2021 Women’s Tourney Gyms.....the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

[Adriacus]

The announced gyms being used for the women's tourney are:

Alamo Dome [2 courts]
UTSA Convocation Center
St. Mary's Arena
UT Frank Erwin Center
TSU Event Center f/k/a Strahan

huge differences for shooters.

All domes are considered to be tough on shooters. Alamo Dome is no different. Will both courts be operating simultaneously? Assume so.....that will be interesting......almost like AAU events.

Convocation Center is a terrible venue for shooters [small, mid 70s construction]. 2 of my cousins played ball for UTSA and I have attended at least 100 games in that building. Air flow is funky. Background is funky. Lighting is funky. Jump shooters will hate it.

St. Mary's Arena is considered a decent shooting venue. Opened in new millennia. Small [similar to UTSA] but better lighting and background.

UT & TSU are big standard 10,000+ arenas. No issues.

 

[LETTERL]

The announced gyms being used for the women's tourney are:

Alamo Dome [2 courts]
UTSA Convocation Center
St. Mary's Arena
UT Frank Erwin Center
TSU Event Center f/k/a Strahan

huge differences for shooters.

All domes are considered to be tough on shooters. Alamo Dome is no different. Will both courts be operating simultaneously? Assume so.....that will be interesting......almost like AAU events.

How will that work? Having two games going simultaneously in close proximity? I'm not familiar with the Alamo Dome layout for basketball.

 

[Adriacus]

How will that work? Having two games going simultaneously in close proximity? I'm not familiar with the Alamo Dome layout for basketball.

Don’t think it has been done in the Tourney. Old school “have a plan” but “make it up as you go” scenario.

 

[Adriacus]

Here is a stock photo of UTSA gym. Gives you an idea of background issue for shooters. Can’t see the “lighting variances” but they are noticeable in person.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I know weather was a consideration for the tournament but it would have been better to have had the tournament in a major (top 10 metro) city. The DC-Baltimore-NoVa metro would have been perfect. They would have had 16 venues where they could have had a decent tournament. Unfortunately, they would have had problems with Capital One arena where the finals would have been held.

 

[Adriacus]

I know weather was a consideration for the tournament but it would have been better to have had the tournament in a major (top 10 metro) city. The DC-Baltimore-NoVa metro would have been perfect. They would have had 16 venues where they could have had a decent tournament. Unfortunately, they would have had problems with Capital One arena where the finals would have been held.

A Maryland fan that thinks the Tourney should be played in Baltimore/DC......how truly shocking.

You do realize that San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the USA & Austin is the 11th largest? Not like they scheduled the Tourney in a village with 2 Stop signs and 1 blinking light.

 

[Vowelguy]

How will that work? Having two games going simultaneously in close proximity? I'm not familiar with the Alamo Dome layout for basketball.

The Alamo Dome is enormous — they play FB games there — should be pretty easy to set up 2 courts far apart with very large temporary walls in between. Should be nothing like AAU.

You can fit a court in the area between the 20 yard line and the back of the end zone , leaving 60 yards, if needed, before you got to the other court. It’ll be like being in 2 different buildings I imagine.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The Alamo Dome is enormous — they play FB games there — should be pretty easy to set up 2 courts far apart with very large temporary walls in between. Should be nothing like AAU.

You can fit a court in the area between the 20 yard line and the back of the end zone , leaving 60 yards, if needed, before you got to the other court. It’ll be like being in 2 different buildings I imagine.

Although it is only practical because of the paucity of fans.

The only large (non-basketball) arena I attended for basketball was the Carrier Dome. Not my cup of tea. And I can't imagine being in the distance for tourney games when they have been held in domes. Better view on TV.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

A Maryland fan that thinks the Tourney should be played in Baltimore/DC......how truly shocking.

You do realize that San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the USA & Austin is the 11th largest? Not like they scheduled the Tourney in a village with 2 Stop signs and 1 blinking light.

I said metro area. I know the actual city of San Antonio is large.

BTW, the combined DC-Baltimore metro is the 4th largest in the country as of 2019. In 2021 they probably have passed Chicago.

 

[Adriacus]

If you want to start combining MSA’s, the combined MSA of SA, Austin, Houston & DFW is the largest in the country.

Exactly how is that issue relevant?

 

[TerpWomenFan]

If you want to start combining MSA’s, the combined MSA of SA, Austin, Houston & DFW is the largest in the country.

Exactly how is that issue relevant?

The difference is Baltimore-Washing is an official CSA. (look it up) Dallas-Ft.Worth is one CSA, San Antonio is one CSA, Austin is one CSA and Houston has its own CSA.

Combined statistical area - Wikipedia,

Actually San Antonio and Austin only have a MSA not a CSA

List of metropolitan statistical areas - Wikipedia

But Texas is a highly populated state.

 

[j66kicker]

Although it is only practical because of the paucity of fans.

The only large (non-basketball) arena I attended for basketball was the Carrier Dome. Not my cup of tea. And I can't imagine being in the distance for tourney games when they have been held in domes. Better view on TV.

Been to BB games in 2 football stadiums - Atlanta (2003 women’s FF) and Phoenix (saw UCONN men spank Missouri in a regional the year Kemba took them to the NC). In both cases they cut off the end zone with tall bleachers on one side for ~30,000 fans. Both worked fine - great atmosphere.

 

[KY Card Fan]

Choosing San Antonio and its environs was totally predictable, since the Final Four was already scheduled there. As a fan of a Top 16 team I'll certainly miss the two-round home court advantage. And my Cardinals would almost certainly have been sent to the Cincinnati Region. Oh well....

 

[Superhuskies]

Although it is only practical because of the paucity of fans.

The only large (non-basketball) arena I attended for basketball was the Carrier Dome. Not my cup of tea. And I can't imagine being in the distance for tourney games when they have been held in domes. Better view on TV.

Alamodome was fairly horrible long-distance viewing for hoops fans...the baselines were way up into outer space ...
I was there 2002 for the greatest women's team ever ...
For football must be better...

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I was there for 2010 FF. Certainly not “intimate”, but I could see just fine. I was glad I was there rather than home watching on TV.

For your own team, absolutely. But, then again, for your own team there is a chance of "better" tickets, I think. For the Cleveland FF that Rutgers was in, we were in the 2nd? 3rd? row of the second level which jutted out over the 1st level. Never had disappointing seats for an NCAA tourney game purchased through the school.

The first time Rutgers was in the tourney, at Iowa State, we had purchased general admission as it was a late decision to go and they were fairly awful. Thankfully, we were put in touch with one of the Rutgers Asst. AD's who had some extra tix a few rows behind and a bit to the side of the bench and he was nice enough to "trade" them for ours, which he gave away to whomever.

 

[j66kicker]

For your own team, absolutely. But, then again, for your own team there is a chance of "better" tickets, I think. For the Cleveland FF that Rutgers was in, we were in the 2nd? 3rd? row of the second level which jutted out over the 1st level. Never had disappointing seats for an NCAA tourney game purchased through the school.

The first time Rutgers was in the tourney, at Iowa State, we had purchased general admission as it was a late decision to go and they were fairly awful. Thankfully, we were put in touch with one of the Rutgers Asst. AD's who had some extra tix a few rows behind and a bit to the side of the bench and he was nice enough to "trade" them for ours, which he gave away to whomever.

Never got tix through the school. My San Antonio tix were probably “awful” by some definitions. But IMO there are no awful seats to see Maya Moore & Tina Charles come back after scoring 12 points in the first half to snatch the NC away from Jayne Appel and Stanford.