Seattle "Regionals" - Where do the teams assigned to those regions come from?

[Pharos]

A quick survey:

Seattle 3. The top 8 seeds - the ones most likely to compete for a place in the "regional":
Virginia Tech, UConn, Ohio State, Tennesee, Iowa State, North Carolina, Baylor, USC
Seattle 4. The top 8 seeds - the ones most likely to compete for a place in the "regional":
Stanford, Iowa, Duke, Texas, Louisville, Colorado, Florida State, Ole Miss
(bold = > 1000 miles to travel) (underline = > 1500 miles to travel)(Stanford > 800 miles)

So what's the logic? Something special about Seattle? What money is behind this? Sure, there will be ardent fans who make the trip. But those of more modest means won't have the option (Tough decision when your team might lose the first game). What are the politics here?

Gotta say Bridgeport and Albany were a lot of fun.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I liked Geno's idea of putting the regions in the middle of the country. They could have one in Chicago and one in St. Louis or something.

 

[HuskyNan]

They’re going to pre-determined neutral sites to make it more fair. Teams complained, with some justification, that sending, say, #1 seed Virginia Tech to Bridgeport gave UConn an advantage

 

[HuskyNan]

I liked Geno's idea of putting the regions in the middle of the country. They could have one in Chicago and one in St. Louis or something.

Cities or universities bid for the right to host

 

[Pharos]

Cities or universities bid for the right to host

So like an auction? And lots of places wouldn't consider the hassle worth it, I guess.

 

[Pharos]

They’re going to pre-determined neutral sites to make it more fair. Teams complained, with some justification, that sending, say, #1 seed Virginia Tech to Bridgeport gave UConn an advantage

Would it be fair to say then that the driver is TV? And to what extent are locations and TV partnering in the bidding for sites?

 

[Pharos]

They’re going to pre-determined neutral sites to make it more fair. Teams complained, with some justification, that sending, say, #1 seed Virginia Tech to Bridgeport gave UConn an advantage

Fair enough. And Seattle is the closest neutral location for that match up?

 

[HuskyNan]

Would it be fair to say then that the driver is TV? And to what extent are locations and TV partnering in the bidding for sites?

Schools and conferences have signed contracts with networks or local channels. ESPN may hold rights to certain games as do the contract holders. Schedules need to be revised and travel arranged to tv crews. It’s a complicated and intricate dance that has to be done in days.

 

[HuskyNan]

Fair enough. And Seattle is the closest neutral location for that match up?

Sites are determined before the season begins

 

[Centerstream]

Cities or universities bid for the right to host

Oh, I thought Nike was the highest bidder and now we are in Seattle...or was it Starbucks.

 

[oldude]

For MBB there is no shortage of cities/arenas that will bid to host NCAA tournament games. Fans typically travel well and fill up arenas, regardless of who is playing, even during the early rounds of the tournament.

It’s much tougher for WBB. That’s why the first 2 rounds are played on campus where attendance is reasonably assured. After that it’s a crapshoot. Albany & Bridgeport aggressively pursue the East Regional because UConn has delivered each & every time by earning a #1 or #2 seed, not only making it to the Regional, but winning every single time. That all translates into lots of fans booking hotel rooms, eating out at restaurants and filling seats in the arena.

As for the crapshoot part, you only need to look back a few years ago when Ft Wayne, IN hosted the Midwest Regional, with the hope and expectation that ND would be there. Unfortunately, ND didn’t even make it into the tournament and attendance was disappointing at best.

 

[Rowdy831]

The Seattle Region will really struggle getting big crowds and more importantly the loud and partisan fans. It is a shame that they don't have 4 Regions like the Men so that travel isn't ridiculous for so many teams. I guess it could be worse, you could have to go there for two full weeks and live out of a hotel.

 

[oldude]

The Seattle Region will really struggle getting big crowds and more importantly the loud and partisan fans. It is a shame that they don't have 4 Regions like the Men so that travel isn't ridiculous for so many teams. I guess it could be worse, you could have to go there for two full weeks and live out of a hotel.

Seattle has a passionate WBB fan base because of what Breanna, Sue and the Storm have accomplished there. In addition, as Geno has stated many times, UConn WBB on the road is, “like the circus coming to town.” I expect very good attendance in Seattle, including a large contingent of loud, passionate UConn WBB fans.

 

[Centerstream]

Oh, I thought Nike was the highest bidder and now we are in Seattle...or was it Starbucks.

Oops. For some reason I thought Nike originated in Seattle but obviously it was not. Doh!!!!!!

 

[Centerstream]

The Seattle Region will really struggle getting big crowds and more importantly the loud and partisan fans. It is a shame that they don't have 4 Regions like the Men so that travel isn't ridiculous for so many teams. I guess it could be worse, you could have to go there for two full weeks and live out of a hotel.

Isn't this the first tournament with only 2 Regional sites? Previously there were 4 Regional sites.

 

[Pharos]

Seattle has a passionate WBB fan base because of what Breanna, Sue and the Storm have accomplished there. In addition, as Geno has stated many times, UConn WBB on the road is, “like the circus coming to town.” I expect very good attendance in Seattle, including a large contingent of loud, passionate UConn WBB fans.

Good thought. Grateful.

 

[ccwarrior]

Oops. For some reason I thought Nike originated in Seattle but obviously it was not. Doh!!!!!!

Eugene/Portland (really Beaverton)

 

[Kat]

As they wanted a place in the PST for tv, why not Los Angeles? For the teams' fans it would have been easier to get direct flights than to Seattle. More options for hotel rooms, too.

 

[Pharos]

As they wanted a place in the PST for tv, why not Los Angeles? For the teams' fans it would have been easier to get direct flights than to Seattle. More options for hotel rooms, too.

Seems, too, like a more interesting variety of "side trip" adventures would be possible in Southern CA. Topanga Canyon is great! : ) Malibu... Coastal Highway... Hollywood... Rodeo Drive... and on and on and on...

 

[DefenseBB]

Seems, too, like a more interesting variety of "side trip" adventures would be possible in Southern CA. Topanga Canyon is great! : ) Malibu... Coastal Highway... Hollywood... Rodeo Drive... and on and on and on...

Simply put, no schools in LA have ever bid on hosting the NCAAT and based on the attendance in Stockton, CA in 2017, I would not advise going back to California (averaged 3,817 per session!).
Heck, I even advise against playing on the West Coast at all as they are abysmal at drawing attendance. The PAC12 has the lowest of the P6 conferences in Attendance, the only time the West did outdraw the other regions was in 2019 in Portland with a "Sabrina led" Oregon team. Other than that, the West venues have averaged only 4,652 fans per game in the regionals. Compare that to the Northeast (9,042) and South (5.804) and you can see the NCAA site committee is not doing what it can. Keep one of the Sites on the East Coast and move the West among the mid-west, southwest and west coast.

I am so hoping this two site locale draws better but I do not have high hopes for Seattle or Portland, Spokane or Sacremento in the next 4 years.

 

[Centerstream]

The two 2024 Regional sites are Portland, Oregon and Albany, NY (UConn Northwest).