Memphis looks to host new conference MBB/WBB Tourney

[upstater]

I think that is dead, spot on wrong. The C-7 schools will be making far more money from Fox than they did in the Big East. If they want to invest in a loss-leader at MSG to build their brand, they can do so.

$1m more in TV rights, but then you're forgetting the split from $22-25m in NCAA tourney credits per year. Right now that's based on 9-10 teams going with 3 or 4 advancing to the second weekend, 1 to the final weekend. This new league will be lucky to get more than 4, and how many will advance? I see their NCAA credit take dropping to the $8-10m range, or $1m per year. The BE was shelling out $1.7m per year. That gives them $300k more. Are they going to eat that amount in tourney tix? I doubt it.

I've been to the BE many times, and yet I can't remember what the face price is on a ticket. If it was $50, and they now charge $20, that's $30 per ticket less per session. 4 teams per session means about 4.5k tix each, or a loss of $1.35m less per team per session. As you go to the semifinals, you raise the tix to say $40, and only lose $450k per team, and none for the final.

I can't see them eating that amount.

Besides my original point was that MSG rents out the facility--the teams sell the tix.

 

[huskyjawz]

FWIW, MSG does not set the prices or profit from ticket sales. MSG rents out the entire building for the length of the tourney, and the conference does with it as it wants. The Big East Tourney is the only event at the Garden that MSG employees can't go to and luxury box owners don't have the right to use their box for.

I agree on the point above that, for out of town guests, ticket prices are not driving the bus. But above the level where donors sit, sell the tickets cheap and fill the arena with people in metro New York who will shell out $25 to fill the top level seats, but would never dream of paying a scalper $100 currently.

Luxury box owners most certainly have use of their boxes.

 

[J187Money]

Luxury box owners most certainly have use of their boxes.

They do. But I'm not sure if they have to pay separately for the BET or not. I can find out.

(Yes. Automatically. Not an add on)

 

[mattp]

Now with the disperse geographic range of most of the conferences that benefit no longer is available. My thought is the only viable options are 1) rotate the tournament venues which may be fair, but not the most economically beneficial option or 2) contract with a site that people wouldn't mind vacationing to such as FL (beaches, Disney, etc,) or NYC (Manhattan or Brooklyn, it's still the Big Apple). The second option would also allow for more continuity and could be modified by doing one year Fl, the next year NYC.

This is what pisses me off most, and it's the reason i wish we were able to keep playing bball with the C7. NYC was an easy day trip. Even if they play the tournament in a "desirable" location like Orlando, there's no way I'm going there every year for a week for a bball tournament. It goes from an annual trip to a once every 5 year trip, and I don't think there's enough UCF/USF fans to annually pack a location in Orlando. MSG was an easy train ride away from just about the entire BE. The magic is gone and it's gone because schools are bickering over pennies that they'll just waste in a never ending arms race.

 

[mattp]

Yes, FedEx is at the end of Beale Street. All bars and restaurants are in immediate walking distance. As someone who lived in Memphis for 5 years and lived and grew up in Hartford, Memphis blows Hartford outta the water when it comes to food, bars and entertainment.

Peabody, Doubletree and Madison are all within walking distance and are all very good hotels. Madison is great.

I can't believe anyone would complain about Memphis as a destination. I went there for New Year's once and it is hands down the most fun city I've ever been too. If you're there for the week and we get knocked out early you can spend a day at the Casino Riverboats in Tunica which is only an hour away.

 

[upstater]

One thing here about Barclay's, MSG and the ACC.

When/if the ACC becomes a big mess, and when/if Uconn gets an invite, I'm not going to lament the loss of UNC or Miami or FSU, etc.

I'll be looking forward to a northeast dominated conference.

And what the hell will MSG be thinking as it hosts a conference of small Catholic schools from the Midwest?

What then?

In 5 years, we might find ourselves playing in the annual ACC tourney at MSG in the best college basketball conference in America with football no worse than what we had 5 years ago.