03-05-2012, 10:29 PM
FarmDad--
I think the bigger issue is that no one but Stanford and Gonzaga are bidding to host; I think none of the Pac-12 teams are confident enough of making the tourney year to year to take the risk of a "neutral" pod coming to their site and losing money. Tara mentioned that she didn't understand why UCB didn't bid to host, though given their AD mismanagement, I wouldn't put it down to anything other than incompetence. Actually, the NCAA did announce today that the 2014 sites won't be announced until spring 2013, rather than fall 2012 as has been the normal timeframe. Maybe they're trying to figure out more likely top-4 hosts.
I wish Stanford would take a page out of Gonzaga and UConn's book: find a semi-local team like Santa Clara to "host", as UConn does with Fairfield and other CT schools, and either aboveboard or below guarantee their ticket sales. The fact that the Spokane Regional is "hosted" by WSU (75 miles away vs. Gonzaga's about 3 miles from the arena) shows that the system can be played, I think. Though SCU's facility may not make the minimum size requirement.
Does anybody have any info on "neutral" vs. home hosting attendance figures on the West Coast? Wasn't the one at SC a few years back lucky to get 2000 in attendance?
But all in all, until ESPN changes its mind on pre-determined sites, I don't foresee a lot of change. They're calling the shots.
VG
I think the bigger issue is that no one but Stanford and Gonzaga are bidding to host; I think none of the Pac-12 teams are confident enough of making the tourney year to year to take the risk of a "neutral" pod coming to their site and losing money. Tara mentioned that she didn't understand why UCB didn't bid to host, though given their AD mismanagement, I wouldn't put it down to anything other than incompetence. Actually, the NCAA did announce today that the 2014 sites won't be announced until spring 2013, rather than fall 2012 as has been the normal timeframe. Maybe they're trying to figure out more likely top-4 hosts.
I wish Stanford would take a page out of Gonzaga and UConn's book: find a semi-local team like Santa Clara to "host", as UConn does with Fairfield and other CT schools, and either aboveboard or below guarantee their ticket sales. The fact that the Spokane Regional is "hosted" by WSU (75 miles away vs. Gonzaga's about 3 miles from the arena) shows that the system can be played, I think. Though SCU's facility may not make the minimum size requirement.
Does anybody have any info on "neutral" vs. home hosting attendance figures on the West Coast? Wasn't the one at SC a few years back lucky to get 2000 in attendance?
But all in all, until ESPN changes its mind on pre-determined sites, I don't foresee a lot of change. They're calling the shots.
VG