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Paul Mills Battles Sioux Falls Fatigue (Tulsa World 3/5/23)


Old Titan

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13 minutes ago, Texasgrip said:

I like Mills’ “home team” site idea for q-finals as a conversation starter. I’m guessing it would be too complex for the tournament to potentially move every year based on previous season champion (a la baseball). 
It’s certainly easy to have a perspective of bias with the tourney running this many years in Sioux Falls. However, didn’t other teams use to complain when Tulsa hosted the Mid-Con tourney all those years? How long was it in Tulsa? Is the “bidding” process similar in The Summit?

It becomes a matter of money and coordination for doing home team sites in a tournament.  The airfare for short-term reservations is much greater than it used to be.  Desirable hotels may also be in short supply for places like Denver in March.

Tulsa had the tournament for four years (2005 - 2008) which was before the Dakota schools were entrenched in the league and we had teams in Michigan, Indiana and other states that could get to Tulsa easily.  Plus they enjoyed the balmy 50-degree weather that Tulsa provided that allowed them to roam outside rather than be stuck inside a hotel with inclement weather.  I think most teams are tired of the cold weather that they have to travel around in the Dakotas in the winter and then have to return to them for a tournament in not-ideal weather conditions.

In short, all teams (except the closest teams) will complain about a host site being in a member school's backyard.

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I am curious about how ticket sales are handled. Did SDSU fans really buy out the stadium in October? If I was a SDU/NDU fan, would I be willing to spend $168 for the all session pass? 

It seemed like they sold individual sessions (2 games) when it was held at the UMAC in Tulsa. 

I feel like they should give allotments to each school, so the fans of the schools playing have a chance to sit near the vicinity of the court. 

The SDSU fans around us were generally friendly and fun, but let us know they were cheering against us, because they didn't want to play us in the final. 

I think the Summit is a good fit for ORU, but it's clear the conference has been allowed to get far too comfortable and cozy in their relationship/deals, with SDSU or the city of Sioux Falls. 

 

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17 minutes ago, SonofaLegend said:

I am curious about how ticket sales are handled. Did SDSU fans really buy out the stadium in October? If I was a SDU/NDU fan, would I be willing to spend $168 for the all session pass? 

It seemed like they sold individual sessions (2 games) when it was held at the UMAC in Tulsa. 

Wait, they didn't even block out tickets for individual schools?

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I get that we are a part of the Summit League and there are no good alternatives. But the whole Dakota- centered attitude by the league has to change. 

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Where should the tournament be? 

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5 minutes ago, vcboy2000 said:

Where should the tournament be? 

Rotation basis, perhaps 2-year stints each in Sioux Falls, Omaha, and Kansas City.

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1 hour ago, Old Titan said:

This ^^^^^

The Summit League will continue to remain a low-major, one-bid conference in men's basketball as long as they continue to sleep with:

  • Midco Sports
  • Sanford Health
  • Sioux Falls Sports Authority/Convention & Visitors Bureau

The inherent conflict of interest of having the league headquarters in subsidized office space in Sioux Falls is emblematic of the problem.

Imagine if the league office was in the CitiPlex Towers, the league TV contract was exclusive to Fox Sports Oklahoma (available to non-Cox households only behind a paywall), everything was sponsored by Hobby Lobby, Mazzios, and Advanced Orthopedics, and the games were all played at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

Think anyone north of the 40th parallel would be happy with THAT arrangement?

Best thing I’ve read on this Board in a LONG time … and I like almost EVERYTHING!

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34 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

Rotation basis, perhaps 2-year stints each in Sioux Falls, Omaha, and Kansas City.

Would LOVE to see the tournament in KC or Omaha.

ABSOLUTELY no reason for that not to happen.

And, are you trying to be magnanimous in not including Tulsa in the rotation? MANY positives about a Tulsa tournament, if part of a regular rotation.

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The best Neutral sites would be Omaha or Kansas City. 
 

The WCC bracket makes the most sense to me, not sure how that works from the leagues perspective, having games spread out. 
 

OT is on the money, it's short sided decision making. I don't know what the future holds, but if the league takes Paul Mills for granted, it will hurt them in the long run.

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2 minutes ago, SonofaLegend said:

The best Neutral sites would be Omaha or Kansas City. 
 

The WCC bracket makes the most sense to me, not sure how that works from the leagues perspective, having games spread out. 
 

OT is on the money, it's short sided decision making. I don't know what the future holds, but if the league takes Paul Mills for granted, it will hurt them in the long run.

Neither would be strictly neutral, since the conference has teams in both cities.

 

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36 minutes ago, tmh8286 said:

Neither would be strictly neutral, since the conference has teams in both cities.

 

But it would level the playing field somewhat in those cities.

It is inherently unfair to host the tournament annually in the largest city of a state that is 30 miles from the largest land-grant university of that state.  They have more fans than anyone in the conference, so you're going to make it easier for them to attend than any other fan base?

It would be like if ORU was in the same conference as Oklahoma and the tournament was held in Oklahoma City every year:  larger enrollment, more alumni (who stay in that state when they graduate), etc.

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1 minute ago, Old Titan said:

But it would level the playing field somewhat in those cities.

It is inherently unfair to host the tournament annually in the largest city of a state that is 30 miles from the largest land-grant university of that state.  They have more fans than anyone in the conference, so you're going to make it easier for them to attend than any other fan base?

It would be like if ORU was in the same conference as Oklahoma and the tournament was held in Oklahoma City every year:  larger enrollment, more alumni (who stay in that state when they graduate), etc.

Hey, I'm in 100% agreement!! I was just pointing out - perhaps I was too quick to the point - that those locations did have resident teams, and so, strictly speaking, wouldn't be completely neutral. But I'm FINE with that!!  ANYWHERE BUT SIOUX FALLS is GREAT with me!!!

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What is embarrassing as I stated elsewhere is that on any given day I can flip on the ESPN package and watch anything from the ACC, SEC, Big East, AAC, MAC, SunBelt to the ASun, Socon, MVC, A10 or even the NEC or the American East, but not the Summit, in basically every sport those conferences sponsor.  

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2 hours ago, Dr. Cornelius said:

Wait, they didn't even block out tickets for individual schools?

I'm not sure. My brother said he called ORU, and they said they didn't have any available to sell. And going through the official summit league site, the only option was for an all session pass in the upper level.

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The problem is that the current tournament makes the league a fair amount of money - more than it ever saw at any other venue. Until there is an option to rival the arrangement in Sioux Falls, the member teams will not agree to a change in cities. 

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2 hours ago, ORUTerry said:

I get that we are a part of the Summit League and there are no good alternatives. But the whole Dakota- centered attitude by the league has to change. 

Agreed. There is life outside the Dakotas 😂

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