Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

That would be a huge "get" for the city.Should have a bigger facility for it, maybe this would help push the idea of a bigger events center through.

I've actually been thinking about this a bit, and I think the involved parties are pretty smart. As long as we continue to get events, it will not push a bigger events center, it will hinder those efforts.

This could ramble a bit, stay with me...

Sioux Falls landed the Summit Tourney with great success, media coverage, and good revenue for the city and businesses. Is this a sign that Sioux Falls needs a new arena? Not at all, rather it is a sign that the current Arena is sufficient--and that's exactly what all the fuddy duddies are thinking.

Sioux Falls applies for first round Women's Tournament game--with good media coverage given for SIMPLY APPLYING. Let's say they get it and it is a big success, media coverage, and good revenue for the city and businesses. Is this a sign that Sioux Falls needs a new arena? Not at all, rather it is a sign that the current Arena is sufficient--and that's exactly what all the fuddy duddies are thinking.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Until one day, Sioux Falls applies for a first round Men's game or other large enticing event. Local media is really going crazy now, we've always gotten these events before, and this time it's going to mean huge revenues for city and local businesses in difficult economic times, national media spotlight on South Dakota, etc, etc, etc.

Only this time, we get turned down because of a "too small arena." Not only that, but the selection committee makes public statements to local media (who are heartbroken after all their previous coverage) like, "We loved the City of Sioux Falls and everything it had to offer, the arena is just too small. With a bigger arena, your city would have been our number one choice."

Now what do you think the fuddy duddies are thinking? "The arena has been proven to be subpar for the types of events we are entitled to, we better build a bigger arena."

Alakazzam, new arena.

[Nidaros]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

I've actually been thinking about this a bit, and I think the involved parties are pretty smart. As long as we continue to get events, it will not push a bigger events center, it will hinder those efforts.

This could ramble a bit, stay with me...

Sioux Falls landed the Summit Tourney with great success, media coverage, and good revenue for the city and businesses. Is this a sign that Sioux Falls needs a new arena? Not at all, rather it is a sign that the current Arena is sufficient--and that's exactly what all the fuddy duddies are thinking.

Sioux Falls applies for first round Women's Tournament game--with good media coverage given for SIMPLY APPLYING. Let's say they get it and it is a big success, media coverage, and good revenue for the city and businesses. Is this a sign that Sioux Falls needs a new arena? Not at all, rather it is a sign that the current Arena is sufficient--and that's exactly what all the fuddy duddies are thinking.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Until one day, Sioux Falls applies for a first round Men's game or other large enticing event. Local media is really going crazy now, we've always gotten these events before, and this time it's going to mean huge revenues for city and local businesses in difficult economic times, national media spotlight on South Dakota, etc, etc, etc.

Only this time, we get turned down because of a "too small arena." Not only that, but the selection committee makes public statements to local media (who are heartbroken after all their previous coverage) like, "We loved the City of Sioux Falls and everything it had to offer, the arena is just too small. With a bigger arena, your city would have been our number one choice."

Now what do you think the fuddy duddies are thinking? "The arena has been proven to be subpar for the types of events we are entitled to, we better build a bigger arena."

Alakazzam, new arena.

and one day you look in the mirror and find a fuddy duddy seriously a new events center with tax money is always going to be a hard sell.

[joeboo22]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

The NCAA does tend to keep a fairly regional profile to the pairings (three Texas teams at Lubbock, etc.) which helps.

Also, attendance for the IUPUI/IPFW & Oakland/UMKC games were certainly respectable and definitely better than attendance at some of the NCAA first (and SECOND!!) round games.

I know they try but there isn't too many local teams in relations to Sioux Falls..... As far as conference tournaments, I don't know if you can judge by those, many of them had all session passes and just nothing else to do other then watch it.....

[zooropa]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

I know they try but there isn't too many local teams in relations to Sioux Falls..... As far as conference tournaments, I don't know if you can judge by those, many of them had all session passes and just nothing else to do other then watch it.....

Minnesota, Iowa, and Iowa State all made the tournament last year. All have solid following in the area and Minnesota at least is a good school for fan support. Throw Creighton into the mix---or maybe Kansas or K-State..... And at any rate, a conference auto qualifier like say a Texas-San Antonio shouldn't draw worse than an IPFW/IUPUI matchup assuming there's a marquee team in the pod because you'll be able to buy all session passes for these games as well, and they're likely to be cheaper since there's only three games (not seven)

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

and one day you look in the mirror and find a fuddy duddy seriously a new events center with tax money is always going to be a hard sell.

Some people would argue that I already am a fuddy duddy...

Yeah, it's always going to be a tough sell, but the main point of my post is that landing events is not a reason for a new events center. I just kind of chuckle at posts along the lines of, "Well, we landed the Summit Tourney, maybe that will get the people of SF thinking about a new arena."

[Nidaros]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

Some people would argue that I already am a fuddy duddy...

Yeah, it's always going to be a tough sell, but the main point of my post is that landing events is not a reason for a new events center. I just kind of chuckle at posts along the lines of, "Well, we landed the Summit Tourney, maybe that will get the people of SF thinking about a new arena."

Sorry I did not read your post as closely as I should have. I guess this teaches me a lesson and tells me to make my own posts brief, as sometimes more often than not my posts are not read closely. Maybe too much ground to cover on this site.

I tend to agree with you though, that a new events center when if built will be some time down the road and maybe the old arena gets by for a few more years. My feeling about the event center is that they are trying to please too many different sport entities and groups which makes the task force's job unwielding.

[Yote53]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

I am not blasting on Sioux Falls because I think it is a very nice town, and they did a good job hosting the Summit League tourney and I think they would do an excellent job with a round of the WBB tourney, especially if the Jacks or the Yotes were in the field, but a MBB bid is way out of their league. SF likes to think it is really growing up, and it is growing, but it is nowhere near the level of Omaha, or even Des Moines. Heck, I could actually argue SF has barely passed Sioux City. With Omaha, Des Moines, and Minneapolis as relatively close alternatives with better airline access, no way SF gets a look from the NCAA. I think the WBB tourney may be a stretch just because of the lack of flights into SF versus Omaha, Des Moines, or other larger cities.

Spending major tax dollars on a new arena, especially right now, is crazy and will get a person voted out of office. Even in boom times that would be a tough sell, but now, forget it.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

It may be the people that I "hang" with, but I have perceived a noticeable change in regard to the idea of a new event center. It may change when an actual plan comes out, but most people I talk to have a 'just get it done already!' attitude. I think most people realize that the SF Arena is old and no longer meets the current needs of the city. In fact the comment I most often hear is that delaying it will only add to the cost and we could really use the construction jobs right now. Again, this may change when the details are released, but I think they need to get this out and moving forward right away.

[SiouxFallsJack]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

It may be the people that I "hang" with, but I have perceived a noticeable change in regard to the idea of a new event center. It may change when an actual plan comes out, but most people I talk to have a 'just get it done already!' attitude. I think most people realize that the SF Arena is old and no longer meets the current needs of the city. In fact the comment I most often hear is that delaying it will only add to the cost and we could really use the construction jobs right now. Again, this may change when the details are released, but I think they need to get this out and moving forward right away.

Excellent points 1stRow and I agree completely. How many more millions will be added to the cost each year we delay building a new events center? I'm to the point I could care less where it is built. I just want to see it done!

[zooropa]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

a MBB bid is way out of their league.

I've got two words for you:

Spokane

Boise

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Spokane hosts regional action in 2010. Boise hosted in 2009.

Spokane's metro is estimated at 460,000 & Boise's at 560,000.

Sioux Falls' metro is estimated at 234,000

However:

Spokane's DMA: 1,060,595
Sioux Falls DMA (Designated Market Area): 638,597
Boise DMA: 673,207
(source: http://www.tvnewsfans.com/default.aspx )

----

The 'Designated Market Area' is the population of an area that is reached by broadcast media from a designated city. Sioux Falls' DMA is, IMO, a more appropriate measure of its suitability as an NCAA venue than its MSA population.

The MSA population consists of counties where at least 60% of the working population is employed in the principal city (for Sioux Falls that includes Minnehaha, McCook, Lincoln, and Turner counties).

The DMA is more indicative of the total number of people who consider the principal city to be an attractive 'destination'. While lagging Spokane, Sioux Falls is comparable to Boise, and provided accommodations & facilities are up to snuff, what's good for the goose ought to be good for the gander.

[Yote53]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

I see your point, but I still think SF is stretching a bit here. By the standard you have set, because I know SF people like to bag on Sioux City, Sioux City's area consist of Woodbury, Plymouth, and Monona counties in iowa, Dakota county in Nebraska, and Union and even Caly counties in South Dakota. A pretty wide area. A lot of people there. I'm just saying. A lot of tax dollars spent. I think it would be great if SF could put it together, build an arena and host host events such as the MBB tourney, but I think it's a case of the eyes being larger than the stomach. It's a tough sell in hard economic times.


Spokane and Boise are out west as well, not as much regional competition like Omaha, Minneapolis, Des Moines, etc. To many other options for the NCAA.

[zooropa]

Re: Sioux Falls to bid for 2011 Women's NCAA first round

I see your point, but I still think SF is stretching a bit here. By the standard you have set, because I know SF people like to bag on Sioux City, Sioux City's area consist of Woodbury, Plymouth, and Monona counties in iowa, Dakota county in Nebraska, and Union and even Caly counties in South Dakota. A pretty wide area. A lot of people there. I'm just saying. A lot of tax dollars spent. I think it would be great if SF could put it together, build an arena and host host events such as the MBB tourney, but I think it's a case of the eyes being larger than the stomach. It's a tough sell in hard economic times.


Spokane and Boise are out west as well, not as much regional competition like Omaha, Minneapolis, Des Moines, etc. To many other options for the NCAA.

1) Sioux City's DMA is over 200k people smaller than SF's--it's also losing population.

2) Boise and Spokane also have far fewer nearby colleges and universities.

And as far as regional competition goes, do you think the NCAA liked getting stuck in the Metrodome instead of a basketball facility? We're not talking 60k+ @ the Championship, we're talking 15k crammed into a makeshift corner of the worst multipurpose venue between here and Pluto.

Besides all this, SF will probably have over 200k people, with over 300k in the metro & 700k in the DMA by the time they're in a position to bid on the NCAAs. We ain't getting a 15k+ events center for 5 years or more. The boosters can't fund it, and won't settle for less than 15k and the body politic is frankly not willing nor is the city's hospitality 'infrastructure' capable of supporting that now.