- Joined
- Aug 28, 2011
- Messages
- 241
- Reaction Score
- 644
Mark Blaudschun covered college basketball for the Boston Globe for 25 years and provided what I thought was fair and balanced coverage. Now he has his own blog http://ajerseyguy.com , and with his connections and inside knowledge, I find it informative/interesting. eg. He had a good take on the Rutgers situation.
In any event, today he speculates about next year's AAC 1st tournament location:
"With the men’s college basketball season down to one game–Monday night’s championship game between Louisville and Michigan–it is time to jump back into the silly season of coaching/athletic director changes and other rumors.
Let’s start with the newly named American Athletic Conference, which now has a name–a corporate logo will be unveiled in a few weeks–but still needs sites for its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments next year.
Sources at the American, say that Philadelphia and the Palestra are very much in the target zone for the tournament which will be rotated.
American Commissioner Mike Aresco likes the historic nature of the Palestra, a location in Philadelphia, which is a college basketball city and the fact that with a smaller capacity (8,722) which will create a sold out arena and a ticket demand. There are other issues which must be examined, but The Palestra remains very much in the mix of what will be a revolving site situation for the first few years at least. The other sites that will receive serious consideration are Memphis, Hartford and Orlando."
Since I start driving back from Florida March 1st every year on my way to Southern Maryland, I could certainly arrange my trip to include Orlando and Memphis, or speed it up and do Philly. So, if Hartford doesn't get it, the other three are fine by me.
In any event, today he speculates about next year's AAC 1st tournament location:
"With the men’s college basketball season down to one game–Monday night’s championship game between Louisville and Michigan–it is time to jump back into the silly season of coaching/athletic director changes and other rumors.
Let’s start with the newly named American Athletic Conference, which now has a name–a corporate logo will be unveiled in a few weeks–but still needs sites for its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments next year.
Sources at the American, say that Philadelphia and the Palestra are very much in the target zone for the tournament which will be rotated.
American Commissioner Mike Aresco likes the historic nature of the Palestra, a location in Philadelphia, which is a college basketball city and the fact that with a smaller capacity (8,722) which will create a sold out arena and a ticket demand. There are other issues which must be examined, but The Palestra remains very much in the mix of what will be a revolving site situation for the first few years at least. The other sites that will receive serious consideration are Memphis, Hartford and Orlando."
Since I start driving back from Florida March 1st every year on my way to Southern Maryland, I could certainly arrange my trip to include Orlando and Memphis, or speed it up and do Philly. So, if Hartford doesn't get it, the other three are fine by me.