Delta State outdrew 5 schools in this conference (including WKU) this year. Think about it.

Here's my big issue. You keep arguing that it would help the fans of those schools attend because of proximity, but those schools' fans don't attend their home games! Why would they go to Nashville when they don't go to their own games?


I think what personifies this whole debate is what one poster above said. They won't go to Biloxi, but, as a MTSU fan, they might go to a game if it's in Nashville. MIGHT. That's why it doesn't need to be in Nashville. We aren't catering a baseball tournament to the mights.

For the same reason that we (Rice) DON'T bid to host the MBB tournament (attendance) - we should be in the once every 2-3 year rotation for baseball. Same for USM.

After the 2 years in Biloxi, I wouldn't be surprised if Rice hosts it 2-3 years in a row. Which would be fine, considering they haven't hosted since 2013 and the tourney will have been in Mississippi 7 of 8 years by 2019.

(06-05-2016 10:33 PM)eaglenjxn Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 09:50 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  Allright, wise acres, I'll concede MT and Western both sucked this year. And UAB has it's own share of woe. But, bringing the tourney to Nashville also brings it closer to Charlotte, ODU, and Marshall, by about a zillion miles. As far as who goes to the tourney every year, every dog has his day. And Biloxi should not have exclusive rights to baseball anymore than B'Ham should always get the Basketball tourney. It is just bad business!

Let me try to put this into basketball terms for you.

What you are saying is the equivalent of a Rice fan suggesting that the basketball tournament be moved to Houston because it is their city and it is still a tolerable distance for UTSA, North Texas, USM, and LA Tech fans.

But I like Houston

(06-05-2016 11:36 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  After the 2 years in Biloxi, I wouldn't be surprised if Rice hosts it 2-3 years in a row. Which would be fine, considering they haven't hosted since 2013 and the tourney will have been in Mississippi 7 of 8 years by 2019.

Will get more Tech fans in Texas!

(06-05-2016 12:52 PM)Theflash Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 11:49 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think Biloxi is a good spot for it. USM supports baseball very well and it is a good late spring destination since it is on the coast.

Few people are going to travel for a baseball tournament anyway, so might as well stick it near USM or Rice so at least a few games will be well attended.

I agree here. I'm A baseball fan, and I'd love for it to be in Nashville, but it needs to stay near to where it is. WKU has very little fan support, and I assume Middle is the same way. Now, basketball on the other hand....

I'm in agreement for the most part with the wku fan. In a few years, things can change, but coming off the lousy season we've had I really think having it in Nashville would be a disaster. What if both wku and MT missed out on the tourney again? Even if both were in it, don't think having it in Nashville, instead of either campus would be successful.

(06-05-2016 07:03 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  Should rotate between Reckling and PTP. Biloxi is OK, but I don't think the Coast will support it that well. USM outdraws the Shuckers.

Dunno.. 2015 was an off-year considering that many of the early games had to be played in other parks while it was being finished.

2015 attendance for the Shuckers: 164,076 / 137 games - so it's not bad.. not great, not bad though

Now back to the point at hand... I'm not going to trash one-city over the other, but I will say if Nashville wants the tournament.. bid for it. Houston, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, etc. they all had to put in bids for the tournament.

I love how some people want to trash a city so bad because their own city wouldn't bit on the tournament.

I'm looking at the attendance stats for 2016, they are at about 2500 for this season.

(06-05-2016 11:16 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  Here's my big issue. You keep arguing that it would help the fans of those schools attend because of proximity, but those schools' fans don't attend their home games! Why would they go to Nashville when they don't go to their own games?


I think what personifies this whole debate is what one poster above said. They won't go to Biloxi, but, as a MTSU fan, they might go to a game if it's in Nashville. MIGHT. That's why it doesn't need to be in Nashville. We aren't catering a baseball tournament to the mights.

VERY WELL PUT. I can understand some of the fans debate as Marshall and La Tech were both predicted to finish near the bottom but both finished in the top 5...HOWEVER, if fans aren't attending games at their home parks what makes you think they will attend tournament games that are midweek and at odd hours at times (this year's tournament games on Thursday had a 9:00 am start and a 9:00 pm start). Just like basketball, if the host "city" wants to put up the guarantee and take a chance on making their money back then go right ahead a bid on it. This past CUSA tournament USM/Hattiesburg made bank on it due to the fan attendance. Just using the USM games there was on average 3k fans a game and with ticket prices ($15 chairback, $10 GA, $8 youth, and $5 students) on an average costing $10, USM's 4 games had around 12k total. That's approx $120k on ticket sales alone not to mention parking and concessions. Once you throw in the games/sessions NOT involving USM and attendance was still near/above 1000 each so those 4 sessions were another 4,000 fans and $40k in ticket sales on average. If Nashville wants to bid in excess of $50k and take a chance on breaking even go ahead. And someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I "believe but not 100% sure" that CUSA gets a percentage of the profits on top of the $50k guarantee. I just don't see CUSA moving the tournament to Nashville in hopes that fans of teams that draw less than 1000 "might" attend.

**the $50k bid/guarantee is an approximate dollar amount. I know back around 2009 or so it was in the 35-40K range so I'd assume in the 7 years since it probably has gone up**. And considering USM has hosted it multiple times recently I wouldn't be surprised if we bid 10-15K more than that just to help our chances in getting it as it is usually a decent money maker for us and Hattiesburg.

(06-05-2016 06:24 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 11:37 AM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  And, MT, WKU, and UAB are all within very close proximity to draw Fans!

Didn't the three teams mentioned as being within driving distance suck so bad that they missed out on the conference tournament this year? What is this guy smoking?

I attended EVERY game of the tourney this year. Outside of USM and Rice, there were no more than 250 fans TOTAL from other teams. 150 of those were La Tech and 50 from Marshall.

Too bad WKU, MTSU, and UAB were not there. They would have really packed 'em in...

Hey, I know! Let's move the tournament closer to the teams that don't make the tournament!

Yeah even if we were somewhat good, you're going to have maybe 40 UAB fans go to the tournament. More if we make the championship game, just not a well followed sport in our state.

As far as Biloxi being small, I will just say that Biloxi has more than enough hotel rooms and restaurants to handle the few CUSA baseball fans that will travel to the tournament. I have no problem going to Nashville, but to say Biloxi is too small is a joke.

(06-05-2016 11:49 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think Biloxi is a good spot for it. USM supports baseball very well and it is a good late spring destination since it is on the coast.

Few people are going to travel for a baseball tournament anyway, so might as well stick it near USM or Rice so at least a few games will be well attended.

Simple solution is rotating the tourney around to all the baseball schools requiring the host to pay the league $100,000.

(06-06-2016 06:19 PM)eager eagle Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 11:49 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think Biloxi is a good spot for it. USM supports baseball very well and it is a good late spring destination since it is on the coast.

Few people are going to travel for a baseball tournament anyway, so might as well stick it near USM or Rice so at least a few games will be well attended.

Simple solution is rotating the tourney around to all the baseball schools requiring the host to pay the league $100,000.

Excellent solution!

(06-06-2016 06:39 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  

(06-06-2016 06:19 PM)eager eagle Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 11:49 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think Biloxi is a good spot for it. USM supports baseball very well and it is a good late spring destination since it is on the coast.

Few people are going to travel for a baseball tournament anyway, so might as well stick it near USM or Rice so at least a few games will be well attended.

Simple solution is rotating the tourney around to all the baseball schools requiring the host to pay the league $100,000.

Excellent solution!

Expand that round robin format to include basketball ($300,000), softball ($75,000), womens basketball ($125,000), and all other sports ($50,000 each). Require each school to field a team in each of the major sports and increase these amats by $10,000 annually for the next five years. Football playoff rules remain the same. Time to pee or get off the pot.

The tournament should be rotated through Hattiesburg/Biloxi, Houston, and New Orleans.

(06-06-2016 08:25 PM)RonBurgundy Wrote:  The tournament should be rotated through Hattiesburg/Biloxi, Houston, and New Orleans.

No, that is unfair to outlying members. Each one is a conference member and deserve the tourneys, etc at their place on a rotating basis whereby their fans can enjoy the competition. UTEP folks cant go to FAU in any significant number. Old Dominion people wont show up at UTSA, etc. Home field on rotating basis is way to go. Let host team arrange for housing, etc. and put on their show for their fans. Everyone gets their turn.

(06-07-2016 08:12 AM)eager eagle Wrote:  

(06-06-2016 08:25 PM)RonBurgundy Wrote:  The tournament should be rotated through Hattiesburg/Biloxi, Houston, and New Orleans.

No, that is unfair to outlying members. Each one is a conference member and deserve the tourneys, etc at their place on a rotating basis whereby their fans can enjoy the competition. UTEP folks cant go to FAU in any significant number. Old Dominion people wont show up at UTSA, etc. Home field on rotating basis is way to go. Let host team arrange for housing, etc. and put on their show for their fans. Everyone gets their turn.

UTEP doesn't have baseball. And if they can have the basketball tournament in El Paso where it's almost exclusively UTEP fans, why not easy to fly places like New Orleans and Houston? Maybe add in Charlotte for the northeastern schools.

(06-06-2016 07:20 PM)eager eagle Wrote:  

(06-06-2016 06:39 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  

(06-06-2016 06:19 PM)eager eagle Wrote:  

(06-05-2016 11:49 AM)Niner National Wrote:  I think Biloxi is a good spot for it. USM supports baseball very well and it is a good late spring destination since it is on the coast.

Few people are going to travel for a baseball tournament anyway, so might as well stick it near USM or Rice so at least a few games will be well attended.

Simple solution is rotating the tourney around to all the baseball schools requiring the host to pay the league $100,000.

Excellent solution!

Expand that round robin format to include basketball ($300,000), softball ($75,000), womens basketball ($125,000), and all other sports ($50,000 each). Require each school to field a team in each of the major sports and increase these amats by $10,000 annually for the next five years. Football playoff rules remain the same. Time to pee or get off the pot.

Sounds good in theory, but that is how you end up with junior high attendance at tourneys and championship games.

LOL, he said northeastern schools.