(04-10-2017 09:11 PM)Someone_Else Wrote: No, although Wichita would love it, IBA only holds 14K. Wichita fans would travel in large numbers to Tulsa and Dallas though. Houston would be more of a stretch.
Only 14,000?
You are not from around these parts, are ya?
Over the last 3 AAC Tournaments (twice Hartford, once Orlando), the number of games played in front of 5,000 or more actual fans can be counted on one hand (actually, on 3-4 fingers).
Unlike Wichita State, almost NO ONE "travels" for this tournament, hence the need to rely on 90% or more local fan base to show up.
If Wichita's new City Arena puts in a competitive bid, odds are they will host a Tournament in the future.
I can also see Cinci put in a future bid to hold it in their renovated on campus arena once completed too.
Orlando will certainly benefit from Wichita State fans traveling to their first AAC Tournament (a slightly more fun and warmer location than St Louis) and those WSU fans will see how "small" most traveling fan bases are (,even though for some like UCONN, thousands of their alumni now live in FL so they don't even need to travel far to attend).
Only 14,000 seats a concern?
Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS (15,004 capacity)