Mike Minyard Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 BOK Center basketball: TU to battle OU on Dec. 6 By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer 4/23/2008 Last Modified: 4/23/2008 2:44 AM The first men's college basketball game has been booked for the BOK Center. University of Tulsa athletic director Bubba Cunningham has confirmed that on Dec. 6, the TU and Oklahoma will face off in Tulsa's new downtown arena. That particular date could be an extremely busy Saturday for fans of the Golden Hurricane and Sooners. Dec. 6 also is the date of the Big 12 and Conference USA championship football games. Full Story: http://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/extra/ ... ancl349555 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 I certainly hope we aren't playing at home on Dec. 6!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold* Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I can't decide where I come out on this. It's a long way until the CUSA championship game, although I think we might have a pretty special football team next year (can't wait for the spin from the preseason mags about how we don't have a top 5 receiving corps). I also follow OU football pretty closely. Back-to-back-to-back major games might break me. Even though there are a lot of variables, I may have to start apologizing to my wife about December 6 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Why would TU agree to this? They lose their home court advantage at the Reynolds Center, they won't have near as many students go to the basketball game as they would have if it had been at the Reynolds Center, they'll have a portion of fans who will choose only the football over the basketball (due to either fatigue or economics), and they'll have some fans who are also OU fans go cheer for TU at the football game, then change into their OU gear for the basketball game. Not a good decision by Bubba, unless he was the victim of some sort of upper level or civic pressure regarding this specific date... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Why would TU agree to this? My guess is that it's because it's the first college game in the new arena. Unless we do a high profile game in November (ORU v. OSU?), no one will be able to take that designation away from TU. Also there must be some financial incentive since 60% - 70% of the tickets purchased will be OU fans. Even if they only have 11K people there (in an 18K arena), it will be more money than if the game were held in the DonRey. It will seem a little empty, but it may be regarded as the highest attended college game in the city of Tulsa ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 My guess is that it's because it's the first college game in the new arena. Unless we do a high profile game in November (ORU v. OSU?), no one will be able to take that designation away from TU. Also there must be some financial incentive since 60% - 70% of the tickets purchased will be OU fans. Even if they only have 11K people there (in an 18K arena), it will be more money than if the game were held in the DonRey. It will seem a little empty, but it may be regarded as the highest attended college game in the city of Tulsa ever. I think you're giving OU basketball fans WAY too much credit. This isn't the OU fan base we all remember from the Bill Tubbs days. The OU basketball "fans" in Norman and the Oklahoma City area don't even go to the games at Lloyd Noble in decent numbers! And the OU basketball "fans" in Tulsa, if they're not also TU fans to begin with, may be too wrapped up in either attending or watching the Big XII championship game to care much about seeing their basketball team play in an afternoon game against a TU team they beat by 30 the year before. I'm afraid the attendance at the BOK Center could end up being a MAJOR disappointment if both schools are participating in their respective conference football championship games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Maybe so, OT, but I think the newness of the BOK Center, plus the fact that the Sooners don't play in Tulsa but 3 - 4 times a decade will be an attraction even to the casual fan. For those that aren't into the Championship games (either live or on TV), watching their team play in a new arena may draw well. A lot of it will depend on the amount of marketing and hype that goes on before the game, I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 OU can't draw 11,000 in Norman. When they played at ORU a few times in the past decade, they brought 2,000-3,000 (tops) to the Mabee Center. Now, the casual Tulsa sports fans WILL come to this game. Just because of the "newness factor". I would imagine a packed house with 8,000 TU fans, 4,000 OU fans, & 6,000 casual sports fans. Half of which will root for whicher team is ahead on the scoreboard... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Minyard Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 It will be interesting to see if this game earns a TV deal with ESPN. I know the All-College game between OU and Tulsa was on ESPN, but that had everything to do with the All-College organization. I think there would be some interest to televise the game nationally. OU has emerged as a solid program under Capel, TU is looking to build on some success from the previous season, and it is the first college basketball game at a new venue. There are some selling points in order to get it on ESPN. Obviously the #1 factor with getting the game on TV is the University of Oklahoma. I would attend the game if possible just so I could see a college basketball game at the BOK Center. I am paying some tax dollars for that thing, so I should support some of the events that come into it. I also have selfish reasons for wanting it to be a success. I'd really like to see ORU and TU host an annual event at the arena. Securing a TV deal with ESPN would be required in order for ORU, TU and the Sports Commission to justify the work. An ESPN deal would be the only way you could get BCS league schools to participate. Gonzaga does a great job of getting involved with neutral court TV contract games. They played Tennessee in the Battle in Seattle on ESPN2. They also played Georgia at Spokane Arena on FSN. The BCS league schools will play on a "neutral site" as long as it's on TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold* Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I kind of think Wojcik really wanted the first game in the arena. Bubba did what he was told. It would be much nicer if we could leave the CUSA championship victory party for a basketball game next door. Maybe the real question is why it has to be on this date. TV? OU won't budge? OU is going to have a nice team next year. Too bad they will be also-rans to the OKC Okie Dokies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I kind of doubt this game would rate ESPN coverage - there are conference football championship games being played right and left on that date. And if any of those football games is on ABC, you can bet the powers-that-be at Disney will have figure skating or bowling on the ESPN networks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold* Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Because bowling and figure skating are always on ABC . . . A lot of the championship games are during the day, but there aren't THAT many. I'm just repeating what the article said and my own reading of the tea leaves at to the motive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Because bowling and figure skating are always on ABC . . . A lot of the championship games are during the day, but there aren't THAT many. I'm just repeating what the article said and my own reading of the tea leaves at to the motive. And, as usual, I wasn't talking to you - I was referring to Mike Minyard's previous post regarding the possibility of ESPN television coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold* Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Oh, I thought this was a general discussion forum. I had previously commented on the possibility of tv and you responded on that point. Forgive me if I want to have a conversation on a message board. Come to think of it . . . something like CSTV (or whatever they are calling it) just might pick this game up. The ratings won't be that great, but then they could be no worse than our football game at that powerhouse of the south, Tulane, last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Mike Minyard's post specifically referenced the possibility of ESPN coverage. My post in response to his specifically addressed ESPN/ABC coverage. It would be grossly presumptuous to assume I was "responding" to anyone's post than Mike's. Case closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold* Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Whole lot of anger for no reason there, Backr. Sorry you are unhappy. The article that orginally started this conversation specifically mention tv coverage. How dare I mention a network other than ESPN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Haha - you're like a completely different person (poster) when there's a TU fan involved OT... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Haha - you're like a completely different person (poster) when there's a TU fan involved OT... As I have mentioned before, I suffer fools poorly. And, some TU fans. But I repeat myself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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