Let's also not forget that Birmingham is a 5 hour drive or less from Mobile, Monroe, Bowling Green, Atlanta, Nashville and Troy. That's half the league within a fairly easy drive.

I think Hot Springs has served the league well. The unique setup of being able to use two courts and shorten the time to play the men's and women's tournaments at the same time is crucial. Hot Springs worked hard to try and get the community to embrace it, with mixed results. But the bottom line is, they didn't just open Summit Arena and say "have a good time." The city cared about having it there.

If they move it, the new facility must have two courts as well.....or we need to separate the tournaments......or we need to quit bringing everyone.

Everyone here is pointing to geography and understandably so.

But there's soooo much more to it. I want to know of a city that's willing to really get behind this tournament and help to make it a success. If we can get 30% of the attendance from local folks without a dog in the hunt, we're going to have a successful tournament.

Which city is ready to put out the same effort that HS has done?

About what I expected

(09-20-2012 07:31 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  But there's soooo much more to it. I want to know of a city that's willing to really get behind this tournament and help to make it a success. If we can get 30% of the attendance from local folks without a dog in the hunt, we're going to have a successful tournament.

Which city is ready to put out the same effort that HS has done?

Not being a basketball fan, what cities are "into" college basketball that much that have the facility and ease of travel to make what your talking about happen?

I don't mind he drive to hot springs, but I've only been able to make it there once and I never miss these events if that tell anything. The attendance numbers have been poor to sucky at best since its been there and that won't change anytime soon as long as its held there. I agree that Hot Springs was hospitable but for the most part I was boarded outa my mind since most everything is closed due to not being in season for attractions. They need that off season income, Thats why they want us there so bad

I honestly see 0 upside for ever having the tourney in S. Florida. This is NOT a college basketball town at all.

Yes there is plenty to do, but I feel attendance would be horrific.

I merged the 3 threads into one.

(09-20-2012 07:31 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  If they move it, the new facility must have two courts as well.....or we need to separate the tournaments......or we need to quit bringing everyone.

Everyone here is pointing to geography and understandably so.

But there's soooo much more to it. I want to know of a city that's willing to really get behind this tournament and help to make it a success. If we can get 30% of the attendance from local folks without a dog in the hunt, we're going to have a successful tournament.

Which city is ready to put out the same effort that HS has done?

Not realistic IMHO.

The writing on the wall tells me that the time has come to end the tourney.

Either award the bid to the regular season champ or follow Arkstfan's advice and have a 6 team playoff scenario for the bid with the higher seeded teams hosting the 5 games with first round byes for the top 2 seeds.

Maybe so but it is inconvenient as h3ll for most of the Belt to get to.

(09-20-2012 06:46 AM)insideualr Wrote:  Basiclly, everyone wants the tournament closer to them and has their reasons.

Sadly, the truth is HS is a great place for the tournament.

(09-19-2012 05:20 PM)CajunAmos Wrote:  

(09-19-2012 05:18 PM)WKUApollo Wrote:  

(09-19-2012 11:23 AM)joshdude182 Wrote:  It's already decided guys. Birmingham. The athletic departments already know about it.

If this is true, not a bad solution. It's the same distance from Bowling Green to Birmingham as it is from Mobile to Birmingham (about 4 hours). That means 5 schools (GSU, WKU, MTU, Troy, and USA) all about 4 hours or less drive. ASU is about 5 hours away, UALR is about 6 hours, and ULM is about 5.5 hours. That's 8 schools about 6 hours or less.

Looks about 8hrs from Lafayette, about an hour more than Hot Springs.

Cajun fans should have no problem making it to B'Ham in less than 7. Remember the trip to Hot Springs is not all interstate, like it is in to The Ham.

I have been to Lafayette many times through Birmingham, and can make it to your city in 9 hours from Murfreesboro. Maybe 9:15.

Birmingham is about 2:45 from Murfreesboro, so I think Cajuns could make it in 6 1/2.

(09-20-2012 08:40 AM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  

(09-20-2012 07:31 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  If they move it, the new facility must have two courts as well.....or we need to separate the tournaments......or we need to quit bringing everyone.

Everyone here is pointing to geography and understandably so.

But there's soooo much more to it. I want to know of a city that's willing to really get behind this tournament and help to make it a success. If we can get 30% of the attendance from local folks without a dog in the hunt, we're going to have a successful tournament.

Which city is ready to put out the same effort that HS has done?

Not realistic IMHO.

The writing on the wall tells me that the time has come to end the tourney.

Either award the bid to the regular season champ or follow Arkstfan's advice and have a 6 team playoff scenario for the bid with the higher seeded teams hosting the 5 games with first round byes for the top 2 seeds.

I honestly didn't think many of the Hot Springs residents came out to the tourney. Some places were welcoming, some were not.

Our hotel bar would close early every night and totally closed on Sunday. The hotel was booked solid. Town shut down on Sunday, when the tourney was going on.

Did like the fact that the place was small enough to see a lot of other SBC fans meandering about, striking up conversations about their teams, or talking a little "smack".

OVC Format:

Format

The format for the tournament was changed, beginning with the 2011 tournament. Seeding changed to a merit-based system where the No. 1 and 2 seeds received a double bye to the semifinals while the No. 3 and 4 seeds earned a single bye to the quarterfinals (a system that has been used since 2003 in the West Coast Conference). The first round matched the No. 5/8 and No. 6/7 seeds[2] The top eight eligible men's basketball teams in the Ohio Valley Conference received berths in the conference tournament. After the 16-game conference season, teams were seeded by conference record. The winner earns an automatic berth in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

(09-20-2012 07:56 AM)wkuhilltopperfan Wrote:  I don't mind he drive to hot springs, but I've only been able to make it there once and I never miss these events if that tell anything. The attendance numbers have been poor to sucky at best since its been there and that won't change anytime soon as long as its held there. I agree that Hot Springs was hospitable but for the most part I was boarded outa my mind since most everything is closed due to not being in season for attractions. They need that off season income, Thats why they want us there so bad

The attendance figures were so inflated it was comical.

Now.......... I guess the tickets could have been "sold".

But "butts in seats" rarely met half what was announced. I could hand-count fans at many of the games.

Unless we kick out schools east of the big muddy there is no such thing as a location that is not too far away for a number of schools.

I know at least one school official complained about distance to Hot Springs and was asked for alternates and promptly suggested two sites even further from the school. So keep in mind that the people representing your interests may be geographically challenged.

(09-20-2012 12:24 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Unless we kick out schools east of the big muddy there is no such thing as a location that is not too far away for a number of schools.

I know at least one school official complained about distance to Hot Springs and was asked for alternates and promptly suggested two sites even further from the school. So keep in mind that the people representing your interests may be geographically challenged.

ken mcdummy is no longer at our school.

ray hoppah is......the hud of college hoops....a god.