New BSCT Location?

[SDHornet]

At the request of its coaches and athletic directors, the Big Sky is exploring options to move its basketball tournaments to Las Vegas, according to the conference’s associate commissioner.

A small group of administrators, working in conjunction with the conference, will seek approval from school presidents to press forward with a plan to move the men’s and women’s tournaments, which would include all 24 teams and be played simultaneously, to Las Vegas, Ron Loghry said this week. Though no formal proposal has been drafted, the desire of the coaches and athletic directors is to create a more equitable tournament format, which is intended to balance out the 18-game conference schedule the Big Sky will adopt this year. It would also ease the sometimes tricky travel arrangements teams are forced to make during the last week of the regular season.
The vote will take place June 4, when the presidents meet in Grand Forks, North Dakota, for the conference’s annual spring meetings.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.co...d9e-e3d2-11e3-959e-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=jqm

An ISU poster put up a response he received from BSC Assistant Commissioner Jon Kasper:

We are exploring moving our men's and women's basketball championships to Las Vegas. We are very early in the process, and nothing has been finalized. We are gathering information, looking for a venue, analyzing costs, etc.. We need the approval of the Big Sky Presidents to move forward. They will meet in a couple of weeks in Grand Forks. The men's coaches have asked that all teams be included in the tournament, and that it be held in Las Vegas. The plan has also been discussed with the women's coaches. The Presidents, after receiving input from men's and women's coaches, athletic directors, SWAs, and conference staff, will have to give us the OK to continue the process. Some of our Presidents really like the current model because we normally make money, it provides excitement for their fans and students, and ESPN produces a nationally-televised event from their campus.

Reasons this is being considered, in no particular order:

1. We will no longer play double round-robin schedule since we have 12 teams with the addition of Idaho. Coaches feel since the schedules won't be equal across the board, we need to include all 12 teams in the tournament.

2. There are some nice things about our current format, especially allowing the regular-season champion to host. In a one-bid league, it is important to try to send your top team to the NCAA Tournament. Most times, we draw very well. In fact, our attendance at our men's championship is very strong compared to many similar conferences our size across the nation. Our attendance is also strong at our women's tournaments in venues like Pocatello, Missoula and Grand Forks, which have all hosted recently. However, travel costs are a big issue. Many of our teams faced difficult travel to Grand Forks and Ogden this past year. There is also the issue of our men's and women's tournaments being played on the same days. Some of our Big Sky cities would be hard pressed to handle 12 teams in terms of hotels, etc. on short notice. In 2013, Montana hosted both men's and women's tournaments, and it was logistically hard to pull off. Potentially, we're looking at 24 teams in one city on short notice. Can that be done in places like Greeley, Cedar City, Pocatello, Grand Forks, Missoula, or Bozeman? It's not just hotels, but facilities for practice, restaurants, etc.

3. Under our current format, it puts a strain on the conference staff, but more importantly the staffs at the schools that can potentially host. Often times, we're planning with three or four different schools just in case. Knowing when and where the tournament will be a year out is huge for planning.

4. Moving to a neutral, destination site such as Las Vegas will allow for advanced travel plans for our teams and our fans. It's hard for fans to travel on short notice right now.

5. Moving to a neutral, destination site can also help with marketing dollars.

6. This event would bring the conference together and improve the student-athlete experience.

7. Las Vegas has become a mecca for postseason college basketball tournamens. March Madness starts in Las Vegas in the West with the Pac-12, WCC, Mountain West and WAC tournaments there. Even the Missouri Valley is exploring moving to Las Vegas. The coaches expressed a strong desire to be part of that.

http://www.bigskyfans.com/bengals/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5700

Thoughts?

 

[superhornet]

I'm on the record as favoring a static location so the league office can handle all of the logistics, having an entire year in which to do so, as opposed to one school (which might have parking and hotel issues) having just about a week or so following the regular season to tie up the loose ends.

That said, I'm not thrilled with Lost Wages. First, there's the gambling factor. Then, there's the issue of the outliers. Getting to Lost Wages would be fine for us, but hard for UNC/UND. I think SLC would be a better choice, at the risk of potentially giving Weber a semi-home court advantage. Seattle would be a good choice, as well, but SLC would be better.

Unless we could get it at Sleep Train, that is. That would provide the same issues LV would, but we would have a nearly lock-tight home court advantage. LOL. It'll be interesting to hear what you peeps have to say.

 

[SDHornet]

Good points. I agree the BSC office should and needs to have a bigger role in the BSCT instead of pawning all the responsibilities off on to the host school. I also agree with the travel issues brought up as trying to fly to these podunk BSC towns on short notice cannot be cheap or efficient, and I think that is the bigger driver here.

I am on the fence on the Vegas angle. I hate the idea of the regular season crown not meaning as much as it currently does (home court is huge imo). I hate the idea of every team automatically getting into the BSCT as not every team DESERVES to be there. This essentially makes the regular season completely meaningless. Think back to the end of last season and ask yourself this: would you have tuned into Hornet hoops for those final games knowing they are guaranteed a BSCT berth regardless of the outcome? Personally my answer is ‘no’. I would just wait it out until the BSCT as that is all that matters once the regular season crown is unattainable.

However it’s very unlikely I will ever attend a BSCT in its current format. The BSC has publicly said we can never host a BSCT in the miniscule chance we actually win a regular season crown. At least knowing its in Vegas, the wifey and I can plan a nice little get away with some BSC, WCC, WAC, or MWC hoops sprinkled in between a 4 day bender spent mostly at the craps tables and clubs. Vegas baby!!!

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

I hate the idea of every team automatically getting into the BSCT as not every team DESERVES to be there. This essentially makes the regular season completely meaningless. !!!

Same with the WAC baseball post-season crap. The WAC regular season champ isn't the auto qualifier to the regionals. Had we lost to the #3 seed in the WAC tourney, we would have to wait for an open invite which won't happen playing so close to the BW.

Other than pride, what does winning the regular season WAC baseball title get you? First game pass? :dunce:

 

[SDHornet]

I hate the idea of every team automatically getting into the BSCT as not every team DESERVES to be there. This essentially makes the regular season completely meaningless. !!!

Same with the WAC baseball post-season crap. The WAC regular season champ isn't the auto qualifier to the regionals. Had we lost to the #3 seed in the WAC tourney, we would have to wait for an open invite which won't happen playing so close to the BW.

Other than pride, what does winning the regular season WAC baseball title get you? First game pass? :dunce:

If the WAC is losing money on it then they need to discontinue it. I would be ok with a 4 team double elimination tournament to determine who get the Regional bid. Have the regular season champ host the tournament. Could maybe make a little money if done right.

 

[sacstateman]

The advantages to having the tourney in Vegas are hopefully getting one or two of the hotel/casinos to bid on hosting the tourney thereby getting cheap or free rooms and easier transportation. Even Reno would be better than SLC. Who in SLC is going to help pick up any of the costs? Who is going to SLC to watch the games? I know I did go to Ogden last year but that was because it was the first time in a while for Sac to make the tourney.

 

[superhornet]

Reno would have the same problems Lost Wages would have....

 

[sacstateman]

Do you really think it is easier to get to SLC than it is to get to Vegas???? Must be a lot of Mormons in SD and Northern Colorado to get those airlines to make all those flights available to SLC.

 

[superhornet]

Do you really think it is easier to get to SLC than it is to get to Vegas???? Must be a lot of Mormons in SD and Northern Colorado to get those airlines to make all those flights available to SLC.

Ease of getting to Lost Wages ain't the issue. It's the distractions of gambling (among other things). Such things as one might NOT find in SLC.

Besides, going to Lost Wages would give NAU an unreasonable advantage....

 

[SDHornet]

PGP, SH doesn’t look at things in a practical matter. The ease and cost reduction of travel to Vegas, the fact that the BSCT would probably be subsidized by casino/resorts if moved to Vegas, the fact that Vegas would be a good excuse for fans to take a trip there and see some hoops action on the side. All those facts mean nothing to SH. Simply being around gambling does not mean one needs to partake in gambling.

There are a lot of upsides to moving it to Vegas (or Reno). My only issues are the devaluation of the regular season since everyone gets a ticket to the BSCT, and the possibility that not many fans will go. The WAC tourney did horrible in Vegas last year, hard to think the BSC would be much different.

 

[sacstateman]

Lets see.....
Flagstaff to Las Vegas = 249 miles
Ogden to Salt Lake City = 39 miles
Fair enough....

 

[superhornet]

PGP: SD is exactly right on how I see things.

Re your comparison of distances: Valid. But if we have to give anything close to a home-court advantage to anyone, I'd MUCH rather give it to a school like Weber than NAU or the Montanas. Just personal reasons, mind you. Reno would be fairly decent for us if it weren't for the gambling aspect. When I go to a basketball tournament, that's ALL I want to be there. (OK, so when I went to a few BWC tournaments, there was the Disneyland issue, but I never had the extra cash to worry about that.) I wanna focus on hoops and nothing but hoops.

So I'm weird. SD knows that. Listen to him. LOL.

 

[sacstateman]

I guess my problem with SLC is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would interrupt MY hoops bonanza......lol

 

[superhornet]

I guess my problem with SLC is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would interrupt MY hoops bonanza......lol

Point taken.

:mrgreen:

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

The reason for everyone to go to the tourney now is because of the unbalanced schedules. The BSCT will be the final equalizer to that. And I'm fine with that. We need to have more non-conference schedules so the conference can raise its collective RPI. The more conference games you play as a mid-major conference, they lower your RPI will be. There are not enough non-conference games to help over come that. So that mean's instead of 6 non-conference games (and that's what you have with a double round-robin schedule: 11 other teams x 2 games), you now have 10 non-conference games under an 18 game conference schedule. Remember you are allowed 28 contests (an in-season tournament in non-conf play counts as one contest, even though you may play possibly 3-4 games at that tourney) a season.

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

I'm on the record as favoring a static location so the league office can handle all of the logistics, having an entire year in which to do so, as opposed to one school (which might have parking and hotel issues) having just about a week or so following the regular season to tie up the loose ends.

That said, I'm not thrilled with Lost Wages. First, there's the gambling factor. Then, there's the issue of the outliers. Getting to Lost Wages would be fine for us, but hard for UNC/UND. I think SLC would be a better choice, at the risk of potentially giving Weber a semi-home court advantage. Seattle would be a good choice, as well, but SLC would be better.

Unless we could get it at Sleep Train, that is. That would provide the same issues LV would, but we would have a nearly lock-tight home court advantage. LOL. It'll be interesting to hear what you peeps have to say.

You do realize that UNC is 40 mins north of Denver International Airport right? A major hub airport for United Airlines right? Sheesh you are unreal :tothehand: hno: :roll:

 

[SWeberCat02]

Do you really think it is easier to get to SLC than it is to get to Vegas???? Must be a lot of Mormons in SD and Northern Colorado to get those airlines to make all those flights available to SLC.

Ease of getting to Lost Wages ain't the issue. It's the distractions of gambling (among other things). Such things as one might NOT find in SLC.

Besides, going to Lost Wages would give NAU an unreasonable advantage....

I frequently get distracted by gambling and I live in Ogden (the Nevada state line is only 90 mins from SLC). :lol: But gambling is half the reason I'd travel to Vegas for the tournament every year. For that and other reasons I think Vegas would be the best location for the tournament if they move to a neutral site.

 

[Kadeezy]

I would attend the tourney in Vegas each time Sac made it. You won't get my ass to puddle jump it to Missoula, or Ogden. I might consider SMF to PDX, but that's it!!!

 

[superhornet]

I'm on the record as favoring a static location so the league office can handle all of the logistics, having an entire year in which to do so, as opposed to one school (which might have parking and hotel issues) having just about a week or so following the regular season to tie up the loose ends.

That said, I'm not thrilled with Lost Wages. First, there's the gambling factor. Then, there's the issue of the outliers. Getting to Lost Wages would be fine for us, but hard for UNC/UND. I think SLC would be a better choice, at the risk of potentially giving Weber a semi-home court advantage. Seattle would be a good choice, as well, but SLC would be better.

Unless we could get it at Sleep Train, that is. That would provide the same issues LV would, but we would have a nearly lock-tight home court advantage. LOL. It'll be interesting to hear what you peeps have to say.

You do realize that UNC is 40 mins north of Denver International Airport right? A major hub airport for United Airlines right? Sheesh you are unreal :tothehand: hno: :roll:

That reasoning was rejected when I tried to bring up adding Mines vice UND....

 

[SWeberCat02]

Sac being mentioned as possible site for the tournament, also Seattle, Spokane, and Salt Lake City. Sounds like Vegas probably won't work.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/sports/bobcats/mens-basketball/article_a75db190-ec6e-11e3-851f-001a4bcf887a.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;