Men's Conference Basketball Tournaments 2014

[Carl Spackler]

I got an email from the mother ship today that got me thinking.

I don't remember where it was posted, but not too long ago, there was a link here indicating all of the seats still available for the new Big East men's bball tourney at MSG. I just looked at it again. This is primary market ticket sales, not secondary. Shocking. As we all know, for the past what....25 years +, that tournament had been sold out in preseason. New Big East still has the entire upper level of MSG essentially wide open, almost entire second level sections empty - unsold as of right now.

Madision Square Garden, the newly refurbished arena, that's really nice, that we beat both Indiana and Boston College in, back in November - seats 18,200 for basketball.

Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, I just checked on line, seats 18,119.

I checked online, to see what I could find as for available seats for the AAC tournament, but I didn't find anything other than secondary market websites. I wonder if the offices in Providence are keeping the number of tickets sold under lock and key.

But anyway - it will be a real good measure of things, to compare those two arenas come conference tournament time, and compare the television ratings.

My hope, is that when it's all said and done, MSG management will have no choice but to consider booting the new Big EAst out of MSG for the AAC.

So get your tickets.


www.uconntickets.com

 

[Vowelguy]

Having the two least well known programs, Creighton and Xavier, at/near the top of the standings surely doesn't help with MSG sales.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The 3 closest ‘old’ Big East teams, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Rutgers, have not been relevant nor drawn well in basketball for years. The old Beast tournament attendance wise has been driven by UConn, Syracuse, and ND. Three schools with good basketball and very large alumni bases in the NYC metro area. Without those three, MSG is going to have issues with the ‘new’ Big lEast tournament there as there is simply not large enough of an alumni base in the NY/NJ metro area to drive sales. I fully expect the AAC tournament to draw better. Now, if the A-10 over at Barclay’s draws better than the Big lEast, MSG will be knocking on the ACC and B1G’s door soon.

 

[Hoophound]

Memphis isn't MSG but I think it is the right place for the tournament this year. Memphis loves it's hoops and attendance will be strong.

 

[TRest]

The AAC would draw UConn fans and flies to MSG.

 

[CL82]

I don't know. I think the first year or two attendance would be pretty good. Still it is better to earn it again with the new group than be a pale comparison to the original.

 

[rbny1]

The "new" Big East doesn't seem to have any buzz at all. It's pretty much fallen out of sight.

 

[zls44]

The "new" Big East doesn't seem to have any buzz at all. It's pretty much fallen out of sight.

There's a thread on the PC board about how tough it is to figure out where they can watch their game vs. DePaul. Its funny to read. Apparently the bars had Cincy vs UL all over the place the night of their last game!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

There's a thread on the PC board about how tough it is to figure out where they can watch their game vs. DePaul. Its funny to read. Apparently the bars had Cincy vs UL all over the place the night of their last game!

Serves PC right, I was so mad in the early 2000's (pre stubhub) when PC switched ticket polices so that if one wanted to buy a UConn/PC game at the Donut, one had to buy a three-pack of games. Had a lot of fun hanging with the guys in Providence after the game at some of the fine establishments handing out dollar bills while certain Red Sox players made it rain.

 

[alexd]

Carl - not sure where you were checking for MSG BET seats....I went to the MSG site and opened up a seating plan of the Garden....yes most of the upper sections show "seats available"....but when you click on those sections and you see which seats are actually available to be bought, you'll see that most of those sections are 50-75% sold....