Committee top 16 reveal tonight! | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Committee top 16 reveal tonight!

Since last night ...

  1. UConn 1
  2. UCLA 2 || WON v Indiana 92-48
  3. So Car 3 || WON @ #8 LSU 79-72
  4. Vandy 5 || LOST @ Georgia 76-74
  5. Texas 4 || WON @ Tenn 65-63
  6. Michigan 7 || WON v MSU 86-65
  7. Louisville 9 || WON v FSU 88-65
  8. LSU 6 || LOST v #3 SoCar 79-72
  9. OhioSt 8 || LOST v #13 Maryland 76-75
  10. Duke 11 || WON v UNC 72-68
  11. Iowa 15
  12. TCU 17 || WON v WV 59-50
  13. Maryland 20 || WON @ #9 OhioSt 76-75
  14. Michigan St 13 || LOST @ Mich 86-65
  15. Ole miss 14 || LOST @ Kentucky 74-57
  16. Oklahoma 10 || WON @ Ala 79-71
 
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Come tomorrow the new poll should be:

1) UConn
2) UCLA
3) South Carolina
4) Texas
5) Vanderbilt
6) Michigan
7) Duke
8) Louisville
9) LSU
10) Oklahoma
11) Baylor
12) Ohio State
13) Kentucky
14) Maryland
15) TCU
16) Michigan State
 
ConnMotors said:
Come tomorrow the new poll should be:

1) UConn
2) UCLA
3) South Carolina
4) Texas
5) Vanderbilt
6) Michigan
7) Duke
8) Louisville
9) LSU
10) Oklahoma
11) Baylor
12) Ohio State
13) Kentucky
14) Maryland
15) TCU
16) Michigan State
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if LSU drops to a 3 and stay there going into the NCAA tournament it'll make 5 straight years of LSU being a 3 seed in 5 years of Kim at the helm.

South Carolina would also be a #1 seed for their 6th straight time (really should be 7th since they would've been #1 overall in 2020 if not for Covid). I think Geno currently holds the record with 12 straight (2007-2018), Pat is 2nd with 9 (1988-1996), Muffet is 3rd with 8 (2012-2019) and Dawn is 4th with 6 (should be credited for 7).
 
ConnMotors said:
Come tomorrow the new poll should be:

1) UConn
2) UCLA
3) South Carolina
4) Texas
5) Vanderbilt
6) Michigan
7) Duke
8) Louisville
9) LSU
10) Oklahoma
11) Baylor
12) Ohio State
13) Kentucky
14) Maryland
15) TCU
16) Michigan State
Expand ...
ConnMotors, when you use the term "should" I presume your list reflects your view/hope of the Top 16 teams, and not your assessment of what the AP voters will do.

I highly doubt that the poll will show Baylor ahead of TCU. Especially after the #17 Horn Frogs crushed the #12 Bears on their home court in Waco, and then went on to defeat #19 WVU the day after the reveal came out. Baylor, meanwhile, didn't even make the Top 16 in Saturday's reveal, whereas TCU came in as a tournament #3 seed.

Baylor might stay in the top 16 since Michigan State and Ole Miss experienced blowout losses, but I can't imagine 31 AP voters collectively elevating the Bears up a spot from #12 to #11.
 
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For what it’s worth, there are 12 different criteria used by the Selection Committee to seed teams: NET, Wins above bubble, head to head, injuries, etc. There is no particular weighting of the criteria. It’s not as if each criteria is worth 1/12th of the total. That provides the Committee with a lot of wiggle room.

In a recent Autumn Johnson report she indicated that she had spoken to a member of the Selection Committee about why UConn is the overall #1 seed. The committee member referred to the criteria of “Observable Execution,” otherwise known as the “Eyeball test.” Essentially, Johnson was told that UConn’s execution at both ends of the court was observably better than any other team in the country.
 
Since Sat night ...

updated with 2/16 AP

  1. UConn 1
  2. UCLA 2 || WON v Indiana 92-48
  3. So Car 3 || WON @ #8 LSU 79-72
  4. Vandy 5 || LOST @ Georgia 76-74
  5. Texas 4 || WON @ Tenn 65-63
  6. Michigan 6 || WON v MSU 86-65
  7. Louisville 8 || WON v FSU 88-65
  8. LSU 7 || LOST v #3 SoCar 79-72
  9. OhioSt 10 || LOST v #13 Maryland 76-75
  10. Duke 9 || WON v UNC 72-68
  11. Iowa 13
  12. TCU 12 || WON v WV 59-50
  13. Maryland 14 || WON @ #9 OhioSt 76-75
  14. Michigan St 18 || LOST @ Mich 86-65
  15. Ole miss 17 || LOST @ Kentucky 74-57
  16. Oklahoma 11 || WON @ Ala 79-71
Bay 15, Ky 16
 
oldude said:
For what it’s worth, there are 12 different criteria used by the Selection Committee to seed teams: NET, Wins above bubble, head to head, injuries, etc. There is no particular weighting of the criteria. It’s not as if each criteria is worth 1/12th of the total. That provides the Committee with a lot of wiggle room.

In a recent Autumn Johnson report she indicated that she had spoken to a member of the Selection Committee about why UConn is the overall #1 seed. The committee member referred to the criteria of “Observable Execution,” otherwise known as the “Eyeball test.” Essentially, Johnson was told that UConn’s execution at both ends of the court was observably better than any other team in the country.
Expand ...
The humor here, of course, is that "observable execution" is not one if the 12 criteria. 😁
 
packwrap said:
The humor here, of course, is that "observable execution" is not one if the 12 criteria. 😁
Expand ...

see bullet 7:

1771316766640.png
 
Thanks, the judges will uphold observable execution as observable component.

Assume eye test goes in this basket too.
 
YKCornelius said:
It seems that the prevalent sentiment among many posters is for an easy path to the NC game. Place me squarely in the group that decidedly does NOT want the Huskies to have an easy path. Quite the contrary. I want to see the ladies compete - and persevere - against the toughest opponents. As they did last year.

If they stumble with an off-shooting night against a quality team that brings their "A-game", so be it.

Looking at this first reveal, I love the projected path that is laid out in front of the Huskies. A very tough tentative Sweet Sixteen opponent followed by a very tough Elite Eight opponent two days later. Then on to the Final Four against two completely healthy, motivated #1 seeds.

Va bene!
Expand ...
I would expect that your group is very small. I, for one, want the path to be as easy as possible. Last year, our ladies were tested early and often in the regular season and as a result of a couple of losses, became battle ready going into the tournament. Not so this year. The only close game (Michigan) was too early to count and after a difficult first half against TN, they folded showing their true colors. Logic dictates that there will be a challenge ahead and one wonders if the team is really ready this year, going into the NC without a loss (or a real challenge)
 
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Posted this in the General forum:

Had Texas lost to Tennessee, that could have pushed the seeding pairings in one regional to UConn 1 / Texas 2 in Fort Worth, TX. While I think UConn is the best team in the country, I'd love to someday have Texas play UConn in the NCAA tournament regional in the state of Texas instead of in CT like we did a couple times not too long ago. Guess it could still happen with plenty of basketball remaining. With SC almost a shoe-in and either Texas or Vandy as likely #1 seeds from the SEC, the #2 national seeds from the SEC (Vandy, Texas and/or LSU) can't be placed in the same region as any #1 seeds from the SEC. So, UConn most likely draws an SEC team in Fort Worth. Both Texas and LSU would have huge home court advantages in Fort Worth.

So, I saw where the #1 overall seed in the tourney gets to select (prior to the bracket finalization) which regional location (Sacramento, CA or Fort Worth, TX) they'd like to get sent to. Most just assume UConn would choose the closer geographic location which would be Fort Worth. Would that be the correct assumption?

Not that I believe Geno necessarily cares, but there are more teams near Fort Worth (Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, LSU) who get paired up against UConn in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 and make it somewhat of a road game for the Huskies. Conversely, which teams near Sacramento, CA would have their fans flocking to that regional site to create that same type of environment?
 
ERWUC65 said:
I would expect that your group is very small. I, for one, want the path to be as easy as possible. Last year, our ladies were tested early and often in the regular season and as a result of a couple of losses, became battle ready going into the tournament. Not so this year. The only close game (Michigan) was too early to count and after a difficult first half against TN, they folded showing their true colors. Logic dictates that there will be a challenge ahead and one wonders if the team is really ready this year, going into the NC without a loss (or a real challenge)
Expand ...
I agree my group would be very small - and that is absolutely OK. I don't look down on anyone who wants an easy (or easiest) path.

Regarding this year's team they are a pleasure to watch - regardless of the caliber of opponent. From my perch, the beauty of this program has always been the way that the teams play and the way the coaching staff develops these incredible young women and gets them ready for March/April, as well as life after college. Winning streaks, Final Fours, NCs and conference titles are all well and good, but I get the most satisfaction in watching the Huskies come together as a team and play beautiful, winning basketball.

Cheers....
 
southie said:
Posted this in the General forum:

Had Texas lost to Tennessee, that could have pushed the seeding pairings in one regional to UConn 1 / Texas 2 in Fort Worth, TX. While I think UConn is the best team in the country, I'd love to someday have Texas play UConn in the NCAA tournament regional in the state of Texas instead of in CT like we did a couple times not too long ago. Guess it could still happen with plenty of basketball remaining. With SC almost a shoe-in and either Texas or Vandy as likely #1 seeds from the SEC, the #2 national seeds from the SEC (Vandy, Texas and/or LSU) can't be placed in the same region as any #1 seeds from the SEC. So, UConn most likely draws an SEC team in Fort Worth. Both Texas and LSU would have huge home court advantages in Fort Worth.

So, I saw where the #1 overall seed in the tourney gets to select (prior to the bracket finalization) which regional location (Sacramento, CA or Fort Worth, TX) they'd like to get sent to. Most just assume UConn would choose the closer geographic location which would be Fort Worth. Would that be the correct assumption?

Not that I believe Geno necessarily cares, but there are more teams near Fort Worth (Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, LSU) who get paired up against UConn in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 and make it somewhat of a road game for the Huskies. Conversely, which teams near Sacramento, CA would have their fans flocking to that regional site to create that same type of environment?
Expand ...
Southie, from my past experience attending Regional games, "the home field advantage" is rarely present. Certainly it was there when UConn was playing in Albany and South Carolina playing in Greenville, but those were anomalies.

When Regional tickets become available in October, it is a gamble for fans to predict where their team will end up. Given how the NCAA initially sells Regional tickets as a package deal for all three sessions, most (all??) of the tickets for the lower level are bought up pretty quickly by the deep pocket fans who (a) are gambling that their teams will be good enough to get to the Sweet Sixteen or (b) have a plan to unload the tickets into the resale market if their team ends up in the other region. Hence, the lower level is mostly fans from eight different teams who either guessed right, or who scrambled to buy resale tickets once the NCAA Reveals start coming out.

For UConn and South Carolina, there was a high degree of probability that each of these top programs would end up close to home, so it was less of a gamble for their huge fan bases to buy tickets six months out.

So what ends up happening for the Sweet Sixteen games on Friday and Saturday is the arena is filled primarily with fans of four different teams (although diehard WCBB fans like me will go to all sessions diluting the mix of fans even further). The Elite Eight games on Sunday and Monday are usually attended by fans of all four remaining contestants - at least in the lower level.

That said, there will be a significant drop in price of resale tickets during the day between the SS and EE by the fans whose teams have been eliminated. So, if a team makes the EE and its fan base is within driving distance (like the four teams you mentioned are), there will be an increased presence to some degree.

But not enough to create a "home field advantage" for playing against UConn.

One more small point of consideration: Oklahoma WBB attendance is less than 5,300 per game, and Baylor is less at 3,600.

Methinks the only school who MIGHT fill up available EE seats would be TCU whose campus is two miles away from Dickies arena. But what are the odds of a UConn-TCU Elite Eight game?

Go Huskies!
 
YKCornelius said:
Southie, from my past experience attending Regional games, "the home field advantage" is rarely present. Certainly it was there when UConn was playing in Albany and South Carolina playing in Greenville, but those were anomalies.

When Regional tickets become available in October, it is a gamble for fans to predict where their team will end up. Given how the NCAA initially sells Regional tickets as a package deal for all three sessions, most (all??) of the tickets for the lower level are bought up pretty quickly by the deep pocket fans who (a) are gambling that their teams will be good enough to get to the Sweet Sixteen or (b) have a plan to unload the tickets into the resale market if their team ends up in the other region. Hence, the lower level is mostly fans from eight different teams who either guessed right, or who scrambled to buy resale tickets once the NCAA Reveals start coming out.

For UConn and South Carolina, there was a high degree of probability that each of these top programs would end up close to home, so it was less of a gamble for their huge fan bases to buy tickets six months out.

So what ends up happening for the Sweet Sixteen games on Friday and Saturday is the arena is filled primarily with fans of four different teams (although diehard WCBB fans like me will go to all sessions diluting the mix of fans even further). The Elite Eight games on Sunday and Monday are usually attended by fans of all four remaining contestants - at least in the lower level.

That said, there will be a significant drop in price of resale tickets during the day between the SS and EE by the fans whose teams have been eliminated. So, if a team makes the EE and its fan base is within driving distance (like the four teams you mentioned are), there will be an increased presence to some degree.

But not enough to create a "home field advantage" for playing against UConn.

One more small point of consideration: Oklahoma WBB attendance is less than 5,300 per game, and Baylor is less at 3,600.

Methinks the only school who MIGHT fill up available EE seats would be TCU whose campus is two miles away from Dickies arena. But what are the odds of a UConn-TCU Elite Eight game?

Go Huskies!
Expand ...

You're overlooking general fans who go just to watch some good games. Those are locals who might not have a favorite or whose favorite is/isnt there, but will root for nearby schools.
 
YKCornelius said:
Southie, from my past experience attending Regional games, "the home field advantage" is rarely present. Certainly it was there when UConn was playing in Albany and South Carolina playing in Greenville, but those were anomalies.

When Regional tickets become available in October, it is a gamble for fans to predict where their team will end up. Given how the NCAA initially sells Regional tickets as a package deal for all three sessions, most (all??) of the tickets for the lower level are bought up pretty quickly by the deep pocket fans who (a) are gambling that their teams will be good enough to get to the Sweet Sixteen or (b) have a plan to unload the tickets into the resale market if their team ends up in the other region. Hence, the lower level is mostly fans from eight different teams who either guessed right, or who scrambled to buy resale tickets once the NCAA Reveals start coming out.

For UConn and South Carolina, there was a high degree of probability that each of these top programs would end up close to home, so it was less of a gamble for their huge fan bases to buy tickets six months out.

So what ends up happening for the Sweet Sixteen games on Friday and Saturday is the arena is filled primarily with fans of four different teams (although diehard WCBB fans like me will go to all sessions diluting the mix of fans even further). The Elite Eight games on Sunday and Monday are usually attended by fans of all four remaining contestants - at least in the lower level.

That said, there will be a significant drop in price of resale tickets during the day between the SS and EE by the fans whose teams have been eliminated. So, if a team makes the EE and its fan base is within driving distance (like the four teams you mentioned are), there will be an increased presence to some degree.

But not enough to create a "home field advantage" for playing against UConn.

One more small point of consideration: Oklahoma WBB attendance is less than 5,300 per game, and Baylor is less at 3,600.

Methinks the only school who MIGHT fill up available EE seats would be TCU whose campus is two miles away from Dickies arena. But what are the odds of a UConn-TCU Elite Eight game?

Go Huskies!
Expand ...

Since the tournament went to 2 regional site locations, which ones did you attend? Just curious. Like last year in Spokane, WA how many UConn fans made the trip clear across the country? There really was no "local" team there as UCLA and Southern Cal are nowhere within driving distance, neither were LSU, Ole Miss, NC State, Kansas State, and Oklahoma.

Not sure you are aware just how many alumni of Texas, OU, Baylor and LSU live in the DFW metroplex area. Most probably don't get the opportunity to travel to their school's campus and attend games during the regular season, especially on weekdays; so, they will turn out if their team makes it to a regional being held in their backyard. Then you add in the fans who would drive in from Austin, Norman, Waco and Baton Rouge. While that might not be enough to create a "hostile" environment for any of their opponents, they will most likely have the advantage regarding the number of supporters sitting in the stands.

Sacramento, CA won't have any local teams other than UCLA as one of the #1 seeds.
 
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Vowelguy said:
You're overlooking general fans who go just to watch some good games. Those are locals who might not have a favorite or whose favorite is/isnt there, but will root for nearby schools.
Expand ...
Yep, there are those locals too.
 
.-.
southie said:
Since the tournament went to 2 regional site locations, which ones did you attend? Just curious. Like last year in Spokane, WA how many UConn fans made the trip clear across the country? There really was no "local" team there as UCLA and Southern Cal are nowhere within driving distance, neither were LSU, Ole Miss, NC State, Kansas State, and Oklahoma.

Not sure you are aware just how many alumni of Texas, OU, Baylor and LSU live in the DFW metroplex area. Most probably don't get the opportunity to travel to their school's campus and attend games during the regular season, especially on weekdays; so, they will turn out if their team makes it to a regional being held in their backyard. Then you add in the fans who would drive in from Austin, Norman, Waco and Baton Rouge. While that might not be enough to create a "hostile" environment for any of their opponents, they will most likely have the advantage regarding the number of supporters sitting in the stands.
Expand ...
Southie, to answer your first question, I drove to Birmingham last year and Greenville two years before (2023). Did not fly to Albany in 2024 (wasn't able to get tickets when they went on sale). I will be going to Ft Worth this year.

Don't know how many UConn fans attended the Regional in Spokane, nor in Portland the year before, nor Seattle the year before that. Once UConn was assigned there, the only tickets available were resale tickets and going there would have involved purchasing a flight on short notice. In other words, too expensive for me at that point. Bottom line: I wasn't there so I couldn't even venture a swag on UConn fans in attendance.

I don't disagree that many fans of any of the four programs you mentioned wouldn't miss the opportunity purchase resale tickets and make the drive to Ft Worth to support their team in an EE (or even SS) game against UConn. And those programs' fans might even outnumber the UConn fans in attendance.

But I am not sure you understood my point that most of the SS tickets will already be purchased by fans of EIGHT teams, which pretty much dilutes any home field advantage right off the bat. For EE games, the possibility of a home field advantage goes up slightly since more resale tickets should be available from fans of teams who exited during the SS, which means more opportunities for local program fans to attend.

FWIW, at Birmingham, I would estimate the attendance in the lower level for each EE games to be 60% supporting the two principals, 30% supporting the two teams playing in the other EE game, and 10% for fans of other programs.

In Greenville it was a different story. South Carolina fans were the LARGE majority in attendance for every game. Lower level, upper level, throughout the concourse, downtown bars - everywhere. I believe this was because most Gamecock fans purchased their tickets in advance since their team was a projected #1 seed heading into the season.

In closing, I hope (1) UConn is placed into FT Worth, and (2) their opponents bring as many fans as possible. That would be the best prep for playing in front of 15K+ in Phoenix the following week.

Go Huskies!
 
southie said:
Most just assume UConn would choose the closer geographic location which would be Fort Worth. Would that be the correct assumption?


I wouldn't assume that. Yes, when the regional option is Bridgeport or Albany, a relatively short drive, but no one's driving to Fort Worth from Connecticut, so whether it's Texas or California it's a plane flight. I suppose one can argue that it's probably a slightly cheaper flight to Texas and it's definitely less time in the air, but I doubt there are many fans who would say yes I'm on board with flying to Texas but nope California's way too much.
Expand ...

southie said:
Most just assume UConn would choose the closer geographic location which would be Fort Worth. Would that be the correct assumption?
Expand ...
I wouldn't assume that. Yes, when the regional option is Bridgeport or Albany, a relatively short drive, but no one's driving to Fort Worth from Connecticut, so whether it's Texas or California, it's a plane flight. I suppose one can argue that it's probably a slightly cheaper flight to Texas and it's definitely less time in the air, but I doubt there are many fans who would say yes I'm on board with flying to Texas but nope California's way too much.
 
Phil said:
I wouldn't assume that. Yes, when the regional option is Bridgeport or Albany, a relatively short drive, but no one's driving to Fort Worth from Connecticut, so whether it's Texas or California, it's a plane flight. I suppose one can argue that it's probably a slightly cheaper flight to Texas and it's definitely less time in the air, but I doubt there are many fans who would say yes I'm on board with flying to Texas but nope California's way too much.
Expand ...
When it comes to fan support there are only a handful of WBB programs where travel is not a barrier. I would suggest 3, although there may be more: SC, Iowa & UConn. In addition, UConn, more than any other program has fans everywhere: CA, TX, FL, the Midwest, DC, etc. Hell, if they held the national championship in Hawaii, the stands would be loaded with Husky fans.
 
So, I posted something a while back about the regional sites in TX and CA, and the Final Four in AZ, so here's what the map looks like if any of the top 16 teams (first reveal) made the regionals. IMHO, these might be dumbest picks of those three sites since ... the last dumbest picks. Do I get that the NCAA wants to generate interest in other areas of the country? Of course. However, the only two teams that have really easy travel is UCLA and TCU. Yes, I know that Geno says, we play where we're told to play, however the amount of travel that most of these teams will need to make for the regionals, and depending on who makes the FF, the final four, is crazy. It's almost guaranteeing that the student-athletes making the final four won't be going back to campus between the 2nd and 3rd weekends.

How do the PTB (powers that be) expect the casual and/or somewhat serious fans to make these trips?

NB - hopefully I got the color groupings correct ....

1771439901444.jpeg
 
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I've complained about the west overrepresentation for years.

Fewer than 1/6th (17%) of all D1 college teams are west of the Rockies.
Fewer than 15% of P4 programs are west of the Rockies.

Over the 7-year period 22-28, FORTY-SIX PERCENT of the regionals have been/will be west of the Rockies.
 
Vowelguy said:
I've complained about the west overrepresentation for years.

Fewer than 1/6th (17%) of all D1 college teams are west of the Rockies.
Fewer than 15% of P4 programs are west of the Rockies.

Over the 7-year period 22-28, FORTY-SIX PERCENT of the regionals have been/will be west of the Rockies.
Expand ...
Keep in mind that regionals and finals locations are subject to competitive bidding. Yes, the cities have to have a good arena, hotel space, etc. But at the end of the day it comes down to money. The only reason smaller cities like Albany & Bridgeport have been able to host regional tournaments over bigger cities is that they can outbid them with the expectation that UConn will be a top seed in their region, bringing along 10,000+ fans.
 
.-.
oldude said:
Keep in mind that regionals and finals locations are subject to competitive bidding. Yes, the cities have to have a good arena, hotel space, etc. But at the end of the day it comes down to money. The only reason smaller cities like Albany & Bridgeport have been able to host regional tournaments over bigger cities is that they can outbid them with the expectation that UConn will be a top seed in their region, bringing along 10,000+ fans.
Expand ...

1) I doubt it is solely money. If Anchorage bid, would the tourney go there? Maui? I doubt it.
2) Part of the criteria is geography. If Orlando and Tampa bid, would both be picked for the same year? No.
3) Place any regional in the South, and there will be a large built in audience.
 
Vowelguy said:
1) I doubt it is solely money. If Anchorage bid, would the tourney go there? Maui? I doubt it.
2) Part of the criteria is geography. If Orlando and Tampa bid, would both be picked for the same year? No.
3) Place any regional in the South, and there will be a large built in audience.
Expand ...
I didn’t say it was only about money. But if you are a midsized Midwest or Southern city, i.e. Cleveland or Birmingham, are you going to put up a significant bid on WBB where recouping your payout is not a given or MBB, where you can count on a full arena?
 
Vowelguy said:
I've complained about the west overrepresentation for years.

Fewer than 1/6th (17%) of all D1 college teams are west of the Rockies.
Fewer than 15% of P4 programs are west of the Rockies.

Over the 7-year period 22-28, FORTY-SIX PERCENT of the regionals have been/will be west of the Rockies.
Expand ...

Yeah, I don't get the fascination every season since changing from 4 to 2 Regional sites to have one in the Pacific time zone. Portland, Spokane, and now Sacramento are just not close to many fan bases where travel is easy. I guess it's great that some of the locals have turned out, but not sure the excitement level is the same.
 
oldude said:
Keep in mind that regionals and finals locations are subject to competitive bidding. Yes, the cities have to have a good arena, hotel space, etc. But at the end of the day it comes down to money. The only reason smaller cities like Albany & Bridgeport have been able to host regional tournaments over bigger cities is that they can outbid them with the expectation that UConn will be a top seed in their region, bringing along 10,000+ fans.
Expand ...

I think cities with NBA/NHL teams just don't want to bid because they have to make their arenas available for an entire week. That also affects the availability for concerts or other non-sports events. I guess Sacramento is an exception.

So, it's not a surprise that the cities bidding are relatively small in size compared to the major US cities and they don't have professional sports teams to factor.
 
YKCornelius said:
I don't disagree that many fans of any of the four programs you mentioned wouldn't miss the opportunity purchase resale tickets and make the drive to Ft Worth to support their team in an EE (or even SS) game against UConn. And those programs' fans might even outnumber the UConn fans in attendance.

But I am not sure you understood my point that most of the SS tickets will already be purchased by fans of EIGHT teams, which pretty much dilutes any home field advantage right off the bat. For EE games, the possibility of a home field advantage goes up slightly since more resale tickets should be available from fans of teams who exited during the SS, which means more opportunities for local program fans to attend.
Expand ...

I guess I disagree with that, or I don't understand what you mean by "already"; like "when", specifically, do you mean? After the bracket is announced, or once their teams win and advance to the Sweet Sixteen (which means less than one week until the regional begins)?

I am not sure how many tickets each Sweet Sixteen participant is allotted. I've always assumed that the majority of total tickets are available to the general public way in advance of the bracket being announced; they probably aren't great seats, but they are available for sale much earlier than when a school receives their ticket allotment. Those are probably gobbled up by the locals, especially if a Top10 team or two are expected to be placed in and advance to that regional. For Birmingham, I'd guess fans of LSU, South Carolina, and Tennessee bought tickets way in advance hoping their teams would be placed there. That's why I assume the same for fans of Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, and LSU who all are hoping their teams get placed in Fort Worth.

I doubt last year that Oklahoma, NC State, Kansas State, and Ole Miss sold their allotment for a game or two all the way in Spokane, WA. Maybe LSU and UConn sold all theirs for one-two game(s). Once the bracket is announced, fans of teams have to purchase airfare with less than 2 weeks' notice; do you think teams seeded lower than a 4-seed like Ole Miss and Kansas State were expecting to make the Sweet Sixteen? Some die-hard fans probably purchased their airfare in advance and made hotel reservations (another tough assignment in smaller cities is hotel availability at reasonable prices). It's a difficult situation all the around for travel planning. So, I'd say these cities are depending on the locals to turn out, especially if a local team participates in the regional(s).
 
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