Not a big personal fan of gambling but I like pretty much everything else about having a basketball tournament in Las Vegas. Montana cities, Spokane and North Dakota cities all have weekly, reasonable priced plane tickets (Allegiant Air) to there.

Would the warm temps entice Griz fans into a mid-spring getaway?
Click to expand...
Really in March it is not that great of weather. The wind can get nasty in the spring. Although 60s and 70s would be better than the 20s and 30s that we are used to seeing. It doesn't really get ideal weather wise for my taste until April.
 
bigtyme said:
MT Jack said:
Not a big personal fan of gambling but I like pretty much everything else about having a basketball tournament in Las Vegas. Montana cities, Spokane and North Dakota cities all have weekly, reasonable priced plane tickets (Allegiant Air) to there.

Would the warm temps entice Griz fans into a mid-spring getaway?
Click to expand...
Really in March it is not that great of weather. The wind can get nasty in the spring. Although 60s and 70s would be better than the 20s and 30s that we are used to seeing. It doesn't really get ideal weather wise for my taste until April.
Click to expand...


I'd be there every fucking year...golf in the morning, basketball in the afternoon and evening, and then gambling in the wee hours....AWESOME WEEK!!!!!
 
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