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For those complaining about the tournament always being in Memphis, it looks like you will get a change in venue.
http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasket ... y/10404045

CA Mustang wrote:For those complaining about the tournament always being in Memphis, it looks like you will get a change in venue.
http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasket ... y/10404045

What great news! Back in the days of the WAC going up to Tulsa to see the conference tourney was always a fun trip. A very easy one from DFW at that.

I still think it would be best to have it at the Alltel Arena in Little Rock. Mid-point, neutral, and within 10 minutes of my house (most important).

Just wondering, nothing else...

Is there a reason why we don't put a bid in? Moody of course isn't equipped for it (yet?), but what about Reunion? Is it already booked for the Big XII?

Peruna2001 wrote:Just wondering, nothing else...

Is there a reason why we don't put a bid in? Moody of course isn't equipped for it (yet?), but what about Reunion? Is it already booked for the Big XII?

There is a very good reason why we didn't bid and it's called attendance.

I think I might have been the only SMU fan that went to the tournament last year that wasn't somehow connected with the team, and I had a great time. Memphis is a perfect venue with everything being within walking distance, and I have zero problems with Memphis being the host until someone else can stand up and at least break into the top 25. When we were in the WAC it rotated between Fresno and Tulsa because they were the top two teams. Unfortunately there isn't another team in CUSA besides Memphis that deserves to be in the hosting rotation right now.

DickerJames wrote:

Peruna2001 wrote:Just wondering, nothing else...

Is there a reason why we don't put a bid in? Moody of course isn't equipped for it (yet?), but what about Reunion? Is it already booked for the Big XII?

There is a very good reason why we didn't bid and it's called attendance.

I think I might have been the only SMU fan that went to the tournament last year that wasn't somehow connected with the team, and I had a great time. Memphis is a perfect venue with everything being within walking distance, and I have zero problems with Memphis being the host until someone else can stand up and at least break into the top 25. When we were in the WAC it rotated between Fresno and Tulsa because they were the top two teams. Unfortunately there isn't another team in CUSA besides Memphis that deserves to be in the hosting rotation right now.

Based on that logic SMU should play all of their "home" games at the opposing stadium or arena. We consistantly rank below everyone. I do not care how good a particular team is, each school should have an opportunity to host the tournament if they have the facility available, or it should be at a neutral site, that site of course, being Little Rock. I would even offer the opposite view as you. If the tournament were held in Dallas, for instance, the Memphis fans would travel better to Dallas than the SMU fans did to Memphis. Perhaps the tournament should be held at the last place team arena.

C-USA tourney should stay in Memphis. FedExForum is a beautiful venue...Beale Street is fun, and a stones throw from the front door of the arena...Memphis is centrally located, easy to get to from anywhere (why FedEx and St. Jude are there...)...and heck, Memphis fans fill the place up....Tulsa is boring.

This is a bad idea. As the article points out:

The event has been at FedExForum just off of Beale Street in downtown Memphis the past three seasons primarily because a neutral site isn't a reasonable option for the struggling league and no other C-USA program has the necessary fan base to carry the event and ensure the kind of crowds Memphis demands

Speaking as someone who went to the tournament in Memphis, all of the games not involving Memphis probably had less than 1K fans, even the non-Memphis semifinal. Getting the final on national TV with a large, packed arena is good for the image of the conference. A Memphis-Houston final in Tulsa with 6000 people (just guessing) will not impress anyone.

mrydel wrote:

DickerJames wrote:

Peruna2001 wrote:Just wondering, nothing else...

Is there a reason why we don't put a bid in? Moody of course isn't equipped for it (yet?), but what about Reunion? Is it already booked for the Big XII?

There is a very good reason why we didn't bid and it's called attendance.

I think I might have been the only SMU fan that went to the tournament last year that wasn't somehow connected with the team, and I had a great time. Memphis is a perfect venue with everything being within walking distance, and I have zero problems with Memphis being the host until someone else can stand up and at least break into the top 25. When we were in the WAC it rotated between Fresno and Tulsa because they were the top two teams. Unfortunately there isn't another team in CUSA besides Memphis that deserves to be in the hosting rotation right now.

Based on that logic SMU should play all of their "home" games at the opposing stadium or arena. We consistantly rank below everyone. I do not care how good a particular team is, each school should have an opportunity to host the tournament if they have the facility available, or it should be at a neutral site, that site of course, being Little Rock. I would even offer the opposite view as you. If the tournament were held in Dallas, for instance, the Memphis fans would travel better to Dallas than the SMU fans did to Memphis. Perhaps the tournament should be held at the last place team arena.

The problem with your desire for all teams to host regardless of attendance is a little thing called money. Schools with large fan bases can guarantee more revenue because of tickets sold and therefore have the winning bids. Until this conference becomes more than a 1 team league the tournament should stay in Memphis.

Putting it in a neutral city is the dumbest idea there is. Its not that well attended, so you want it somewhere that has a few fans sitting around with nothing better to do. When and if CUSA is a top 5 conference and seat for its tourney go for $1,000 each like the ACC tournament, then we can think about neutral sites. But even the ACC tends to put it in cities where teams are located or are nearby like Greensboro, Atlanta, Washington, DC and College Park.

EastStang wrote:Putting it in a neutral city is the dumbest idea there is. Its not that well attended, so you want it somewhere that has a few fans sitting around with nothing better to do. When and if CUSA is a top 5 conference and seat for its tourney go for $1,000 each like the ACC tournament, then we can think about neutral sites. But even the ACC tends to put it in cities where teams are located or are nearby like Greensboro, Atlanta, Washington, DC and College Park.

It is not dumb if you live near an available neutral site. The earlier post said one SMU fan was in Memphis. I could be the one fan if it was in Little Rock.

mrydel wrote:It is not dumb if you live near an available neutral site. The earlier post said one SMU fan was in Memphis. I could be the one fan if it was in Little Rock.

I'd still go. I promise not to sit in your seats either.

MustangStealth wrote:

mrydel wrote:It is not dumb if you live near an available neutral site. The earlier post said one SMU fan was in Memphis. I could be the one fan if it was in Little Rock.

I'd still go. I promise not to sit in your seats either.

I would have plenty for everyone in Little Rock. I even have 4 for the NCAA regionals being held at Alltel this year.

Memphis deserves to host. SMU and Dallas should not even consider applying until we can field a team that will generate sellouts in Moody and be reasonably certain the Mustangs could advance to the finals. Even then we'd have to rely on UTEP, Houston and Tulsa all having strong teams to generate the necessary attendance because Moody has nowhere near the capacity Memphis' arena does.

It would be nice if you could earn the host spot by finishing as the #1 seed, but CUSA is spread too far geographically to pull that off with such short notice to the visitors

Keep it in Memphis. It works for now. The conference needs the attendance numbers there.