southie
Longhorn Lover
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- Apr 1, 2012
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Maybe someone needs to define what "grow the sport" means.
Does it mean wanting the arena seats more than half-filled so it looks good to the people watching on TV? Does it "grow the sport" to always have a regional within one or two driving hours from UConn's campus? It's great that UConn fans support their team so much; hats off to you for that. But, how does that help "grow the sport" in other parts of the country if one regional is always gift-wrapped to UConn fans? Four consecutive years of regionals in Albany and Bridgeport tells me the NCAA wants the ticket revenue above all else. Do these cities even bid on regionals if there isn't a 90% chance that UConn will be a participating school there?
Does it mean spreading the regionals around annually so fans in/near different cities around the country get to attend in person and experience these games first hand? That will not guarantee high ticket sales. But, if you only give a city one year to "prove" the nearby fans will support the regional, are you really giving them a fair chance? Perhaps this is why they give Lexington three consecutive years to host. It didn't work. And, I don't care how many times it is stated that it is a "neutral" site because UK women play their games in the Coliseum and not in Rupp Arena, I won't buy it. Rupp Arena is the school's main basketball arena. I will never understand the NCAA's logic in this decision.
So, the current format isn't necessarily about being "fair" to all programs and their fans. I see mixed signals with what the NCAA is trying to accomplish based on their regional host site choices. Maybe once they are honest with themselves about their priorities, they will figure out some better solutions.
This past December, the women's volleyball regionals were hosted by the highest remaining seeds remaining in each region; for many years before that, it was pre-determined on-campus hosts. The arenas in Lincoln, Austin, Minneapolis, and Madison were packed. It looked amazing on TV. Seeing all the fans in the stands, and the excitement. 3 of 4 host schools advanced to the Final Four. TV ratings were at an all time high, I believe. But, I still don't understand how that "grows the sport". That was the purpose of this decision. So, perhaps "grow the sport" means getting fans across the country to watch ESPN's network of channels.
Does it mean wanting the arena seats more than half-filled so it looks good to the people watching on TV? Does it "grow the sport" to always have a regional within one or two driving hours from UConn's campus? It's great that UConn fans support their team so much; hats off to you for that. But, how does that help "grow the sport" in other parts of the country if one regional is always gift-wrapped to UConn fans? Four consecutive years of regionals in Albany and Bridgeport tells me the NCAA wants the ticket revenue above all else. Do these cities even bid on regionals if there isn't a 90% chance that UConn will be a participating school there?
Does it mean spreading the regionals around annually so fans in/near different cities around the country get to attend in person and experience these games first hand? That will not guarantee high ticket sales. But, if you only give a city one year to "prove" the nearby fans will support the regional, are you really giving them a fair chance? Perhaps this is why they give Lexington three consecutive years to host. It didn't work. And, I don't care how many times it is stated that it is a "neutral" site because UK women play their games in the Coliseum and not in Rupp Arena, I won't buy it. Rupp Arena is the school's main basketball arena. I will never understand the NCAA's logic in this decision.
So, the current format isn't necessarily about being "fair" to all programs and their fans. I see mixed signals with what the NCAA is trying to accomplish based on their regional host site choices. Maybe once they are honest with themselves about their priorities, they will figure out some better solutions.
This past December, the women's volleyball regionals were hosted by the highest remaining seeds remaining in each region; for many years before that, it was pre-determined on-campus hosts. The arenas in Lincoln, Austin, Minneapolis, and Madison were packed. It looked amazing on TV. Seeing all the fans in the stands, and the excitement. 3 of 4 host schools advanced to the Final Four. TV ratings were at an all time high, I believe. But, I still don't understand how that "grows the sport". That was the purpose of this decision. So, perhaps "grow the sport" means getting fans across the country to watch ESPN's network of channels.
