Looks like the City of Pensacola is lobbying hard to attract the Sun Belt Conference to move the men's/women's basketball tournament there. I like it.

https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/02/0...678602002/

Quote:The Pensacola Bay Center could get $890,000 worth of upgrades if the Sun Belt Conference selects the site for its college basketball conference.

The Sun Belt Conference is searching for a new home for its men's and women's college basketball championship tournament. Visit Pensacola, Pensacola Sports and the Bay Center management company ASM Global, formerly known as SMG, have been working to bring the Sun Belt tournament to Pensacola.

Ray Palmer, president of Pensacola Sports, told the Escambia County Commission on Thursday morning that the Bay Center is a top contender for the NCAA Division 1 conference, but the county, which owns the Bay Center, would have to guarantee the upgrades before the city could be selected as the tournament host

"It's not ours until we get something inked, quite frankly," Palmer told the commission.

The proposed upgrades include a new scoreboard with shot clocks and controls for $560,000, new Wi-Fi upgrades for $125,000 spread out over five years, locker room upgrades for $125,000 and $80,000 for a digital scorer's table.

However, Sun Belt won't move forward without a guarantee from the county that the upgrades will happen.

While the long-term future of the Bay Center remains an outstanding item, commissioners voiced support for the idea of the upgrades to attract the tournament. They voted 3-0 Thursday evening to approve the concept, pledging up to $900,000 in tourist development tax funds for the upgrades if other sources of money can't be found.

If Sun Belt selects Pensacola, Commissioners said they hoped it would lead to more events in the future.

"It seems as if the improvements have mass appeal," Commission Chairman Steven Barry said. "... It's not as if we're engraving the Sun Belt logo on the top of the Bay Center or something. What we're expending has a utility by all people that utilize it."

The PBC looks odd for Bball.

It won't be much different from Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.



vs.



When the Harlem Globetrotters came to Pensacola Bay Center, there was actually a larger section of seating behind the goals. Could be the same setup for the basketball tournament. Either way, it's all the same as before.

Quote:he basketball setup in the Pensacola Bay Center actually has floor seating behind each goal, whereas the Lakefront Arena setup didn't.

Yeh, looks like a single row of chairs. Hope it's more of a bleacher situation instead.

(02-13-2020 12:30 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

Quote:he basketball setup in the Pensacola Bay Center actually has floor seating behind each goal, whereas the Lakefront Arena setup didn't.

Yeh, looks like a single row of chairs. Hope it's more of a bleacher situation instead.

They might move in some bleachers, but even if it's just chairs, it's no different than the single row or two of chairs we had at Lakefront Arena.

Besides, no one is going to sit in bleachers behind the goals if they can avoid it. So it would probably look better on ESPN to not have empty bleachers at each end. The best seats for all ticketholders is obviously on the side stands. I like how the Lakefront Arena setup was for TV, so this will probably be the same.

I'm sure there will be seating behind the hoops come tournament time...and there is more than enough seating on the sides...it's not like it will get sold out anyway...unless SBC BBall has a year where a couple of teams make the finals that are really good...possible rivalry game would help.

If it's in Pensacola for five years then I hope it's in Atlanta for a few years after that. Then can rotate back to NOLA or Hot Springs or what not

I know that we're all as fans wanting the nicest venue we can find for the basketball tournament. But paying to rent a nice arena when you average 850 for your basketball tournament isn't a good idea

I still think using home sites is the way to go...

(02-13-2020 01:35 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  I know that we're all as fans wanting the nicest venue we can find for the basketball tournament.

I think most fans would prefer location over venue. Pensacola is a pretty nice location (although I'm biased due to proximity to Mobile) with a very nice and walkable downtown and awesome beaches. Enough for traveling fans to see/do when not watching basketball.

(02-13-2020 01:00 PM)kb325 Wrote:  I'm sure there will be seating behind the hoops come tournament time...and there is more than enough seating on the sides...it's not like it will get sold out anyway...unless SBC BBall has a year where a couple of teams make the finals that are really good...possible rivalry game would help.

Any Troy vs. USA matchup will be well-attended. If both teams are having good seasons, then the attendance will be really good. Lots of alumni from both schools in the area, and short drive for the hometown folks.

This is class A stupid if we do this.

(02-13-2020 02:13 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  This is class A stupid if we do this.

In what regard? It's better than New Orleans having 100-150 people in the stands.


With only two rounds being played at a neutral site it's better if the location is more toward the center of the conference. Only the four outlier schools have a long drive to Pensacola. UTA, TxSt, AppSt, CCU all have around a 10 hour drive. Everyone else is less than 8 hour drive. That's wildly better than NOLA.

(02-13-2020 02:13 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  This is class A stupid if we do this.

Why? What makes this any different from New Orleans?

Great location, great arena, may have better attendance. Will most likely have greater local support from the Pensacola community than the NOLA community.

Direct flights to Pensacola International Airport from Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas (for Georgia State, App State, and UTA fans).

Lots of things to do in Pensacola and the surrounding area in March.

Sounds like a win to me.

I'm not sure if its a good move or bad move.

But I just can't imagine anything being worse than what we've had in the past in New Orleans.

(02-13-2020 02:45 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(02-13-2020 02:13 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  This is class A stupid if we do this.

Why? What makes this any different from New Orleans?

Great location, great arena, may have better attendance. Will most likely have greater local support from the Pensacola community than the NOLA community.

Direct flights to Pensacola International Airport from Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas (for Georgia State, App State, and UTA fans).

Lots of things to do in Pensacola and the surrounding area in March.

Sounds like a win to me.

Because it should be on the campus(es) of the schools in our conference.

Any off campus venue is beyond dumb and has been proven to be beyond dumb.

(02-13-2020 03:00 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  

(02-13-2020 02:45 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(02-13-2020 02:13 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  This is class A stupid if we do this.

Why? What makes this any different from New Orleans?

Great location, great arena, may have better attendance. Will most likely have greater local support from the Pensacola community than the NOLA community.

Direct flights to Pensacola International Airport from Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas (for Georgia State, App State, and UTA fans).

Lots of things to do in Pensacola and the surrounding area in March.

Sounds like a win to me.

Because it should be on the campus(es) of the schools in our conference.

Any off campus venue is beyond dumb and has been proven to be beyond dumb.

Talk to your AD and president because the schools are the ones not wanting to go campus sites.

(02-13-2020 03:34 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(02-13-2020 03:00 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  

(02-13-2020 02:45 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(02-13-2020 02:13 PM)CoastalAlum2011 Wrote:  This is class A stupid if we do this.

Why? What makes this any different from New Orleans?

Great location, great arena, may have better attendance. Will most likely have greater local support from the Pensacola community than the NOLA community.

Direct flights to Pensacola International Airport from Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas (for Georgia State, App State, and UTA fans).

Lots of things to do in Pensacola and the surrounding area in March.

Sounds like a win to me.

Because it should be on the campus(es) of the schools in our conference.

Any off campus venue is beyond dumb and has been proven to be beyond dumb.

Talk to your AD and president because the schools are the ones not wanting to go campus sites.

Ok. Then they’re the dumb ones. Whoever is being dumb, it’s still dumb.

I think, and I could be wrong here, but I think CoastalAlum thinks this is dumb.

I am 100% not on board with on-campus semi and final matches for BBall. I like how the opening rounds are not at a neutral site. But not having at least the semi and final at a neutral location is busch league.

(02-13-2020 03:45 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  But not having at least the semi and final at a neutral location is busch league.

I agree 100%.

However, having 200 people in the stands for the semis and finals is also bush league.

Order of preference:
1. Neutral site with people in the stands
2. Campus sites with people in the stands
3. Neutral site with nobody in the stands
4. Campus sites with nobody in the stands.

What's the highest of those 4 milestones we can achieve? We're at 3 right now. I'll love the move to Pensacola if people show up for the tourney there.