Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

There are 50,000 alumni and a ton of Minnesota kids on our teams, there is a local connection in Minneapolis. I don't think you guys have the right perspective on this, I've been two NDSU football games and of course the NCAA tournament in Minneapolis and it was amazing how many NDSU fans were there. Add in fans of the other three dakota schools and the town could be taken over. The media will cover local athletes and since the city doesn't get conference tournaments it would be unique.

I think it should be given a try. If it fails it is a two year deal and would never be tried again. What is the harm in that?

Why go to Minneapolis and experiment when you don't have too. I would rather see it in Grand Forks or Bismarck where I think the locals will get behind it because it's a big deal for the community than take it to Minneapolis where it won't be percieved as a quality entertainment option as most outside of alumni in the area have ever heard of the schools.

[FargoBison]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

There are 50,000 alumni and a ton of Minnesota kids on our teams, there is a local connection in Minneapolis. I don't think you guys have the right perspective on this, I've been two NDSU football games and of course the NCAA tournament in Minneapolis and it was amazing how many NDSU fans were there. Add in fans of the other three dakota schools and the town could be taken over. The media will cover local athletes and since the city doesn't get conference tournaments it would be unique.

I think it should be given a try. If it fails it is a two year deal and would never be tried again. What is the harm in that?

[valleyrabbit]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

I think I have said this before, but Sioux Falls is a perfect fit for the Summit. With USD being in the conference, that gives the league two schools and their alums with deep pockets in one state fighting for it. Don't think for a minute UND will fight for the tournament to be in Fargo if they get in the league. ORU is the only school who wants it in Tulsa. It is great city, the money is there and hopefully long term the facilities will be there too.

[filbert]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

I just saw Tulsa got the 2010 Conference USA men's and women's tournaments . . . and the Mountain West tournament committed to Las Vegas through 2013 or so.

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

As others have stated, the tournament needs to be where the Summit fans are. Just my .02

More to the point, the Summite League Tournament should be were it is a big deal. At least for now, this tournament makes the biggest splash here in Sioux Falls. In Minnespolis, Kansas City or even in Tulsa the tournament doesn't garner as much attention as it does here, and that is seen in the attendance and perhpas even more so in the corporate sponsorships. This tournament is a legitimate opportunity for corporate sponsors to make a splash with their sponsorship dollars, in large cities there are many more opportunities to create momentum for your company through sponsorships.

It dominates sports news and news in general here, and I suspect it will only gain momentum in its second year. I was there for most sessions this year, and enjoyed it thourougly, even when SDSU wasn't playing. We'll see you there next spring.

[AnimalHouse83]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

Minneapolis sounds nice at first glance, but ...

There would be no local support from fans or corporate sponsors. You'd possibly have competition from the Minnesota state basketball tournaments at Target Center and Williams Arena. 6000-7000 people rattling around the 20,000 seat Target Center would not be attractive. And the Gophers renting Williams Arena to a conference with no local connection makes no sense.

As others have stated, the tournament needs to be where the Summit fans are. Just my .02

[boxerboy]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

kelo reports its down to sioux falls and tulsa

Not Fargo?? Poor Lakes.
Somewhere I either heard or read that no sport should be held in the Olympics when that sport has an event that is bigger than an Olympic gold medal. For instance soccer World Cup is bigger etc. The same is true for a community where the Summit Conf. tourney would not be one of the bigger events there. That rules out Chicago, Minneapolis etc. The community itself will not support it so don't hold it there.

[jacks nl]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

kelo reports its down to sioux falls and tulsa

[jackmd]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

yea sioux falls is podunk, sorry.

We can only hope this means you won't be there the next few years. I suppose we can only dream for that hope to become reality.

[Lakesbison]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

Ok. Minneapolis it is. !!


yea sioux falls is podunk, sorry.


Target Center could be done, Williams Arena possibly??? that would be cool!

heck, St Thomas has a big arena.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

I think if done right the tourney could be a cash cow in Minneapolis. Don't underestimate how well NDSU and UND travels to the Twin Cities. There would easily be double the amount of Bison fans in the Twin Cities in than Sioux Falls.

I'd bet NDSU, SDSU, USD, and UND are pushing 50,000 alumni in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis is vastly cheaper and easier to get to than Sioux Falls or Fargo for other league members.

It is the only major metro area that it could work in. Minneapolis has no conference tournaments and probably will never get one, all the Dakota schools have a ton of Minnesota athletes, it has the potential to get some decent media coverage.

I'd love to see the league try it.

Good post, however for purely selfish reasons, I would say that I would like to see them try if it isn't going to be in Sioux Falls (no travel costs for me )

[mango4]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

dont involve UND in this discussions, they are irrelavent, and will be irrelavant in any basketball discussions.

Minneapolis (target center) would be fun as hell!

Chicago too would be Great.

Kansas city.

Las Vegas.

thats 4 places better than sioux falls.

I could see Minneapolis and Kansas City, even Chicago but Vegas??? You can't be serious? There are three teams west of the Missouri River (UMKC and Oral Robets are just on the other side) so no way would Vegas even stand a chance.

As others have pointed out, it would make absolutely no sense what so ever for the tournament to be held there.

And how exactly would it be better than Sioux Falls? Because all of the casinos there? Just because Vegas has a ton of things to do doesn't mean it is a good spot for a basketball tournament with pretty much all of the teams located on the other side of the Missouri River, look at how badly the NBA All-Star game failed there.

[FargoBison]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

I think if done right the tourney could be a cash cow in Minneapolis. Don't underestimate how well NDSU and UND travels to the Twin Cities. There would easily be double the amount of Bison fans in the Twin Cities in than Sioux Falls.

I'd bet NDSU, SDSU, USD, and UND are pushing 50,000 alumni in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis is vastly cheaper and easier to get to than Sioux Falls or Fargo for other league members.

It is the only major metro area that it could work in. Minneapolis has no conference tournaments and probably will never get one, all the Dakota schools have a ton of Minnesota athletes, it has the potential to get some decent media coverage.

I'd love to see the league try it.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

dont involve UND in this discussions, they are irrelavent, and will be irrelavant in any basketball discussions.

Minneapolis (target center) would be fun as hell!

Chicago too would be Great.

Kansas city.

Las Vegas.

thats 4 places better than sioux falls.

IMHO, it's all about the money. I think it would be really cool to have the Summit Tournament on the moon. But if nobody shows up, and there are not corporate sponsors interested, how is that a good thing for the Summit?

2009 Summit League Revenue:
Corporate Sponsors: $300,000
Ticket/Concessions Revenue: ~$500,000 (34000 attendance x $15)

You are going to have to triple corporate sponsorship in order to get equivalent value in a venue like Las Vegas. And watching games in a half empty Target Center really doesn't interest me that much.

Sioux Falls, Fargo, and maybe Tulsa are the only sites that have a chance of generating the kind of revenue we saw this spring (and Tulsa would have to work their cans off to do it.)

[Roy]

Re: Will Summit tourney stay in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls in 2011 and 2012. Then possibly Fargo. Live with it! Those two cities have a lock.