Big Sky to Continue Study of Tournament Formats

[n.ogdencat]

I'm really hoping the university president's put the kabosh on this. Don't change it or get rid of it.

 

[SWWeatherCat]

I am worried that the fact that the bids from Ogden and Billings don't include the women's tourney, that that will hurt their chances. I would prefer both Ogden or Billings to Reno or Spokane.

This is obviously a moot point since the bids are in and the finalists are chosen, but I was wondering what fans here would have thought of the Maverik Center in West Valley City hosting had they put in a bid? I know nothing about the venue or the city, I was just looking for alternatives in the SLC area and that is what I stumbled upon. I think the SLC area is the best place to have this tournament, but I am not thrilled about it being in your home venue.

Too late I know, but just curious.

I think the Maverik Center would be a good venue for it. It's just the right size, just down the road from the airport, and plenty of hotels and restaurants nearby. It'd be a much better venue than Energy Solutions or the Huntsman Center.

Although I have no interest-- none-- in the tourney being taken out of the college venues, SLC, and specifically the Maverick Center, would be the best site out of any mentioned or considered.

 

[bincitysioux]

Big Sky officials are visiting Billings today and tomorrow.

Billings preps bid to host 3 years of Big Sky men's basketball tournaments: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/billings-preps-bid-to-host-years-of-big-sky-men/article_cfbef41d-1f15-5ab0-9eb2-a7456103eff8.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gazette opinion: Bring Big Sky basketball to Billings: http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion/gazette-opinion-bring-big-sky-basketball-to-billings/article_7b1f1436-c042-5721-a164-e812cb98d116.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Spokane's point of view........

Big Sky Tournament considers Spokane as host: http://www.krem.com/story/news/local/spokane-county/2015/03/19/spokane-finalists-host-big-sky-conference-tourney/25011631/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[sapokama]

Big Sky officials are visiting Billings today and tomorrow.

Billings preps bid to host 3 years of Big Sky men's basketball tournaments: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/billings-preps-bid-to-host-years-of-big-sky-men/article_cfbef41d-1f15-5ab0-9eb2-a7456103eff8.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gazette opinion: Bring Big Sky basketball to Billings: http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion/gazette-opinion-bring-big-sky-basketball-to-billings/article_7b1f1436-c042-5721-a164-e812cb98d116.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Spokane's point of view........

Big Sky Tournament considers Spokane as host: http://www.krem.com/story/news/local/spokane-county/2015/03/19/spokane-finalists-host-big-sky-conference-tourney/25011631/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the articles bincity. I would love to hear what you guys up in North Dakota think about this.

Interesting, the Spokane paper states that they estimate an additional 25000 visitors to Spokane in March if the tourny was there. Wonder where those 25000 people are going to come from.....

 

[weberwildcat]

Interesting articles.

Billings:
My impression is it would require good fan support from the local area. Maybe there really are a lot of griz and cat fans that would attend. It is only a 3 yr experiment. Maybe it could be like fairbanks or anchorage tournaments.

Spokane:
I don't think anyone will attend. Ewu has poor fan support. Regardless of location we won't see many away fans travel. We never have. Give me one example?

Reno:
Why?
What is the reason vegas isn't a choice? Too expensive? No arena?

Ogden:
If weber isn't playing no one will attend. Might not be a big risk though since wsu is almost always a contender or top 3 finisher.

I hate being so negative about this whole issue but I just don't like it. Traveling to a cold city or small town in the winter just doesn't seem appealing. Maybe there truly isn't much to lose for the sky since it's expensive to host for any school as is.

I would want to go if it was vegas. Any other city or big sky arena I wouldn't even consider. Obviously I'm just one opinionated fan so I can be ignored

 

[sasquatch]

Vegas isn't an option because there isn't a viable arena available within that time period. The South Pointe expressed interest years ago, but it's off-strip, and to my understanding, nobody in Vegas is making much of a push for the Big Sky.

Reno is probably the best option in that it's easy to get to, neutral, and they want to host both tournaments. The downtown arena is probably the perfect size. The NBA D-League team there had been averaging over 2,000 per game, so there is the potential for some casual fans to attend.

Spokane is a Gonzaga town. Washington State second. I would really like to know where these 25,000 visitors would be coming from. I just don't see it being successful there. Not much interest.

Ogden has a great facility, but no neutrality. If the conference wants to award the tournament to a member school, then they really should just keep the system as it is.

 

[bincitysioux]

Thanks for the articles bincity. I would love to hear what you guys up in North Dakota think about this.

The overwhelming majority of North Dakota fans prefer to keep the current format as is. I think most of us feel that UND has the potential to be the type of program that can host this thing once in a while, so the opportunity for it to be in Grand Forks is very exciting. It was a great atmosphere a couple years ago when UND hosted the women's tournament.

North Dakota fans are not going to travel very well for this event, regardless of where it is. Some have said if it would have been in Vegas, they would go but I don't believe it would be a very large contingent.

Personally, if they are going to change the format I think it needs to be in the SLC area, but I'm not real excited about it permanently being at the Dee. I'd like it to be close to Weber's fan base because they truly get behind the team. I attendend North Dakota's conference hockey tournament this weekend in Minneapolis. There were 11,000 fans on hand and I'd guess about 9,000 of them were Sioux fans. It needs to be close to the school that is going to bring the most fans.

Billings might be an interesting option if Montana St. were at the same level that the Griz are at. But they are not, and it is still Billings. Billings has a direct flight from SLC. Would anybody here go? It is an 8 hour drive for me. I would probably go if UND were the #1 seed. I'd probably go anywhere else that has a direct flight from North Dakota if they were the #1 seed.

I really feel it is going to be either Spokane or Billings. Spokane is a bus trip for half of the conference and is offering to host both men and women. Billings is close to two of the larger fan bases in the league. If they put the men in Billings, they will put the women in Missoula where they will easily draw the best.

I really don't like the idea of Reno at all. It is not that easy for anybody to travel to except Sac. St., and they don't travel. Reno is not Vegas.

 

[sapokama]

The overwhelming majority of North Dakota fans prefer to keep the current format as is. I think most of us feel that UND has the potential to be the type of program that can host this thing once in a while, so the opportunity for it to be in Grand Forks is very exciting. It was a great atmosphere a couple years ago when UND hosted the women's tournament.

I certainly agree with you. I have not liked many of the additions that the Big Sky has brought in over the last 20 yrs, but I really liked the addition of UND. I think your school does have a lot of potential, and has the resources to be successful.

Anyway, here's hoping they keep the tourney the same, or do the smart thing and get rid of it all together like how the Ivy League does it (which I know they won't). Did anyone watch the Yale vs Harvard playoff game? Since they tied in the regular season, they played a winner takes all game in philly. It was a great game to watch and I don't have a rooting interest in either. The best team went to the NCAA tourney, and put up a good fight, further raising the conference's profile. Too bad money drives everything in college athletics.

 

[oldrunner]

Reno has a full service airport and is about an 8 hour drive from Ogden. I agree about Salt Lake City being an ideal location, but there are no bids from there. I've been to Billings, there is nothing there but drunk cowboys, prostitutes and homeless people. There is a night life there if you don't mind the prospects of getting shot by one of the before mentioned cowboys. Spokane, meh....

 

[WeberSki]

Olds, you are so correct on Billings. What a drag of a place. I don't get it. It's still a 5 hr drive from Missoula on I-90, & 2 hr from Bozeman. Po dunk airport. What a joke that would be.

 

[WeberSki]

Ogden makes the most sense, and it's not even close. As far as nuetrality, that goes out the window when you consider that the Mountain West has held the tourney at the Thomas & Mack UNLV for years and seems to be working just fine. Ogden has the best venue, Weber has the best fan support, the best airport access, the conference HQ is here. If we are going to change it, this seems like the only option worth considering. We've held it here 4 out of the last 8 anyway, & close to hosting 6 out of the last 8.

 

[sapokama]

Ogden makes the most sense, and it's not even close. As far as nuetrality, that goes out the window when you consider that the Mountain West has held the tourney at the Thomas & Mack UNLV for years and seems to be working just fine. Ogden has the best venue, Weber has the best fan support, the best airport access, the conference HQ is here. If we are going to change it, this seems like the only option worth considering. We've held it here 4 out of the last 8 anyway, & close to hosting 6 out of the last 8.

I agree with what you are saying, but in the MWC, if the top team loses in the tourney they are still going dancing. It just doesn't seem fair for Montana to win the conference by barely beating out Weber for the regular season title, like they have in recent years, only to have their one shot to get to the NCAA tournament most likely come down to beating Weber, in the Dee, in a championship game (or vice versa for that matter).

 

[n.ogdencat]

The only TRULY neutral location is Reno (personally, I think that is where the tournament is going to end up). Spokane is too close to Eastern Washington (I don't understand why Weber didn't try to get the tournament in SLC, but...), Billings is in MSU territory; there is a MSU-Billings and we all know the problem with Ogden. I would only feel right about the tournament being in Ogden if the Cats ended up being the regular season champ.

I just don't see the need to change something that isn't broken. I liked that Sac had a chance to host this year. The community and the city got really involved in backing the Hornets. That is how it is suppose to be. That is why the regular conference season is special. It keeps the emphasis on playing for something; a reward. And makes the conference season intriguing and the match ups fun. A couple years back when Weber and Montana met on the final day of the season to decide the champ and hosting rights was an awesome spectacle and a lot of fun. You lose that by having a predestined locations, and if all 12 are involved, who cares about being #1. Oh, yes, you are the champ, but get to play on a foreign court, away from fans and all the advantages that are suppose to be there to help the best team from a 1 team league get into the Big Dance. Lets hope the Presidents shoot this stupid pipe dream down.

I think it would be wise to email or write Chuck directly. Tell him how you feel about this change. This is a bad idea for Weber and the Sky. If it has to change...get rid of the tournament.

 

[oldrunner]

If they invite all 12 teams the first place team will likely get a 2 round bye. That would be a big advantage.

 

[WeberSki]

Pa, Tal, Olds is right. If we look back the last 6 years, 3 home courts hosts have won @ 50% clip. It's not a given. That first round bye deletion for Montana this year may have been the bigger advantage that they missed out on. A 2nd round bye would be huge. One could argue the preferential seeding of a 1st place seed and first & second round byes could be just as big of an advantage as home court. Ogden or Bust.

 

[sacstateman]

If they invite all 12 teams the first place team will likely get a 2 round bye. That would be a big advantage.

This has been reported for the last 6 months......the regular season first, second, third and fourth place teams recieve a 1st round bye.....NO SECOND ROUND BYES......

 

[SWWeatherCat]

I think it would be wise to email or write Chuck directly. Tell him how you feel about this change. This is a bad idea for Weber and the Sky. If it has to change...get rid of the tournament.

Not that I believe it will matter one iota (what is an iota anyway?) but I already did, about a month ago. However, I am no more a fan of doing away with the tournament than having a neutral site; neither is a change that will keep my level of support for the BSC. It is NOT broken, why break it?