Future Summit League Tourney sites

[tmh8286]

Hey rabbit, are you guys still going to call it the Oral Roberts Inivitational when you host it in Sioux Falls?  We've gotten kind of partial to that name . . .

I really appreciate the stuff you put on our board - helps keep things interesting when it's slow.  Thanks.

[89rabbit]

From the Fargo, ND paper (sub. site, but it is free)

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=166623

Summit tournament could be held in Sioux Falls

Jeff Kolpack, The Forum

North Dakota State?s first chance at making the NCAA basketball tournament could come at a nearby dance floor. Sioux Falls, S.D., is one of two cities being considered for The Summit League?s men?s and women?s postseason tournaments.

The league, which is changing its name from the Mid-Continent Conference on June 1, will make a site visit to Sioux Falls next week for the 2009 and 2010 tourneys. Conference commissioner Tom Douple said Sioux Falls and Tulsa, Okla., are the only two in the running.  .  .  .  (read more)

[tmh8286]

That Tulsa and Sioux Falls are the only two cities in the running is a major surprise to me.  Based on what I had heard, I thought that it was nearly a done deal that it would be at the Palace of Auburn Hills, with Oakland hosting.  You just never know how these deals will turn out.

Another thing that I think is amazing is how much of the breaking news about the league is coming from up north - our friends from NDSU and SDSU are feeding us all of the breaking stuff.  Either they've got a better pipeline than we do, or their newspaper people dig a little harder . . .

Thanks, 89rabbit, for the info. 

[ORUTerry]

Conference commissioner Tom Douple said Sioux Falls and Tulsa, Okla., are the only two in the running.  .  .  . 

Interesting quote. I would assume that this would give Sioux Falls an advantage because the league would want to move the tournament venue around. The Dakota schools are eligible for post season in 2009 - right?  It is interesting that Oakland is not in the running. Their bid must have been weak - if they submitted a bid. Wonder if the Tulsa bid included the UMAC or the Mabee Center?

[89rabbit]

Here is a link to Terry V's blog (SDSU beat writer for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader):

http://blogs.argusleadermedia.com/sports/

The return of Tuesday tidbits

That?s right, Tuesday tidbits are back from the grave - for this week, anyway. Enjoy them. Or not. Summertime indifference is setting in.

On the eve that it becomes The Summit League, Mid-Con officials will be in Sioux Falls making a site visit in regard to bidding for the 2009 and 2010 men?s and women?s basketball tournaments. A news conference is now scheduled for Friday morning at the Sheraton. Common sense says: There would be no need for a site visit news conference is Sioux Falls was not the front runner.  .  .  .  (read more)

[tmh8286]

That's an interesting and informative blog.  I like it.  Here's another post that was of interest:

A healthy bid

Posted in SDSU | Friday, May 11th, 2007 | Trackback

Although I?m still in the process of confirming exactly what cities have been for the 2009 and 2010 Mid-Continent Conference Summit League men?s and women?s basketball tournaments, regardless of the competition, Sioux Falls has two intangibles going for it:

A) As a newcomer vying for an established event, Sioux Falls had the benefit of knowing what other cities have bid in the past without the competition having any idea of what dollar amount South Dakota?s largest city might be willing to commit.

Sanford Health. This company has its name on everything within city limits (is this by law?) and one of its vice presidents, Kevin Lampe, is chairman of the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, the group that put together the bid.

Think about it: The Sanford Health Summit League Championships. Fronting two NCAA Division I basketball tournaments brings a big event and big money into town, theoretically benefitting the greater good, and gets Sanford Health exposure in markets like Kansas City, Indianapolis, Shreveport, Tulsa, Chicago and Detroit - not to mention time on ESPN - during the company?s aggressive growing phase.

If Sioux Falls does not get the event, it probably won?t be for lack of finances.

Link ot Story

[tmh8286]

Who wants to go to Michigan or the Dakotas in February?

Based on what we saw with the baseball tournament, regardless of whether their bid is better or not (I suspect they will put together a very good bid, though), I bet they will get it.  Let's hope that they are better prepared to host it than WIU was to host baseball.

[vcboy2000]

They've definately got the community around WIU beat when it comes to coverage of the league.

[89rabbit]

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 002/SPORTS

Summit gets look at city

Sioux Falls a finalist to host hoops tourney

By Terry Vandrovec

tvandrovec@argusleader.com

Published: June 1, 2007

A set of six representatives from the Summit League - no longer the Mid-Continent Conference as of today - began arriving in Sioux Falls on Wednesday to take a closer look at the city, one of two finalists to host its men's and women's basketball tournaments in 2009 and 2010.

It's a sight visit as much as a site visit.

"They're going to look (the city) in the eyes," South Dakota State athletic director Fred Oien said, "and see if the commitment is there from corporate sponsorship and the kind of things that really make a tournament feasible to host."

The tour, hosted by the bidding parties, the Sioux Falls Sports Authority and Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau, formally kicked off Thursday evening with some wining and dining at Minnehaha Country Club, replete with remarks from Gov. Mike Rounds.  .  .  .  (read more)

[ORUTerry]

Brought in the Governor, huh? Hard to see how anyone can compete with that. I think SDSU and the whole community will embrace the tournament and do what is necessary to see that it is a good experience for the athletes and coaches. Sioux Falls here we come....

[tmh8286]

Our governor would have to take a toll road to get from OKC to Tulsa, and I'm sure he's unwilling to do that !  I don't think he ever even made it to Tulsa to campaign in the last election!

[89rabbit]

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 002/SPORTS

Will D-I work at Arena?

Building has deficiencies, but Summit League likes city's enthusiasm for hoops tourneys

By Terry Vandrovec

tvandrovec@argusleader.com

Published: June 2, 2007

There are issues with the Sioux Falls Arena, commissioner Tom Douple said - as there are with any arena.

But what stood out most to Summit League representatives during a site visit to Sioux Falls, rather than the shortcomings of an aged venue, was the way the community seems to embrace the idea of hosting the conference's men's and women's basketball tournaments in 2009 and 2010, that it would be front-page news in this comparatively small city.

That the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, one of the groups backing the bid, is open to the idea of potentially modifying an existing building in order to secure the NCAA Division I event is further proof of the commitment level.

"I think our community supporters last night were very clear with the entire (Summit) team that we're willing to identify what those needs are," said Kevin Lampe, chairman of Sioux Falls Sports Authority, the group that worked with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and South Dakota State to submit a bid, "and devise a plan to make sure we have it in place to have that positive student-athlete experience they want."  .  .  .  (read more)

[tmh8286]

From the article:

"The race for the two-year contract is down to two cities: Sioux Falls and 2008 host Tulsa, Okla., boasting 937,815 metro residents, two Division I universities - neither of which garner the kind of media coverage that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State do.

What Tulsa does have, however, is the Union Multipurpose Activity Center, a $22-million, 5,600-seat facility that opened in 2003. Owned and operated by the city's public school district, the building has a state-of-the-art Daktronics scoreboard complete with four video screens, four permanent locker rooms and separate space for coaches and referees.

The 6,300-seat Sioux Falls Arena was built in 1961 and lacks a scoreboard with video capabilities as well as meeting rooms and media rooms in close proximity to the court. There are also concerns about the quality and quantity of locker rooms for players - the four current rooms share two sets of showers, for example - and officials."

My Solution to the shower issue - men's and women's teams share a shower.  That would work, wouldn't it???

"We've identified some areas," Douple said, "and we feel very comfortable if they can present a plan to address those - and it is a part of the bid package. This isn't something we've come up with all of a sudden on the visit."

Why do I get the feeling they really WANT to get the tournament out of Tulsa?

"The amenities, the facilities, the hotels, the infrastructure, everything is in place in my mind's eye to have a very positive student-athlete experience," Dorn said of Sioux Falls . . . During a news conference, Dorn said she is a proponent of Sioux Falls, and Sioux Falls appears to be a proponent of the event . . ."

Lynn Dorn is the North Dakota State women's athletics director - no bias there.  I wonder if she's even been to the UMAC to check it out.  She's certainly very positive about a venue that will have to be jury-rigged to work. 

All in all, I think it's probably a positive thing to move the tournament around.  I don't begrudge the league or South Dakota the desire to host it elsewhere.  The only problem is, we've already seen what has happened with the baseball tournament when they tried to host it at WIU and Centenary.  The facilities were lacking but the outcome was the same.   

I hope that they will be objective in this decision, but I'm really not expecting it.

[vcboy2000]

I agree, tmh. I have never seen the arena in South Dakota, but going by these reports it sounds like it needs some work. I can understand the Summit League commissioner's desire to move the host site from Tulsa, but not at the expense of putting on a high quality event.

One thing you can be assured of is that if the Dakota schools are any good (on the court), the tournament will make money. That has got to be a driving force behind the commissioners decision also. My understanding is that the past 3 years the tournament has been in Tulsa was the first time that it has actually made money. That is with 3 other D-1 schools in the state competing for fans and media. Imagine how much more money it will make since SDSU is the only D-1 school in the entire state. Now double that amount if NDSU is in the tournament also. An arena that only seats close to 7,000 fans will be no match for a community that large. They would sell out every game that they play in. The backlash wouldn't be that large if either team didn't make the tournament. The amount of money to secure an arena of that size that was built that long ago is going to be the same or less than what they are paying for the UMAC. Money talks.

Another factor to consider is that the Tulsa Sports Commission seems to be desiring to go after bigger fish. Winning another bid to host the Summit League tournament would lock them in for another 2 years. The BOK Center will be finished soon, and we know that they are trying to get the Big 12 tournament here. They will probably be going after some first round NCAA games as well. No doubt, they are allready getting some pressure from TU to help with a bid for the C-USA tournament. They might be in the Summit League bidding with the intentions to hold the tournament if no other reasonable host city can be found. Then again...I can't see them doing that, but just a few things to think about.

Does anyone know what the timetable looks like for a decision to be made?

[tmh8286]

I suspect the decision has been made - I don't know when it will be announced.

You bring up a good point about other tournaments coming to Tulsa in '09 and '10.  We've seen a small decrease in attendance over the past three years - what will happen if there is another tournament in Tulsa the week before or the week after?  Will Tulsans turn out in the same numbers to see the Mid-Con under those circumstances?  I'm not sure that they would.

[ORUTerry]

With the added competition in Tulsa from other tournaments (Conference USA or Big 12.... yeah, good luck with that), I suspect that the Tulsa Sports Commission is not enthusiastic about renewing the Summit League bid. It is probably a good thing to move it before 'event fatigue' sets in. I think Sioux Falls will do a great job from a community standpoint and attendance will probably be better than what we have encountered in Tulsa. The issues are what kind of venue will the games be played at and will it provide a suitable/favorable experience for the student-athletes? In addition, can opposing fans get to the location in a fairly economic manner and are there enough hotel rooms in a close proximity to the arena.

I look for Sioux Falls to get this bid....

[Mike Minyard]

I suspect the decision has been made - I don't know when it will be announced.

You bring up a good point about other tournaments coming to Tulsa in '09 and '10.  We've seen a small decrease in attendance over the past three years - what will happen if there is another tournament in Tulsa the week before or the week after?  Will Tulsans turn out in the same numbers to see the Mid-Con under those circumstances?  I'm not sure that they would.

Personally, I think the Tulsa Sports Commission did its best job of marketing the first year.  Don't get me wrong, I think they've done a very good job with the tournament.  Now has it really improved each year?  I don't think it has at a considerable rate.  I'm very appreciative of the TSC.  I don't want this to be taken the wrong way.  I just think they did such a great job the first year that it has looked like they coasted through the past two years.  I know I had a tough time getting information out to our fans, and we had some miscommunication along the way.  Overall, I'm glad to have the TSC.  The Mid-Con has been a great event for the city, and it has been great for ORU and the fans.  It will be interesting to see another school host after Tulsa.  The TSC and Tulsa has set the bar, and everyone involved with that deserves a tip of the cap.  As an ORU graduate, I'm happy to see so many people try to make a great event that involves ORU.

[ORUJason]

I am still surprised that Oakland did not submit a bid.

If SDSU does get the tournament for 2009 and 2010, it will be interesting to see if the area support, arena, volunteers, media coverage, and overall experience compares to what we have seen at the UMAC.

If it doesn't, I would guess that we would get the tournament back, unless Oakland makes a strong push for a bid.

While the tournament in Kemper Arena was a joke from an attendance vs. size of arena standpoint, the 4-hour drive was sure more convenient than a 10-hour drive to Sioux Falls would be.