RE: cusa bball tournament at 500 all session tickets?
Obviously, the biggest issue in this league is that it is simply way too spread out. UTEP and ODU have the best attendance, but they are conference polar opposites geographically. UTEP, in particular, is not drivable by any other fan base in the league (UTSA doesn't have a fan base). Last year, I went to the tournament. I remember landing for a layover in Dallas and, out of curiosity, I decided to see how much farther it was to El Paso. When I googled it, I quickly learned that I was still 600 miles away. I get that Texas is big, but El Paso is too far of an outlier (but, FWIW, I had a nice visit there). If the conference wants the tournament in El Paso because that's where they'll get maximum attendance, the conference has to be comfortable with the fact that the championship is only going to be played in front of UTEP fans and on UTEP's home court.
Charlotte, on the other hand, it closer to ODU, Marshall, and UAB, than El Paso is to UTSA. Further, it has a neutral arena that can be used. I know a bunch of ODU fans that would gladly make that trip down there (or Memphis or Nashville).
Undoubtedly, ODU fans were spoiled for many years in the CAA, as despite our constant complaints of dealing with VCU fans in their home city, it was always an easy weekend getaway. Since we never played in the Friday play-in games, ODU fans could drive up Friday night or Saturday morning, enjoy two days of basketball, and then drive home, and if needed, drive up Monday night after a shortened work day for the championship game.
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