KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

It was announced several months ago that the A-10 would forgo the final year of its contract for its tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for 2017. The Barclays will instead be hosting the ACC Tournament those dates in 2017 and would host the ACC the following year as well. As a result of this, the A-10 is seeking a home for its tournament in 2017 and 2018. Some speculation was that Washington DC could be a possible destination given there are two A-10 schools in the DC metro region (GWU and GMU) and four other schools within a 2.5 hour drive (UR, VCU, SJU, and LaSalle). That is now not a possibility in at least 2017 as the the Verizon Center in DC has come to an agreement with the Big Ten to host its tournament. With no other real feasible neutral site locations in DC, the A-10 must look elsewhere.

The next most logical locations would probably be Philadelphia or Atlantic City. The tournament however did not do particularly well in Philly and the best site in the city (Wells Fargo Center) is larger than needed (20,328) and presents difficulties for scheduling with being home to two pro teams (76’ers and Flyers). The Palestra would be a better size and more easily available but it lacks modern amenities. If Philadelphia is a no go, returning to Atlantic City could be an option. Another possible choice would be Pittsburgh. Richmond, VA would likely not be a consideration given the outdated state of the Richmond Coliseum. Outlier A-10 city locations like Dayton and St. Louis would likely be too far and I am not sure the league would add the risk of choosing those cities given their teams would eb the most likely candidates to leave the conference.

It had been reported that the Dunkin Donuts Center in providence had an interest in possibly hosting the A-10 Tournament. While the city would not typically be a high probability choice, there are factors that could help its chances. With NYC and Dc out and Philly having some challenges, it is possible a long shot candidate like Providence could come into play. The DDC is the perfect size at 12,500 seats and was recently renovated. There are plenty of hotel, restaurant, bar, and shopping options within blocks of the venue. The proximity to two A-10 members (URI and UMass) would also help its case.

While some may think it is a far-fetched proposition for the DDC, the league is running out of time and options and something unexpected might therefore be more likely than at first thought. Looking at the roster and the upward track of Rhody hoops, the DDC in 2017 and/or 2018 could be perfect timing for URI. 2017 will be the senior year for EC Matthews and Hassan Martin while 2018 will be the senior year for Jared Terrell and Jarvis Garrett. The program would be just hitting its stride in these years if all goes according to plan. The URI fanbase would then be more enthusiastic about purchasing tickets making more financially feasible. If UMass continues to be a strong program as it has been the last two seasons, that would help as well.

The more I think of it, the more I like it and think it could work. Imagine taking a short ride to the A-10 Tournament and seeing URI win games and compete for a championship and automatic NCAA bid. I myself like that thought.





Tournament Location Links

Barclays-Brooklyn
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mens-colleg ... per-source

Verizon-DC
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10887730/washington-dc-verizon-center-host-big-ten-tourney-2017

Dunkin Donuts Center-Providence
http://www.providencejournal.com/sports ... nament.ece

Is Mohegan an option? I'd much rather the tournament be there, even though it's further from home for me.

Justns11 wrote:Is Mohegan an option? I'd much rather the tournament be there, even though it's further from home for me.

It might be. I however have not heard that either party has interest in the tournament there. Lodging might be somewhat of an issue as there is only one hotel there and its rates are very high.

If they played at the Dunkin' Dump, could they hide all the Pee-C stuff?

OTOH, if they did hold the tournament in Providence, URI and UMass fans had better buy a lot of tickets.

Rhode_Island_Red wrote:If they played at the Dunkin' Dump, could they hide all the Pee-C stuff?

OTOH, if they did hold the tournament in Providence, URI and UMass fans had better buy a lot of tickets.

I would think it be a given that all other banners and logos (both PC and P-Bruins) be taken down or covered.

I agree that URI and UMass fans would need to show in big numbers for it to be a success. It would seem that both programs are on the rise right now which might make the timing perfect.

I think it all comes down to what the DDC or any other venue for that matter is willing to offer in its contract. I would think the A-10 will not want to be boxed in with contractual guarantees regarding items such as ticket sales. A venue may have to hedge its bets and take a risk.

As much as I hate the Dump, I'll go.

RF1 wrote:

Rhode_Island_Red wrote:If they played at the Dunkin' Dump, could they hide all the Pee-C stuff?

OTOH, if they did hold the tournament in Providence, URI and UMass fans had better buy a lot of tickets.

I would think it be a given that all other banners and logos (both PC and P-Bruins) be taken down or covered.

Don't take that for granted. When URI played home (ha!) games at the Dump, the black-and-white court and all the Pee-C banners remained, making it look like Pee-C's gym.

Rhode_Island_Red wrote:

RF1 wrote:

Rhode_Island_Red wrote:If they played at the Dunkin' Dump, could they hide all the Pee-C stuff?

OTOH, if they did hold the tournament in Providence, URI and UMass fans had better buy a lot of tickets.

I would think it be a given that all other banners and logos (both PC and P-Bruins) be taken down or covered.

Don't take that for granted. When URI played home (ha!) games at the Dump, the black-and-white court and all the Pee-C banners remained, making it look like Pee-C's gym.

I would think the A-10 would mandate this just as the NCAA does for its sites. In the case of PC, it is after their regular season is concluded, so it might not be a big deal as they might not have to go back up again until the follwoing November.

I get the association of the DDC with PC. They however are not the ultimate landlord and do not call the shots. Do not let your dislike of PC cloud your thinking. Having the A-10 Tournament so close to Kingston would be a big plus for Rhody hoops. It would also help the local economy and help the finances of the DDC so that the annual RI taxpayer subsidy can be lessened.

I would love a return to Atlantic City. I enjoyed the games there very much and at least there is something to do there and things to see besides the games. It was fun to see the fans up and down the Boardwalk too.

AC is a dump.

Justns11 wrote:Is Mohegan an option? I'd much rather the tournament be there, even though it's further from home for me.

I've alerted Mohegan Sun in the hopes they put in a bid.

Rhode_Island_Red wrote: OTOH, if they did hold the tournament in Providence, URI and UMass fans had better buy a lot of tickets.

Wouldn't worry about it at all, Red. Dayton travels really, really well and they'd probably have about four thousand in town alone…..
Also, the A-10 shouldn't want an overwhelmingly cavernous place, because the sight of empty seats is disgusting. It also shouldn't want some dilapidated leaking-roofed site like Atlantic City. Almost every-single AAU tournament venue is better.
The last time Atlantic City looked good, was when Burt Lancaster was watching Susan Sarandon use her home-made lemon-water concoction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL17bwbFDAI



A BRESSLER PRODUCTION

URI fans should favor holding the tournament in Providence because of the "home court" advantages it provides and the PR value

id love to see it in prov for selfish reasons but i think thats a pipe dream. bernadette has her eyes fixed on turning the a10 into the new big east and that means exposure exposure exposure.

Exposure that i guarantee nobody in the a10 office feels like they can get in Rhode Island.

Sadly if philly dc and nyc are off the board then there gonna look at 2 maybe 3 spots.

Dayton would have to be the front runner imho. diehard fanbase. good arena. always relied upon by the ncaa to host the play in games etc. plus the a10 has been there before so they know what they have.

AC is another option. complete and total dump but the same reasons apply here that apply to.....

Mohegan. places like this have one chip in their back pocket. they have the ability to offer up the arena for essentially pennies on the dollar. Whereas the a10 would be paying for the rights to the DDC; a place like mohegan or ac is just looking to get people in. Essentially they could care less about ticket sales or their take at the gate. they want the money that comes with. i know that personally when i went to the URI-ok st game a couple years back, sure the ticket was a couple bucks but i spent a hell of a lot more on a room and taking the gf and parents out for the night (not to mention about 200 on roulette playing larry birds number everytime).

Id love for it to be in the dump. for us to win the a10 tourney in PC's building. to figuratively spit on the middle of their court while raising up the trophy but sadly me thinks its just wishful thinking.

Obadiah wrote:URI fans should favor holding the tournament in Providence because of the "home court" advantages it provides and the PR value

Exactly. It would be a very big advantage to URI. URI fans would dominate the crowd and it would be at a time when the team should be riding high (the two years where Matthews, Martin, Terrell, and Garrett will be seniors). Rhody fans might actually get to see the team capture a 2nd automatic NCAA bid in the building (remember 1978?).

It also would be good for the local economy. Downtown Providence is ideal for this event. The city is small enough that the tourney could take over and not be an afterthought as it was in NYC or Philadelphia. There are several hotels (with a new one that should open across the street by then), bars, restaurants, and shopping with short walking distance. The airport is close and connected by rail. Fans from elsewhere wouldn't even need a car. The arena is recently renovated and just the right size. The increased tax revenue from hosting this event will help offset the large annual taxpayer subsidy for the DDC since it can't support itself.

SlyWilliamsCaddy wrote: the board then there gonna look at 2 maybe 3 spots.

Dayton would have to be the front runner imho. diehard fanbase. good arena. always relied upon by the ncaa to host the play in games etc. plus the a10 has been there before so they know what they have.

I don't think that the A-10 wants its tournament on a team's home court. I also don't think the league will make a commitment a few years out to Dayton (or St Louis) when it is one of the most rumored teams that might leave the league (if the new Catholic Big East invites them).

Obadiah wrote:URI fans should favor holding the tournament in Providence because of the "home court" advantages it provides and the PR value

agreed.

RF1 wrote:

Obadiah wrote:URI fans should favor holding the tournament in Providence because of the "home court" advantages it provides and the PR value

Exactly. It would be a very big advantage to URI. URI fans would dominate the crowd and it would be at a time when the team should be riding high (the two years where Matthews, Martin, Terrell, and Garrett will be seniors). Rhody fans might actually get to see the team capture a 2nd automatic NCAA bid in the building (remember 1978?).

It also would be good for the local economy. Downtown Providence is ideal for this event. The city is small enough that the tourney could take over and not be an afterthought as it was in NYC or Philadelphia. There are several hotels (with a new one that should open across the street by then), bars, restaurants, and shopping with short walking distance. The airport is close and connected by rail. Fans from elsewhere wouldn't even need a car. The arena is recently renovated and just the right size. The increased tax revenue from hosting this event will help offset the large annual taxpayer subsidy for the DDC since it can't support itself.

RF1 nailed it. I would be happy with this. Just like with the NCAA Tournament a few years back, they would "Sterlize" the Dunk and make it completely neutral and bring in all the A10's own marketing materials and branding.

Providence Journal
Kevin McNamara
06-08-14

Dunk wants A-10 tourney

Providence remains a potential home for the Atlantic 10 Tournament in either 2017 or ’18. The Dunkin’ Donuts Center is in talks for the event and will host a contingent from the league office and URI later this month.

The A-10 will play its marquee event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015 and ’16 and return there from 2019-21. The ACC is moving into that facility in 2017 and ’18, so the A-10 is shopping for some new venues.

The other cities the A-10 is focusing on besides Providence are Washington, D.C., Orlando, Fla., and Pittsburgh. The Verizon Center in D.C. is booked (with the Big Ten) in 2017 and it’s clearly a roll of the dice whether enough fans will leave the Northeast/Midwest areas to travel to Florida to watch basketball games.

Link:
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ ... w=ZW50aXR5

If the A10 wants to have their tournament in a sewer then pick anywhere in Florida, otherwise, DC or providence are fine, I'm not a big fan of Pittsburgh either, the only time I was in that city I found it to be unclean, but anything is better than the swamp known as Florida. The only Florida I like is from 'Good Times'.

Florida makes absolutely no sense and is a horrible choice for the A10 tournament.

It also happens to be the worst place in the entire world, but thats another story.

If KMac's list of cities in play are correct, Providence might just have the right mix to get this two year span of tournaments. I'd be very happy with that!!

My vote (if I had one) would clearly be for The Dunk.
Why would any URI fan think differently?
To be able to go to all the games and sleep in your own bed at night,
instead of worrying about travel arrangements and expenses, would be
perfect.

I couldn't agree more. I'm really hoping the Dunk makes an offer the A10 can't refuse. I only like the Idea of DC when compared to cesspool state and spittsbrugh and I like the fact that DC doesn't have an appropriate venue for the A10 during that stretch (2017-18). We could/should be in a great position to challenge for the title and my broke ass will get a chance to see the games, I really hope this happens at the Dunk.

Orlando is just about the dumbest idea that I've ever heard. Who would go to that? NO-BOD-EEE. What did they do throw a dart at a map of the US?

I have to imagine Florida would be a last resort type of thing if they can't find a better location. Lets hope it doesnt come to that.

The only way Florida would make sense is if the building owners were throwing the A-10 a lump sum of money, for some reason. Flights to Florida are also reasonably cheap at all times of the year, I believe, but still. It's a pretty far ways off from any of the A-10 schools.

SGreenwell wrote:The only way Florida would make sense is if the building owners were throwing the A-10 a lump sum of money, for some reason.

Good point, hadn't considered that. Also would be one of the only reasons it would make sense.

adam914 wrote:

SGreenwell wrote:The only way Florida would make sense is if the building owners were throwing the A-10 a lump sum of money, for some reason.

Good point, hadn't considered that. Also would be one of the only reasons it would make sense.

Disneyland for the Thanksgiving Holiday Period would be the key draw that Orlando would be banking on - as they do with most everything there.

SGreenwell wrote:The only way Florida would make sense is if the building owners were throwing the A-10 a lump sum of money, for some reason. Flights to Florida are also reasonably cheap at all times of the year, I believe, but still. It's a pretty far ways off from any of the A-10 schools.

The A-10 is probably in the end going to pick the site that makes the most attractive offer. All of these cities/venues have issues. There is no perfect fit. While location, facility size, venue condition, etc will be considered, it will come down to dollars and cents. Which venue will cost the league the least? If an arena was willing to make certain guarantees and minimize potential risk to the A-10, it rises toward the top of the choices.

I think there's a good chance the Dunk gets it.

Mohegan remains a possibility. There are several other hotels in the area that cost less than the on site one.

rambone 78 wrote:I think there's a good chance the Dunk gets it.

Mohegan remains a possibility. There are several other hotels in the area that cost less than the on site one.

The Dunk will have to make a very attractive offer to get it. There are better geographic fits that the DDC will need to somehow offset itself against.

The Dunk would really need to partner with URI and to a bit lesser extent UMass for ticket sales to make this feasible. It should seek out out both schools to add the tournament as an option available on their season ticket packages. They will need advance ticket sales and need locals to support it given it is on the extreme northeast edge of the league's footprint which might deter others from attending.

I don't see how it is at a geographic disadvantage compared to Pittsburgh and Orlando. DC certainly however but DC is only available for one of the two seasons. I would think that the A10 would be looking for one city to host two years and not two cities for one year each.

What you think is logical, '96…….is not the way the illogical think. "Hey, continuity??? Nah -- two years -- two sites!!!!!!!"

RF1 wrote:Providence Journal
Kevin McNamara
06-08-14

Dunk wants A-10 tourney

Providence remains a potential home for the Atlantic 10 Tournament in either 2017 or ’18. The Dunkin’ Donuts Center is in talks for the event and will host a contingent from the league office and URI later this month.

The A-10 will play its marquee event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015 and ’16 and return there from 2019-21. The ACC is moving into that facility in 2017 and ’18, so the A-10 is shopping for some new venues.

The other cities the A-10 is focusing on besides Providence are Washington, D.C., Orlando, Fla., and Pittsburgh. The Verizon Center in D.C. is booked (with the Big Ten) in 2017 and it’s clearly a roll of the dice whether enough fans will leave the Northeast/Midwest areas to travel to Florida to watch basketball games.

Link:
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ ... w=ZW50aXR5

McNamara wrote on June 8th that the DDC would host a contigent from the A-10 and URI later in the month. Did this occur?

I just tweeted to McNamara...I'll post his response if he answers.

Yes it occurred.

steviep123 wrote:I just tweeted to McNamara...I'll post his response if he answers.

It would be nice if he actually followed up on what he wrote earlier without being prompted. Isn't that what a journalist is supposed to do?

Still want the Palestra.

I want The Dunk!

rodfromcranston wrote:I want The Dunk!

As much as I hate that place.....me too!!!

sounds like Pittsburgh in 2017 (ugh) and DC in 2018 (logical choice)

Just when one thinks the A-10 has turned the corner in its thinking, a new-found audacity, and approaching big-time -- pffffffftttttttttttttt -- it does the same old, same stupid……….

Pittsburgh does make sense for 1 season, it puts a tournament out west from usual to keep them happy (hours from Dayton, closer than anywhere else for SLU) and DC is ideal geographically

Sucks!

Pittsburgh sucks for us, but it isn't a bad move for the conference to have the tourney there for one year. I love making fun of Pittsburgh and their rustbelt sensibilities, but everyone that I've talked to that has been there says its really come a long way and is a fun city. And as twisted said, this is the conference throwing a bone to the western teams who we really need to hold tight over the next few years. Pittsburgh is significantly closer to them than Providence, for example.

It ticks me off that this league really seems to ignore its northern schools. UMass and URI are two of the longest tenured members but the tournament in some 35 years has never gotten to New England. Dayton and Xavier with just a decade and a half in the league got four tournaments in SW Ohio. Philly, Atlantic City, and Pittsburgh have all hosted five or more times. Not much love is ever shown to UMass and URI. Be it tournament locations, tv appearances, league teams, etc... The A-10 as a league will never gain much traction in our region if it never chooses to invest in it.

RF1 + 1.
Duquesne as the host school. Give me a break!

NYC isn't close enough? it's a 3 hour drive from campus (closer than Dayton to Pittsburgh)

I expect the tournament to do very poorly in Pittsburgh. That is a very big venue (cap 19,758) and the local school can't draw flies. The league better hope that Dayton advances far that year and many of its fans make the nearly 4 hour drive.