Permanent sweet 16 site?

[cockhrnleghrn]

I suppose that's the other solution to the current problem. Attendances suffer unless there is a team within driving distance with a large fanbase.

Therefore, permanently put the regionals in the following locations:
EAST: Bridgeport (UConn)
SOUTH: Columbia OR Knoxville (SCar & Tenn.)
MIDWEST: Chicago OR Louisville (Notre Dame & Louisville)
WEST: Spokane (Gonzaga is not a perennial sweet 16 team but they have easily the best attendance for west coast teams)

It's not fair but you'll get good attendances. Otherwise you are in this in between state of having it be somewhat fair (teams sometimes can still play in regionals on virtual home courts) and badly attended. Putting regionals in places like Kansas City works for no one.

If nothing else, put the Regionals in places that are easy to get to. I went to the Regional in Sioux Falls a few years ago and that was decidedly not easy to get to; I flew from Columbia to Omaha and rented a car. Omaha was a cheaper flight than MSP. It would mess up the seedings a bit, but at least put teams in their geographic region to the greatest extent possible.

 

[SportsPageMike]

The territories are somewhat wrong. You can't cater to everyone but can make it close for fans to travel to.

EAST: Should be Washington D.C. - Even though I would prefer NYC.
SOUTH: San Anotonio - Or either Memphis or Knoxville would work.
MIDWEST: Chicago - Indianapolis would be just fine as well.
WEST: Las Vegas - No other choice.

All of these locations are easy and affordable to get to. Hotels, entertainment and anything else needed are plentiful.

 

[Husky fanatic]

What about, choice of seats? This past spring in Albany, I had 2 seats in the 2nd row behind the Uconn bench(because of the help of a poster on this site).
I would wager anything, that I would never be able to get a seat like that in Vegas.
I do NOT like to go to a game and watch the action with binoculars. I would rather stay home and watch the games on TV.

Shout out to Farley

 

[Monte]

Just as an aside, the new casino in Springfield, MA, opens in August (along with a 4,000 space parking garage). That's less than 25 minutes North of Hartford, Interstate 91 all the way. That's significantly less travel time and distance than the rides to The Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods (back roads mostly).

NO Racebook in Springfield.