How many Big East teams will make the NCAA tourney?

[Bill Marsh]

I'm not worried about BET attendance, but I think Thursday could be improved by switching some game times around.

For example, the first game of the day- Nova vs either Georgetown or St. John's is a noon. That game should definitely be moved into the day's second session. If it ends up being Nova/St. John's- it could sell out the night session as fans of both teams would be able to work a normal day and head over after. Will people take the day off to go? I'm sure plenty will, but a lot more would be there if they didn't have to. Instead, the prime 7:00 game is going to be Butler vs. either Xavier or DePaul. The large majority of fans for those teams are going to be traveling fans who took the week off and will be there in the same numbers regardless of game time.

The same could be said for Seton Hall's game, but I don't think it's worth swapping a game time for just 1 local team (Pirate fans don't like the 9:30 game anyway since it ends so late).

Of course the counterpoint to all this is that team fans will go out of their way to see their team regardless of time while the 7:00 game will always draw the most casual fans, regardless of who's playing. I guess it's a matter of would you rather completely sell out one session, or have pretty good attendance at both?

They don't know who the teams are seeded when they set the schedule. The fact that St John's played at noon was not part of their calculation, nor would it ever be.

[Hall2012]

I'm not worried about BET attendance, but I think Thursday could be improved by switching some game times around.

For example, the first game of the day- Nova vs either Georgetown or St. John's is a noon. That game should definitely be moved into the day's second session. If it ends up being Nova/St. John's- it could sell out the night session as fans of both teams would be able to work a normal day and head over after. Will people take the day off to go? I'm sure plenty will, but a lot more would be there if they didn't have to. Instead, the prime 7:00 game is going to be Butler vs. either Xavier or DePaul. The large majority of fans for those teams are going to be traveling fans who took the week off and will be there in the same numbers regardless of game time.

The same could be said for Seton Hall's game, but I don't think it's worth swapping a game time for just 1 local team (Pirate fans don't like the 9:30 game anyway since it ends so late).

Of course the counterpoint to all this is that team fans will go out of their way to see their team regardless of time while the 7:00 game will always draw the most casual fans, regardless of who's playing. I guess it's a matter of would you rather completely sell out one session, or have pretty good attendance at both?

They don't know who the teams are seeded when they set the schedule. The fact that St John's played at noon was not part of their calculation, nor would it ever be.

I know that would never be something taken into account. I'm just saying that if it was, it woud almost certainly boost night session attendance, possibly to a sellout.

[Bill Marsh]

I'm not worried about BET attendance, but I think Thursday could be improved by switching some game times around.

For example, the first game of the day- Nova vs either Georgetown or St. John's is a noon. That game should definitely be moved into the day's second session. If it ends up being Nova/St. John's- it could sell out the night session as fans of both teams would be able to work a normal day and head over after. Will people take the day off to go? I'm sure plenty will, but a lot more would be there if they didn't have to. Instead, the prime 7:00 game is going to be Butler vs. either Xavier or DePaul. The large majority of fans for those teams are going to be traveling fans who took the week off and will be there in the same numbers regardless of game time.

The same could be said for Seton Hall's game, but I don't think it's worth swapping a game time for just 1 local team (Pirate fans don't like the 9:30 game anyway since it ends so late).

Of course the counterpoint to all this is that team fans will go out of their way to see their team regardless of time while the 7:00 game will always draw the most casual fans, regardless of who's playing. I guess it's a matter of would you rather completely sell out one session, or have pretty good attendance at both?

They don't know who the teams are seeded when they set the schedule. The fact that St John's played at noon was not part of their calculation, nor would it ever be.

I know that would never be something taken into account. I'm just saying that if it was, it woud almost certainly boost night session attendance, possibly to a sellout.

I'm with you on that.

[gtmoBlue]

If only we had St. Bonaventure.

...and St Louis.