TCU to the Big East

[EastStang]

First, if we ever get to the point that we're any good in hoops, I suspect that Doh and Orsini will use their relationships to get some quality opponents in here. For our conference games, we do have Memphis (several final fours), Tulsa (several elite 8's), UTEP (national championship), UH (final fours), UAB (final four). And they get only 8 conference home games. So, that's 8 good teams at best (and you can bet they'll have at least one home game against the likes of USF, DePaul, St. Johns or Seton Hall). Their non-conference schedule will be probably as sucky as ours is now (if you doubt that look at Louisville, Georgetown, Pitt OOC schedules). They will be able to recruit in the east now (but according to our experts here, recruiting in Chicago, DC, NY, Philly are not worth thinking about). Like USF, they will be the doormat of the conference in basketball for at least four years.

[ponyboy]

Its such a competitive market for the basketball entertainment $$$.
The Mavs are always going to get the majority of fans. The NBDL team is going to attract some fans.
College hoops fans options are SMU, TCU, NTSU, and UTA.

Who would you prefer to see in person? I think there are going to be a lot of people heading over to Ft. Worth.

SMU vs. Tulane
NTSU vs. Troy St.
UTA vs. McNeese State
TCU vs. Georgetown, Louisville, Pitt, UConn, Orange, etc.

SoCal Pony is right on the money !

Yes, we'll have a flood of people who would have attended an SMU game now driving from McKinney and Duncanville to Fort Worth.

There goes 23 people.

[PonyDoh]

Its such a competitive market for the basketball entertainment $$$.
The Mavs are always going to get the majority of fans. The NBDL team is going to attract some fans.
College hoops fans options are SMU, TCU, NTSU, and UTA.

Who would you prefer to see in person? I think there are going to be a lot of people heading over to Ft. Worth.

SMU vs. Tulane
NTSU vs. Troy St.
UTA vs. McNeese State
TCU vs. Georgetown, Louisville, Pitt, UConn, Orange, etc.

SoCal Pony is right on the money !

So this is a competition to draw the random hoops fanatic? IF I'm an SMU fan, I go to SMU games. If I'm a TCU fan, I go to TCU games. The random fan will go to a few more TCU games, maybe. Big deal. Folks need to realize that [deleted] about attendance, or finding artificial ways to boost attendance, are all fools gold. We may get to 4k on the regular again someday, but it's just not in this alumni or fan base to do much more. Sorry.

When we have the roster to play up, I'm sure we'll do so. If not under Doh, the next guy. He's grabbing at straws and Orsini is letting him. Doesn't surprise me, if Orsini ends up lame duck like I've seen suggested

[PonyDoh]

Pony Doh,

You saying a local kid who is considering SMU and attends some of their games this year with the other 1,200 fans won't be influenced by the lack of support?

I hope you are right, but find that hard to believe.

Either way, TCU BB fans are the big winners.

Games like SMU had with Memphis a couple of years ago (our last big attendance game, and one we almost won btw) will occur in Fort Worth on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.

Most of the college basketball world doesn't draw and that includes every program and event. Only a few marquee programs can really sell big game environments. The rest of the country is left to recruit by different means. Half the Big east can't even recruit by selling a loud/packed home arena.

Furthermore, 90% of the marquee kids are gone in the early period, before games/practices even start. The kids themselves ball during the winter, so its not like the season is prime visit time for hoops recruits. Heck, we avoid recruiting on football weekends b/c our crowds aren't strong enough to impress recruits.

All that said about recruiting, I'd love to see us schedule up starting next year. We have some horses, we need to play.

[Bergermeister]

Who would you prefer to see in person? I think there are going to be a lot of people heading over to Ft. Worth.
SMU vs. Tulane
NTSU vs. Troy St.
UTA vs. McNeese State
TCU vs. Georgetown, Louisville, Pitt, UConn, Orange, etc.

I'm still pist that we are not playing Paul Quinn.

[RednBlue11]

Regardless of what some people think, the only way SMU will fill the stands in either FB or BB is with opponents that are relevant.

Wanna know why I was excited when DePaul joined the Big East when I was a Jr in HS living in Chicago?

2nd row seats to some of the best college basketball around.

Syracuse, Georgetown, Louisville, UConn, Marquette(at the time), WVU, Cincy, Pitt, Notre Dame, Villanova...Damn it was good, 1-2 days a week there was top tier basketball to be seen, even if DePaul sucked.

[RednBlue11]

if im still in the DFW area in 2 years and we arent part of the Big East for some reason, I will drive to TCU and buy tickets to see those elite teams play.

that's the impact that being in a conf w/ some worth has on your attendance...people come out of the woodwork just because they know they will see a quality product.

[PonyDoh]

if im still in the DFW area in 2 years and we arent part of the Big East for some reason, I will drive to TCU and buy tickets to see those elite teams play.

that's the impact that being in a conf w/ some worth has on your attendance...people come out of the woodwork just because they know they will see a quality product.

you would be a huge exception, not the rule.

[NickSMU17]

Agree....Since Depaul attendence sucks people don't seem to care that much....

Now if Depaul had a cool facility on campus they would draw more....but no one is driving from Dallas to ft worth to see TCU play, esp when they have to drive right by AA arena to get there...

[SoCal_Pony]

no one is driving from Dallas to ft worth to see TCU play, esp when they have to drive right by AA arena to get there...

Maybe not, but a lot of Fort Worth fans may not drive all the way to the AA areana if they can simply take a 10 minute drive to Daniel-Meyer to see Georgetown play.

[RednBlue11]

Agree....Since Depaul attendence sucks people don't seem to care that much....

Now if Depaul had a cool facility on campus they would draw more....but no one is driving from Dallas to ft worth to see TCU play, esp when they have to drive right by AA arena to get there...

they have a very nice facility on campus, it just isnt big enough.

not gonna lie, not a lot of col. basketball programs can fill an 18k arena and a regular basis.

but obviously winning helps a ton.

if people wanted to see the mavs play they would, not the same as college basketball.