A-10 Tournament Being Moved?

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

Apparently the ACC and Big Ten are fighting over the Barclay center after the A-10 deal is done in four years. Where should this tournament go next? I vote for Mohegan! This is a big blow for the conference though.

http://chapelboro.com/sports/acc/acc-to ... -new-york/

Rhody10ltu09 · Unread post by **Rhody10ltu09** » 10 years ago

If it moves, maybe a rotational basis might be a good thing, maybe Mohegan (URI/UMass) Richmond or other site in VA, Buffalo (St. Bonnie), St. Louis... Boardwalk Hall?

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

I've said all along that Mohegan would be a good site for the tournament.

It's just the right size too. Seats just about 10,000 for BB. Most of these conference tourneys don't draw all that well, they don't need 18-20K seats that are half filled at best.

Plus, there's a lot to do there besides just watch BB. And the hotel is right there too, with other hotels within a mile or so.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 10 years ago

Can Mohegan host or do NCAA rules preclude a tournament in a casino hotel/resort/arena ?

If it's allowed I like it....the only drawback is mass transit/planes/trains from member cities to eastern Connecticut.....

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

Ramulous, the Hall of Fame tourney? The one URI was in 2 years ago? Of course they do/will.

Also, Amtrak has a station in New London, and Bradley plus TF Green airports are only an hour away.

Remember Atlantic City not too long ago? You get the idea.

Rhody74 · Unread post by **Rhody74** » 10 years ago

Ramulous wrote:Can Mohegan host or do NCAA rules preclude a tournament in a casino hotel/resort/arena ?

If it's allowed I like it....the only drawback is mass transit/planes/trains from member cities to eastern Connecticut.....

The A-10 tournament was in Atlantic City for years. Plenty of gambling there ....

I'm pretty sure NCAA tournament games have been held in Vegas, too.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

To take a page out of Major League Soccers playbook, moving to a smaller arena will help drum up additional demand just using the laws of scarcity. I believe this tournament would be sold out even before the first ball has been thrown up if it was held at Mohegan. Plus Mohegan would give the conference a great deal ensuring financial viability.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

True, the casino would make mucho dinero from the visiting fans of all the teams.

Just like they do from concerts. Those aren't money makers by themselves, but all the associated business they bring in, is where the profit lies.

That arena is a godsend for Mohegan. That's a big reason why they outdo their casino neighbor, who doesn't have a big enough venue to attract a lot of the big headliner shows, as the Sun does.

URI96 · Unread post by **URI96** » 10 years ago

Back to the Palestra!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

No thanks! Place is a dinosaur, although centrally located.

ramfan85 · Unread post by **ramfan85** » 10 years ago

Twin River Casino? I can visit my money while I'm there.

rhodylaw · Unread post by **rhodylaw** » 10 years ago

How about we stick with Barclays center and screw those guys. Or better yet give up our rights in year 3 and 4 for a significant cash payment. Who really cares where the tourney. Does it being in Brooklyn make us a better conference? I would not mind a rotation of a northeast / southeast / Midwest. It seems the fairest to all members of the league. Maybe 3 years in one region then move on.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

True. Mohegan wouldn't fly as a permanent home, due to it being at one end of the conference geographically wise.

Since the league is now more Southern-centric, a venue more toward there looks more likely, at least part of the time.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 10 years ago

Based on the moving of the league offices to Va and all the recent additions being southern, my guess would be the tournament will at some time be held in the Philly to Richmond corridor. The A-10 now has two Philly schools, two DC metro schools, and two Richmond schools. The Philly to Richmond corridor has a large population with several large cities. Look for the tournament to appear there.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 10 years ago

What about The Verizon Center in D.C.?
20,000 plus capacity, so fans would rattle around and look
like nobody's there.
Still, it's new and centrally located, sort of.
Georgetown plays there, as do the Wizards and The Capitals.
Could always go back to Atlantic City.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 10 years ago

The other thing with this news is that Barclays saw enough with just a single A-10 Tournament to look for other options. With teams such as Temple, Xavier, and Butler bolting along with the possibility of other schools with large fanabases following suit, I get the feeling they don't think tournament attendance will get better. They are therefore looking for better options just as MSG may soon be doing. The ACC and Big10 however would never commit to having their tournaments in NYC every year. If Barclays or MSG want either of these tournaments, they might be empty some years in early March (unless a venue worked out a deal to host each of these leagues in alternate years).

Gonebarongone · Unread post by **Gonebarongone** » 10 years ago

Verizon Center seems new but it has been around for a while now. I think it would be a great spot. Who really cares how many empty seats (besides the people who own Verizon) there are? Wouldn't you rather have 10k in a 20k building than 8k in an 8k building. I have been there several times and it is very convenient and a good place to watch a game. Mason fans would be there. St. Joes. GW. Richmond. VCU. They've hosted regional finals as well as one or two ACC tournaments.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

I'm interested to see how the Big East does filling up MSG. This first year they might do fine but moving forward I can see them struggling big time. It's expensive for out of area fans to go to NYC for the weekend to see that tournament. I love the A-10 being at the Barcley's for exposure purposes but not for ease of going to the tournament for fan purposes.

I don't see the Barcley's as throwing us out, I see them sticking with the 5 year deal but if BCS conference are coming to them with better financial outlays, they really can't turn that down. Just like of MSG doesn't get good attendance in year 2-4 of the new little east tourny, they will be talking to the ACC, Big Ten etc

Rhody Guy · Unread post by **Rhody Guy** » 10 years ago

The benefit of having the tournament is being in a hotbed for recruiting and an arena that has significant cache that demands media attention. Publicity and media exposure would pale in comparison at a place like Mohegan.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

Gonebarongone wrote:Verizon Center seems new but it has been around for a while now. I think it would be a great spot. Who really cares how many empty seats (besides the people who own Verizon) there are? Wouldn't you rather have 10k in a 20k building than 8k in an 8k building. I have been there several times and it is very convenient and a good place to watch a game. Mason fans would be there. St. Joes. GW. Richmond. VCU. They've hosted regional finals as well as one or two ACC tournaments.

Couldn't disagree more, perception becomes reality. I would rather have 10k in a 10k building increasing demand for the product then a half empty arena showing little to no demand. That's business 101 in MBA programs.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

Rhody Guy wrote:The benefit of having the tournament is being in a hotbed for recruiting and an arena that has significant cache that demands media attention. Publicity and media exposure would pale in comparison at a place like Mohegan.

ESPN would love it at Mohegan and might show the whole tournament of we could stay relevant.

Rhody Guy · Unread post by **Rhody Guy** » 10 years ago

CT, how do you figure it would appeal to ESPN?

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

Bring Siena into the A-10, place it in......Albany.......can't believe I am saying that.....

Gonebarongone · Unread post by **Gonebarongone** » 10 years ago

CT Rhody wrote:
Gonebarongone wrote:Verizon Center seems new but it has been around for a while now. I think it would be a great spot. Who really cares how many empty seats (besides the people who own Verizon) there are? Wouldn't you rather have 10k in a 20k building than 8k in an 8k building. I have been there several times and it is very convenient and a good place to watch a game. Mason fans would be there. St. Joes. GW. Richmond. VCU. They've hosted regional finals as well as one or two ACC tournaments.
Couldn't disagree more, perception becomes reality. I would rather have 10k in a 10k building increasing demand for the product then a half empty arena showing little to no demand. That's business 101 in MBA programs.

We're not talking about 2k in a 20k building. 10,000 at Verizon Center would look fine on TV. Having it in a place like downtown DC would absolutely show that the A10 is relevant. That would be 10x better than having it in the woods of Connecticut.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

the dunk?

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

The ACC wants the Barclays, or even MSG if they throw the BE out in a few years.

Money talks. I can't see the B10 having their tourney in NYC either.

I could definitely see the A10 at a place like the Verizon.

Gonebarongone · Unread post by **Gonebarongone** » 10 years ago

rambone 78 wrote:The ACC wants the Barclays, or even MSG if they throw the BE out in a few years.

Money talks. I can't see the B10 having their tourney in NYC either.

I could definitely see the A10 at a place like the Verizon.

I would not be surprised if the B1G eventually rotated through NYC. Even before Rutgers and MD, they have a massive alumni base in NYC. If you ever look at a TV map of college football games, the default to NYC is usually a Big Ten matchup.

steviep123 · Unread post by **steviep123** » 10 years ago

The ACC Tourney tends to rotate around. So I don't think they'll be taking the Barclay from us forever. According to the Article, the ACC Tourney is already scheduled elsewhere through 2016. 2017-2021 sites not yet determined but "ONE of those years" will be at Barclay Center. If the A10 started to rotate, then I'm sure we could have it in Barclay's now and then. I'd like to see it at the Dunk. Maybe each year a different school could "host".

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

Rhody Guy wrote:CT, how do you figure it would appeal to ESPN?

ESPN is obviously in CT which would make it extremely easy and financially less burdensome to show a tournament so close to ESPN headquarters. This is why Uconn is on ESPN so much and Andy Katz is at most games, convience. The tournament held at Mohegan was shown on ESPN also.

I would be in favor of a rotation plan between DC, Mohegan Sun, and the Barclay's.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

section(105) wrote:Bring Siena into the A-10, place it in......Albany.......can't believe I am saying that.....

I want Siena in as well and St Bona out. That would help our attendance at the Barclay's greatly.

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 10 years ago

If SBU is thrown out, why wouldn't URI be thrown out as well? URI hasn't done well in marquis sports in years. OK, we do well in minor sports which gets us awards. URI isn't exactly a school being recruited by better conferences. Sometimes we forget this reality.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

Rhody72 wrote:If SBU is thrown out, why wouldn't URI be thrown out as well? URI hasn't done well in marquis sports in years. OK, we do well in minor sports which gets us awards. URI isn't exactly a school being recruited by better conferences. Sometimes we forget this reality.

I agree with you in some regards but if you take the long view for the conference, St Bona doesn't offer anything and has an extrmely limited upside in basketball. I think Siena is a better fit with their large fan base and solid location in Albany then St Bona and small fan base and terrible location.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 10 years ago

Keep in mind that St Bonaventure has been to two NCAA tournaments since we last went. We are in no position to dictate who should be kicked out.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 10 years ago

CT Rhody wrote:
Rhody Guy wrote:CT, how do you figure it would appeal to ESPN?
ESPN is obviously in CT which would make it extremely easy and financially less burdensome to show a tournament so close to ESPN headquarters. This is why Uconn is on ESPN so much and Andy Katz is at most games, convience. The tournament held at Mohegan was shown on ESPN also.

I would be in favor of a rotation plan between DC, Mohegan Sun, and the Barclay's.

I don't think the proximity has anything to do with that, to be honest. ESPN's resources are so massive that they're not going to give a crap that they could save $1,000 because the A-10 tournament is a closer drive. They do like their studio people to be able to come to Bristol - like I think that's still where they do stuff like Baseball Tonight - but I don't think distance from CT would ever be a major factor in what they decide to broadcast. They did air the past tournament at Mohegan, but they air a lot of college basketball stuff in general, since there are always plenty of options in terms of airing games, and thus the rights are probably cheap.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 10 years ago

ESPN is gradually sliding over to LA.
A lot of their late night SC comes from LA.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

Does anybody have any doubt that this wouldn't sell out at Mohegan Sun?

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

I doubt it would sell out, (Mohegan)meaning all games in each round.....no....plenty of walk ups...Our games wouldn't even sell out....

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 10 years ago

CT Rhody wrote:Does anybody have any doubt that this wouldn't sell out at Mohegan Sun?

Everyone but you apparently.

No college hoops game has ever sold out Mohegan to my knowledge. That streak includes games with the likes of Kentucky, Louisville, UNC, and Ohio State. One of the best attended games ever there was the URI-Oklahoma State game and that drew just over 7k.

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

RF1 wrote:
CT Rhody wrote:Does anybody have any doubt that this wouldn't sell out at Mohegan Sun?

Everyone but you apparently.

No college hoops game has ever sold out Mohegan to my knowledge. That streak includes games with the likes of Kentucky, Louisville, UNC, and Ohio State. One of the best attended games ever there was the URI-Oklahoma State game and that drew just over 7k.

I don't understand the pushback considering it would practically be a home game for URI, I would think everybody on this board would be behind that.

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 10 years ago

rodfromcranston wrote:ESPN is gradually sliding over to LA.
A lot of their late night SC comes from LA.

This is true. It is hard for them to retain on-air talent and force them to live in Bristol, CT or the area around it. I know two anchors pretty well, they both hate it there for that reason and want to get sent to LA.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

Being behind it(Mohegan)as a closer venue to the others mentioned would be great; I do think the reality is that we have consistently demonstrated we do not travel well; even to the dreaded dunk every two years!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

105, when we get better, that should change.

Also, playing at Mohegan wouldn't be a true road game anyway, we should have the majority of the crowd I would think.

The 2 times we've played there, we actually played pretty well.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

Ready for this bomb? Even if held in the RC, other than an a A-10 final game with bid on the line, we probably would NOT selll out a home A-10 tourney game!!.... Sad......

CT Rhody · Unread post by **CT Rhody** » 10 years ago

section(105) wrote:Ready for this bomb? Even if held in the RC, other than an a A-10 final game with bid on the line, we probably would NOT selll out a home A-10 tourney game!!.... Sad......

If we win, fans will come.

rhodyrudder · Unread post by **rhodyrudder** » 10 years ago

If it's not on the season ticket package, you might not even get 900 people!

seanmc94 · Unread post by **seanmc94** » 10 years ago

The A-10'tourney would deff not sell out at Mohegan. Ct hoops fans only care about storrs. It would have to be all fans of the teams involved. I would deff go; easy drive. Great venue.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 10 years ago

Sean, have they updated the arena at all? Last time rhody played there, there was a Ryan Center sized (small) video board way up in the upper deck corner and really poor scoreboards and info boards.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 10 years ago

They don't have very big scoreboards.

They [the casino] currently places more emphasis on concerts than games, even though they have a women's NBA franchise.

scine20 · Unread post by **scine20** » 10 years ago

Ramulous wrote:Can Mohegan host or do NCAA rules preclude a tournament in a casino hotel/resort/arena ?

If it's allowed I like it....the only drawback is mass transit/planes/trains from member cities to eastern Connecticut.....

Vegas has 3 conference tournaments every year.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 10 years ago

Mohegan would be good cause we could see what they have done with the place with the donations we have made to the nation.....

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