Hoops for the Troops

[filbert]

Since the previous thread got sidetracked into other discussions, I thought I'd open up a new thread proposing an exempt ("Certified&quot pre-season men's basketball tournament in Rapid City.

Tentative name: Rushmore/Hoops for the Troops Classic (As the first known poster using the phrase "Hoops for the Troops" I hearby publically and forever assign all trademark rights to SDSU without condition.) Sometimes lawyers get snarky about that.
Proposed site: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD
Proposed sponsor institution: South Dakota State University
Proposed format: Four-team, two day tournament (first year), possibly expanding to eight teams in future years.
Event type: Certified event conforming to NCAA Bylaw 30.10.1.
Proposed management: Gazelle Group, Basketball Travelers, or self-managed by SDSU and the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce.

Does somebody want to tell Fred O?

[West_River_Jack]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

The management of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center is quite aggressive in bringing and marketing events in the Rapid City area. Don't overlook their importance in this endeavor. They need to be on board very early in the process.

It is a very fine basketball facility with a relatively new scoreboard and four large video screens hanging behind the four corners of the basketball court. Basketball is a big draw. The Timberwolves/Pistons game was nearly a sellout and it was an exhibition game. Hopefully these things will help drive some interest from the Civic Center management.

Keep in mind that this will be a late fall/winter event. The National Parks, etc. may not be a very influential draw for people but will offer name recognition nonetheless.

[Cadsev]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

I'll stay on track.....you can rent the Rushmore Civic Center for about $800.00 a day. Not much when compared to other venues in the state.

[GoJacks]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

In my opinion, I think we should have both the men's and women's teams play in the tournament.  Maybe on Thanksgiving weekend and have the women's portion of the tournament on Thursday - Saturday and the men's portion on Friday - Sunday or vise versa.  This way teams have a chance to see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, etc. and fans can fit in Deadwood (gambling).  I would not include NDSU as we would play them during the year and possibly a third time in a conference tournament.  I would try to partner with the University of Wyoming and get both there teams there.  That should allow for very good local interest and universities (fans) that travel well.  Then I would bring in four other teams (two women's and two men's).  

Another thought would be to have it later in the season and try to get some high school teams in the afternoon session.  Heck get Brookings High School there and the whole town of Brookings could/ would go.

[West_River_Jack]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

You have to be pretty cautious about scheduling high school and college events together so you don't create any recruiting violations.

If you start thinking about television you might want to consider the Fox Sports Network. I think that FSN North has carried NDSU (for a price) and that FSN West (I think) has carried the University of Northern Colorado (for a price.) I have seen times where both FSN's carried the same event but with different broadcasters representing the two different teams. An example is when they have carried Timberwolves vs. Nuggets games in the NBA. TV might actually be a bad idea. In addition to having to sell enough advertising to pay the cost there are some people who would stay home just to see a broadcast from the hometown arena.

The four teams would need to come from four different conferences so that they aren't already scheduled to play each other. They would also have to have enough geographic separation that they don't already have annual non-conference games against each other.

[GoJacks]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

You have to be pretty cautious about scheduling high school and college events together so you don't create any recruiting violations.

I hadn't given than a thought, I guess I was thinking about the CWS in Omaha and all of the legion tournaments down there and when SDSU would schedule wrestling double headers with Brookings High School. Remember we are just brainstorming and I will let the SDSU compliance office worry about details that pertain to recruiting and/or other potential violations.

I am not sold on Hoops for the Troops as the title, but I cannot think of anything to catchy to name the event. I guess I would prefer something that refers to the area/ region like the Black Hills Classic or utilize the host school or schools and call it the South Dakota Challenge or the South Dakota/ Wyo Challenge. I think it is important to focus on who we (SDSU and South Dakota) are if you want to get local support and national attention.

As for competition and the perfect scenerio, assuming Wyoming agreed to be in the tournament every year. Have SDSU vs. Wyoming as the first game and have them play each other every year. The other two teams would be two top twenty five teams maybe something like Conneticut (Big East) and Arizona (Pac 10). And for the women maybe Tennessee (SEC) and Purdue (Big 10). If that tournament became reality. I would bet ESPN or some other network would pay $$,$$$.$$ to air this tournament and finding sponsorships ($$$,$$$.$$) wouldn't be a problem either.

[West_River_Jack]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

Keep the word "Rushmore" in the title. It has to be the region's most recognizable word!

[filbert]

Re: Hoops for the Troops

NCAA is talking about loosening the certified tournament rule. If Rushmore Hoops for the Troops could get set up, it could rotate host schools between, say, NDSU, SDSU, Montana State, and Wyoming every four years, or something like that . . .

The Division I Management Council is asking the membership to comment on legislation that redefines the length of the men’s and women’s basketball season. Council members during their Sunday legislative session agreed to distribute a measure that allows for 28 regular-season games and permits teams to exempt participation in one multiple-team event, such as the NIT Season Tip-Off or the Maui Invitational, for example, once per year.

The new legislation, which the Board of Directors will review in April and could make effective August 1, also exempts teams’ participation in a season-end conference tournament.

Previously, teams could play a maximum of 28 regular-season games but were subject to the “two-in-four rule,” which precluded schools from playing in an exempted event more than twice in a four-year period. The new legislation in effect eliminates the two-in-four restriction, since it allows teams to play in those multiple-team events annually. The only restriction in that regard is that a team cannot play in the same event more than once in a four-year period.

If a team elects to play in a multiple-team certified event, it may play 27 additional regular-season games (resulting in up to 31 total games). If not, then the team may schedule a maximum of 28 games.

Other aspects of the new legislation include:

- The NCAA will no longer certify exempted events.

- Regular-season games and exempt events may begin on the second Friday in November. (Events with signed television contracts as of December 12, 2005, would be permitted to honor those contracts.)

- Multiple-team exempt events may not exceed four contests and may not include more than one team from any one conference.

Council members noted that eliminating the task of certifying exempt events could lead to a proliferation of such events, especially since the availability of teams to participate in those events increases under the new legislation. Members reasoned, though, that the restrictions on the number of teams from a conference and on repeat participation in a given event may better accomplish what the two-in-four rule was meant to do in the first place, which was to increase the diversity of teams playing in the exempted events.