C-USA Spring Meetings

[Champ967]

this -

i also want a small arena - less than 10k

intimate setting - civic center convo center something along those lines -

warm weather and centrally located -

gulf coast region would be my personal preference

make it a destination point

Gotta be Shreveport, babeeeeee!!!!

Shreeeeeeeve Pooooooorrrt!!!

[qng001]

WKU won't be a member next season, and you forgot about UAB.

After the winter meetings, it was reported that the following would play home-and-home match-ups in hoops next season. (I'm assuming these pairs will be travel partners, too.)
- Florida Atlantic and FIU
- Marshall and Old Dominion
- Charlotte and East Carolina
- UAB and Middle Tennessee

Nothing was leaked about the west, and the west is much trickier with travel.

Travel partners and scheduling based on the rivalry theory:
- UTEP and UTSA
- Tulsa and North Texas
- Rice and Tulane
- LaTech and Southern Miss

Travel partners and scheduling based on my best guess at reducing travel costs:
- UTEP and UTSA
- Tulsa and North Texas
- Rice and LaTech
- Tulane and Southern Miss

How does travel partner work? Do the two school share planes/buses?

[HoDo-Tech70]

Based on my observations from previous tournaments, it is clear to me that Tech basketball fans do not travel well. I doubt we had 50 MBB fans in Vegas in March when we were the #1 seed. Techster fans outnumber Bulldog fans at conference tournaments, but other schools have larger numbers for both women and men.

When we played Centenary in Shreveport's Gold Dome and the Century-Tel Arena in Bossier, Tech fans did not show up in great numbers. Until our attendance improves in Ruston and at tournaments, don't expect to see the conference tournament anywhere near Ruston. It's all about money, which comes from ticket sales.

[inudesu]

How does travel partner work? Do the two school share planes/buses?

It's more for the other schools.

Travel partners means that you and your travel partner play another set of travel partners every time you go on the road. So this last year in the WAC, when we played @Idaho, UTA (our travel partner) played @Seattle (Idaho's travel partner). And then we switched opponents on the same trip.

If someone played us on Thursday, they'd play UTA on Saturday and whomever played UTA on Thursday would play us on Saturday.

[Dawg06]

How does travel partner work? Do the two school share planes/buses?

Travel partners are designed to kill two birds with one stone for sports like basketball, volleyball, and soccer. It's the most efficient way to schedule conference road trips. Travel partners are always at home on the same weeks as each other, and they are also on the road at the same time. They simply switch opponents and Thursdays and Saturdays.

Take Florida Atlantic/FIU and UAB/Middle Tennessee for example.

Wednesday
Florida Atlantic drives to Miami and flies out to Birmingham.
FIU flies out of Miami to Nashville and drives to Murfreesboro.

Thursday
Florida Atlantic at UAB
FIU at Middle Tennessee

Friday
Florida Atlantic drives from Birmingham to Murfreesboro.
FIU drives from Murfreesboro to Birmingham.

Saturday
Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee
FIU at UAB

Sunday
Florida Atlantic flies from Nashville back to Miami and drives back to Boca Raton.
FIU flies from Birmingham back to Miami.

This is why I said ArkSt would not significantly reduce travel costs in C-USA unless Missouri State comes aboard with them. ArkSt and ULL might eliminate a flight or two for a few schools, but those two would actually make travel worse between travel partners. If the goal of C-USA expansion to 16 is truly to reduce travel costs, New Mexico State would undoubtedly be the best candidate.

[Dwayne From Minden]

Based on my observations from previous tournaments, it is clear to me that Tech basketball fans do not travel well. I doubt we had 50 MBB fans in Vegas in March when we were the #1 seed. Techster fans outnumber Bulldog fans at conference tournaments, but other schools have larger numbers for both women and men.

When we played Centenary in Shreveport's Gold Dome and the Century-Tel Arena in Bossier, Tech fans did not show up in great numbers. Until our attendance improves in Ruston and at tournaments, don't expect to see the conference tournament anywhere near Ruston. It's all about money, which comes from ticket sales.

We have decent numbers when the games were drivable - always did in the Belt & ASC...

Having to hop an airplane doesn't cut it with a lot of our fans - about 95% of them -

I would not even hop a plane - I have to be able to be back in case I have to in early March and 4 wheels allows me to do that

[HogDawg]

Looking around other schools in CUSA, a lot of them have alumni chapters in the DFW area. I bet it would bring in a pretty big tournament crowd.

I agree. Plus, we wouldn't have to compete with any other colleges in town for full media attention. I like it. Good suggestion.

[JuBru]

Where does the Big XII have their tournament?

[GatorDawg]

Where does the Big XII have their tournament?

Currently in Kansas City. But Dallas and OKC have done it a few times.

[Dawg06]

Hodo,

Where do you think is the best location for the 2015 C-USA Tournament if looking at it from Banowsky's shoes?

[HoDo-Tech70]

Hodo,

Where do you think is the best location for the 2015 C-USA Tournament if looking at it from Banowsky's shoes?

Basketball tournaments earn more money when held in a conference city with good basketball attendance. The top 3 possibilities for 2015 based strictly on good ticket sales would be Charlotte, Norfolk (ODU), or El Paso (again). Like I said in a previous post, I don't think the C-USA tournament will be held in a neutral city - it could be at an off-campus venue in a C-USA city.

I would prefer Charlotte.

[Dawg06]

Basketball tournaments earn more money when held in a conference city with good basketball attendance. The top 3 possibilities for 2015 based strictly on good ticket sales would be Charlotte, Norfolk (ODU), or El Paso (again). Like I said in a previous post, I don't think the C-USA tournament will be held in a neutral city - it could be at an off-campus venue in a C-USA city.

I would prefer Charlotte.

If C-USA continues to hold them at home sites, I'd prefer Charlotte, too. El Paso is inaccessible to the entire conference, and Norfolk is the other bookend.

You don't think Middle Tennessee and WKU could provide strong enough base support in Nashville?

[Dawg06]

Inu,

At the meeting, Marshall's travel partner was changed from Old Dominion to Charlotte. I guess that means Old Dominion's travel partner will now be East Carolina. Still no word on travel partners/"rivals" in the West.

The Charleston Gazette: C-USA has 'amazing week' of meetings

It was decided, however, that all 16 schools will come to El Paso, Texas. As before, the men will play at the Haskins Center and the women's early rounds at the nearby Memorial Gym. The league is adopting the scheduling plan favored in recent years by the 16-team Big East, one stretching over five days. And, yes, the top four teams will earn that "double bye."

Some items discussed at length:

• Instituting divisions in basketball. That could bring a 19-game schedule - 12 against the six division rivals and one each against the seven teams in the other division.
• Future basketball tournament destinations: If a few schools had their druthers, Nashville would be the front-runner. The Music City sits close to Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee and is a doable drive from at least half the league's schools, and it's one of the better tourist destinations.

The WBB C-USA schedules changed from Friday/Sunday to Wednesday/Saturday because they didn't want to play on Sundays anymore.

[HoDo-Tech70]

If C-USA continues to hold them at home sites, I'd prefer Charlotte, too. El Paso is inaccessible to the entire conference, and Norfolk is the other bookend.

You don't think Middle Tennessee and WKU could provide strong enough base support in Nashville?

C-USA has had 18 men's basketball tournaments and all 18 have been held in the home city of a member school. The 2014 tournament in El Paso will make it 19 straight. If chosen in 2015, Nashville would be the 1st neutral city in the history of the conference.

Nashville would be an ideal neutral site about an hour from WKU and less than an hour drive from Middle Tennessee. Both schools support MBB. If a neutral site is chosen as the site of the 2015 conference tournament, Nashville would be a great location.

[Dawg06]

Media links

El Paso Times:
http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci...ey-gets-bigger

Hattiesburg American:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/a...y-field-expand

Charleston Gazette:
http://www.wvgazette.com/Sports/201305150289

Charlotte Observer:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...ost-c-usa.html

Birmingham News:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2...des_sprin.html

Huntington Herald-Dispatch:
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sport...pring-meetings

Charleston Daily Mail:
http://blogs.dailymail.com/marshall/...s-tournaments/

ESPN Radio 94.1 FM:
http://stationcaster.com/player_skin...2941&f=1419601

The Virginian-Pilot:
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/05/odu-...etings-florida



The LaTech delegation seemed like they wanted to talk about the meetings...

Bruce Van De Velde ‏@LATechAD
Tremendous progress being made on bowl lineup for CUSA. Could have as many as 6 primary bowl agreement in place for 2013.
CUSA television partners FOX Sports, CBS Sports Network and ESPN will bring great exposure in large markets to conference and LA Tech.
Men's basketball in CUSA to play conference games on Thursday and Saturday.

Skip Holtz ‏@LATechSHoltz
C-usa Football coaches and AD chairs for 2013 pic.twitter.com/OfYNxkpr6i
C-USA meetings in Destin,Fl. Exciting time for the league.
Great meetings in Destin. Going to be an exciting year in C-USA

Teresa Weatherspoon ‏@Finisher_11
In the airport in NY..headed to Florida..receiving such love from NY'ers. You gotta love it here #muchrespect
Talking to Coach White in airport. We are headed to these meetings in Florida. Love talking with him #Techball
Meeting after meeting but this place is nice
Meetings are done...had a great time with Mike, Skip and our administrators last night at the reception. #funnystuff

But apparently our media didn't care to interview them.