DumpsterFireA10 wrote:I assume the Big East will sell out.
I'm a Valley guy. SLU shot themselves in the head in 2005 following Xavier and Dayton.
Bill Marsh wrote:DumpsterFireA10 wrote:I assume the Big East will sell out.
I'm a Valley guy. SLU shot themselves in the head in 2005 following Xavier and Dayton.
That's a pretty big assumption. Last year the Big East sold out for the 8th straight year . . . which means that they did not sell out 9 years ago. That was 2005 when they failed to sell out despite the fact that the league was coming off back-to-back national championships. Even still, attendance had been hovering around 19,000, or just shy of a sell out, since 2000.
But you just have to go back to 1999 when attendance averaged 17,700 per session for the tournament, to find a time when the tournament was not bordering on a sell out despite the fact that the league had 13 members. In 1998, attendance averaged only 16,700. So, it obviously took the league 25 years to build up to sell outs, increasing its membership from the original 7 members to 16 while doing so. With a new Big East of only 10 members, why do we assume that the tournament will sell out when it couldn't do that just 15 years ago with more members?
When the tournament finally achieved sell outs 8 years ago, not only did the league have 16 members, but 10 of them were in the Northeast. Now the total membership is 10 and half of them are in the Midwest with less of a likelihood that they will be sending a large contingent to the tournament. If each school simply sends the same number that the members did in 1998, average attendance will be 13,000. With the Big East making noise about moving its tournament to the Garden, will 13,000 be good enough for MSG? The uncertainty has to be a real concern for the league.
XtoDC wrote:If we are worried about selling out the Garden for the Big East Tournament then perhaps it is time to temper down the 'Winning the Big East Tournament is on par with winning the national championship' talk.
hoyahooligan wrote:Bill Marsh wrote:DumpsterFireA10 wrote:I assume the Big East will sell out.
I'm a Valley guy. SLU shot themselves in the head in 2005 following Xavier and Dayton.
That's a pretty big assumption. Last year the Big East sold out for the 8th straight year . . . which means that they did not sell out 9 years ago. That was 2005 when they failed to sell out despite the fact that the league was coming off back-to-back national championships. Even still, attendance had been hovering around 19,000, or just shy of a sell out, since 2000.
But you just have to go back to 1999 when attendance averaged 17,700 per session for the tournament, to find a time when the tournament was not bordering on a sell out despite the fact that the league had 13 members. In 1998, attendance averaged only 16,700. So, it obviously took the league 25 years to build up to sell outs, increasing its membership from the original 7 members to 16 while doing so. With a new Big East of only 10 members, why do we assume that the tournament will sell out when it couldn't do that just 15 years ago with more members?
When the tournament finally achieved sell outs 8 years ago, not only did the league have 16 members, but 10 of them were in the Northeast. Now the total membership is 10 and half of them are in the Midwest with less of a likelihood that they will be sending a large contingent to the tournament. If each school simply sends the same number that the members did in 1998, average attendance will be 13,000. With the Big East making noise about moving its tournament to the Garden, will 13,000 be good enough for MSG? The uncertainty has to be a real concern for the league.
Because now the BET is an event. Lots of fans who attend these games have no affiliation to the schools. It's just an event. It's the cool thing to do. The BET has a reputation. It's what NYC sport fans do that week in March. The people will come.
Bill Marsh wrote:DumpsterFireA10 wrote:I assume the Big East will sell out.
I'm a Valley guy. SLU shot themselves in the head in 2005 following Xavier and Dayton.
That's a pretty big assumption. Last year the Big East sold out for the 8th straight year . . . which means that they did not sell out 9 years ago. That was 2005 when they failed to sell out despite the fact that the league was coming off back-to-back national championships. Even still, attendance had been hovering around 19,000, or just shy of a sell out, since 2000.
But you just have to go back to 1999 when attendance averaged 17,700 per session for the tournament, to find a time when the tournament was not bordering on a sell out despite the fact that the league had 13 members. In 1998, attendance averaged only 16,700. So, it obviously took the league 25 years to build up to sell outs, increasing its membership from the original 7 members to 16 while doing so. With a new Big East of only 10 members, why do we assume that the tournament will sell out when it couldn't do that just 15 years ago with more members?
When the tournament finally achieved sell outs 8 years ago, not only did the league have 16 members, but 10 of them were in the Northeast. Now the total membership is 10 and half of them are in the Midwest with less of a likelihood that they will be sending a large contingent to the tournament. If each school simply sends the same number that the members did in 1998, average attendance will be 13,000. With the Big East making noise about moving its tournament to the Garden, will 13,000 be good enough for MSG? The uncertainty has to be a real concern for the league.
Bill Marsh wrote:Nope.
The Big East tournament WAS an event. Didn't you notice ESPN holding a wake for it last spring?
The tournament is starting over. You can't simply ignore the fact that those Notre Dame, UConn, Syracuse, etc fans won't be attending any more.
Bill Marsh wrote:Nope.
The Big East tournament WAS an event. Didn't you notice ESPN holding a wake for it last spring?
The tournament is starting over. You can't simply ignore the fact that those Notre Dame, UConn, Syracuse, etc fans won't be attending any more.
DumpsterFireA10 wrote:Bill Marsh wrote:DumpsterFireA10 wrote:I assume the Big East will sell out.
I'm a Valley guy. SLU shot themselves in the head in 2005 following Xavier and Dayton.
That's a pretty big assumption. Last year the Big East sold out for the 8th straight year . . . which means that they did not sell out 9 years ago. That was 2005 when they failed to sell out despite the fact that the league was coming off back-to-back national championships. Even still, attendance had been hovering around 19,000, or just shy of a sell out, since 2000.
But you just have to go back to 1999 when attendance averaged 17,700 per session for the tournament, to find a time when the tournament was not bordering on a sell out despite the fact that the league had 13 members. In 1998, attendance averaged only 16,700. So, it obviously took the league 25 years to build up to sell outs, increasing its membership from the original 7 members to 16 while doing so. With a new Big East of only 10 members, why do we assume that the tournament will sell out when it couldn't do that just 15 years ago with more members?
When the tournament finally achieved sell outs 8 years ago, not only did the league have 16 members, but 10 of them were in the Northeast. Now the total membership is 10 and half of them are in the Midwest with less of a likelihood that they will be sending a large contingent to the tournament. If each school simply sends the same number that the members did in 1998, average attendance will be 13,000. With the Big East making noise about moving its tournament to the Garden, will 13,000 be good enough for MSG? The uncertainty has to be a real concern for the league.
I think you're overplaying the uncertainty. You're a smart guy, and other than your repeated shots at SLU, I find you to be quite informative. I don't think attendance with these 10 programs will be an issue. Sure, some great programs departed...but some great programs came over too. If I'm right and this tournament sells out, expansion is dead. This is the Big East...it's not the whatever crap 1-bid league you can fill in there.
The lowest-rated program in this league is in a better position than every other school not in this league, P5, or AAC. It's a great setup, and I think they (the fanbases) will deliver.
Enjoy the Big East...it's set up to be great. At least it isn't the Dumpster Fire. It will never get that bad here.
TheHall wrote:Bill Marsh wrote:Nope.
The Big East tournament WAS an event. Didn't you notice ESPN holding a wake for it last spring?
The tournament is starting over. You can't simply ignore the fact that those Notre Dame, UConn, Syracuse, etc fans won't be attending any more.
If this doesn't qualify as trolling on a Big East forum, what does?
Irishdawg wrote:Bill Marsh wrote:Nope.
The Big East tournament WAS an event. Didn't you notice ESPN holding a wake for it last spring?
The tournament is starting over. You can't simply ignore the fact that those Notre Dame, UConn, Syracuse, etc fans won't be attending any more.
I'll give you UConn and Syracuse, but Notre Dame? If you went to the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis the last two years, you'd be surprised that they actually had fans. They have a great home atmosphere, but you play a game more than 20 minutes away from the Joyce, and fans became a LOT harder to find.
Now the ND women? Their fans travel.
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