Summit League Tourney

[Hammersmith]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Sioux Falls should be forever banned from every hosting the tourney again due to the horrible webcasting abilities of the Sioux Falls Arena.

Kidding.


Mostly.

[NightHawk78]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Hope you guys don't get used to it being in SF. Only reason Fargo didnt put in a bid was the Dome was already scheduled but there is plenty of talk about bringing it to Fargo and also don't forget that ORU won't just lay down and accept that the tourney won't be happening down south again. Sioux Falls will not become the regular spot for the Summit tourney. Nice for them they got it but if anything it should be in one of the cities of where a Summit league team plays and Sioux Falls just isn't one of them no matter how close SDSU is to it.

The tournament has to be played on a "neutral" court and several of the conference schools do not have another suitable basketball facility in their home town. In addition, several schools are located in towns that likely do have the desired amenities to host a tournament. It's not fair to the rest of the conference to say that only Fargo, Tulsa, KC, Oakland, and Indianapolis can host the tournament . . . besides, the numbers don't lie: people in Sioux Falls are actually supporting the tournament. SDSU would have played in front of about 500 today if they were in Tulsa or KC or Oakland . . .

Besides, having the tourney in Sioux Falls is lot more favorable for the Bison than playing in Tulsa . . .

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Sioux Falls should be forever banned from every hosting the tourney again due to the horrible webcasting abilities of the Sioux Falls Arena.

Kidding.


Mostly.

Did you see the webcast broadcast from the SDSU/NDSU women's game from Fargo?

Kidding.

Mostly.

[bisonbacker]

Re: Summit League Tourney

The tournament has to be played on a "neutral" court and several of the conference schools do not have another suitable basketball facility in their home town. In addition, several schools are located in towns that likely do have the desired amenities to host a tournament. It's not fair to the rest of the conference to say that only Fargo, Tulsa, KC, Oakland, and Indianapolis can host the tournament . . . besides, the numbers don't lie: people in Sioux Falls are actually supporting the tournament. SDSU would have played in front of about 500 today if they were in Tulsa or KC or Oakland . . .

Besides, having the tourney in Sioux Falls is lot more favorable for the Bison than playing in Tulsa . . .

FargoDome is a Nuetral court. Numbers don't lie either and that is that Fargo would sellout the tourney no problems.

[Hammersmith]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Unless they completely botch something other than the webcast in the next couple days, SF will be getting the next bid. I expect the Summit will insist on some improvements to the media capabilities(the ORU announcers were complaining as they finished their broadcast - didn't make themselves sound very good), but this tourney is probably going to make the Summit more money than the last few combined.

[EQguy]

Re: Summit League Tourney

It was reported in Terry's blog this week that the previous high in corp sponsorships was 55K, this year it was $292K. I would guess Fargo could outdo that but beyond that what city is going to fork over that much to get this tourney. Add in USD in 5 years and I'm guessing you would only multiply the corps trying to get in.

[EQguy]

Re: Summit League Tourney

By the way. Our pep band got crushed today. If I had to rate what I heard today it would go like this.

1. Oakland - great song list, had set cheers, were plugged in the entire time.
2. Bison - they were just into the game the whole time, don't really remember any of the songs they played.
3. ORU - again, great song list and were into the game, only negative is they had a 50 year old guitar player.
4. SDSU - excellent musicianship but they were the only band that appeared to think the game was there for them.
5. UMKC - not much there but they had one great trumpet player. had a decent song list.

[zooropa]

Re: Summit League Tourney

3. ORU - again, great song list and were into the game, only negative is they had a 50 year old guitar player.

Re: ORU 'guitar player'

I was sitting up in A section with a couple friends and these two people with 'Participant' passes come and sit down in front of us.... I'm thinking "WBB" because they're here instead of in the locker room, but then the guy is explaining to the girl he's with about one and ones--anyway shortly before the end of the Bison/Gents game they politely excuse themselves (we'd been talking about this and that--Centenary's odds of winning--them getting into foul trouble to get back in the game, etc.).....


Later on, we're listening to the ORU pep-band and talking about how great their bass player was (the brass? not so impressed by them), but the bassist--holy crap was he good.....

Anyway, camera cuts to the bass player and it's the guy that was sitting in front of us.....

He looked to be in his 40s, and was easily the class of the outfit.

Other discoveries:

The NDSU pep-band conductor looks like George Armstrong Custer

Thundar has a mullet.



--

p.s. Wasn't terribly impressed with the Bison pep band, but they did bring tubas! And they 'played' music during the game by yelling in unison. That was cool.

[mango4]

Re: Summit League Tourney

By the way. Our pep band got crushed today. If I had to rate what I heard today it would go like this.

1. Oakland - great song list, had set cheers, were plugged in the entire time.
2. Bison - they were just into the game the whole time, don't really remember any of the songs they played.
3. ORU - again, great song list and were into the game, only negative is they had a 50 year old guitar player.
4. SDSU - excellent musicianship but they were the only band that appeared to think the game was there for them.
5. UMKC - not much there but they had one great trumpet player. had a decent song list.

I was digging the UMKC band, they didn't have much but they brought it today. Not a fan of the Oakland band, too much yelling and repeating the same stuff over and over instead of playing actual music

[Jacks-02]

Re: Summit League Tourney

UMKC band played Family Guy and old school Mario Bros. theme music. Mass props! Was awesome!

[zooropa]

Re: Summit League Tourney

old school Mario Bros. theme music

I -think- ORU does that one too. I -think- I heard it during the ORU/SDSU game the other Thursday.








Of course they won't be doing it again until next November

[JimmyJack]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Hope you guys don't get used to it being in SF. Only reason Fargo didnt put in a bid was the Dome was already scheduled but there is plenty of talk about bringing it to Fargo and also don't forget that ORU won't just lay down and accept that the tourney won't be happening down south again. Sioux Falls will not become the regular spot for the Summit tourney. Nice for them they got it but if anything it should be in one of the cities of where a Summit league team plays and Sioux Falls just isn't one of them no matter how close SDSU is to it.

ORU couldn't get the sponsorship dollars. Having lived in Oklahoma, I can tell you they're not that big a deal there. The Tulsa World, for example, covers OU and OSU a lot more than ORU.

Regarding Fargo: I don't doubt for a minute that Fargo could host and do a great job of collecting corporate sponsors. But after this, it's going to cost a lot more than $300,000 in corporate sponsorships.

Personally, I'd be happy if Fargo and Sioux Falls trade the thing back and forth every couple of years in perpetuity.

[joeboo22]

Re: Summit League Tourney

ORU couldn't get the sponsorship dollars. Having lived in Oklahoma, I can tell you they're not that big a deal there. The Tulsa World, for example, covers OU and OSU a lot more than ORU.

Regarding Fargo: I don't doubt for a minute that Fargo could host and do a great job of collecting corporate sponsors. But after this, it's going to cost a lot more than $300,000 in corporate sponsorships.

Personally, I'd be happy if Fargo and Sioux Falls trade the thing back and forth every couple of years in perpetuity.

Can the Fargodome bid it though? considering they play there football games there... and they are building an arena as part of the complex..... It would be like if USD builds a new arena and then can bid the tournament to be played in the dome.... I know that they have a hockey arena but I don't know how big that is..... I know its not considered as on campus but I don't know.... also who the heck would want to watch basketball in the FargoDome.... if it was so good why doesn't NDSU play there games there now because the high school gymnasium that they play in now isn't what i'd call great.... I do like the arena that they are planning as part of the fargodome though....

The arena isn't that bad, I was surprised how well it looked.... there really isn't a bad seat in the house (there really isn't a great one either though)..... Considering that they were talking pretty bad weather that really didn't show up and that Centenary and ORU are a ways away I was happy with the crowd size.... The video board was nice but hurt my eyes pretty bad,they still hurt..... I know that it didn't look that full, but you have to remember each school has to get 50 tickets so thats 500 right there.... plus the coaches, players and personal get passes that may or may not be used....

Do give some credit to the band it is spring break and to ask them to stay around and go to basketball game over doing something fun is a lot to ask....

One thing I wish is that they would try to figure out a student section..... I know that they kinda formed one in the balcony but still it wasn't great....

Terry has reported that the only other venue he has heard considering was a newer complex in Quad Cities (I think Moline IL).....

The one thing I guess I dislike about this going so good so far is it'll make people in Sioux Falls think that there arena is fine for another 10 years and just push back the plans for a new arena that they need.

[Hammersmith]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Just to reiterate, even if Fargo builds the arena addition to the Fargodome, it won't be able to host the tourney because it will be NDSU's home court. We talked to the Summit officials about this during the 2004 site visit. As long as we don't play more than 40% or 50% of our home games on a particular court(not building), that court is considered neutral. Even if the arena were to be built, the main floor of the Fargodome would be considered a separate, and neutral, court.

There are several reasons we don't use the FD for games instead of the BSA. First among them is cost. The BSA is "free", the FD would require rent. Also, the FD is very busy for an events center. The facility has about 90-100 event-days per year; most of those on weekends. I haven't checked, but I bet there were conflicts on at least one third of this season's home games. Finally, the FD sucks as a BB venue unless it's reasonably filled; say over 6,000. Only ORU and SDSU would've brought in that kind of crowd even considering the 1,000 bump in attendance that would come from comfortable seats and better concessions and restrooms. Some have suggested moving one to three big games to the FD each year(as part of a 2/3 for 1 with a high major, perhaps), but that would negate most of the home court advantage for the team. From a shooting/comfort factor, it would be an away game for the Bison players.

The UP Center hosting the tourney isn't a bad idea, but it's a little small and out in the middle of nowhere in a way. There are tons of hotels in the area, and a few restaurants, but the only practice court nearby is in West Fargo's new 9th grade school. The next closest facilities are about 3-5 miles away(West Fargo middle school, WF high school, the catholic HS/MS, and Fargo's newest HS that will start construction this spring). The UP Center is literally on the opposite side of Fargo from NDSU.

[jackmd]

Re: Summit League Tourney

Updates on the games tonight are appreciated. I couldn't make it up there tonight and I'll be in the office.