Very Interesting Quote From Mick Cronin

[Phantom Warrior]

“The NCAA Tournament committee and everything is so financially driven that no matter what is said on that Sunday, they’re trying to sell tickets,” he said, implying the committee would move teams around in the rankings to drive ticket sales.

“Nobody will admit that,” he added, “because it’s all about the student-athlete apparently.”

I was actually thinking about this concept earlier in the day yesterday - that in terms of determining who gets in and who doesn't one of the factors is almost certainly how many fans on a national level might be interested in watching that team play on t.v. and how many fans might be willing to buy tickets to watch a particular team in person at the game site.

I was thinking that MU might have an advantage over other "bubble teams" in that regard given the fact that it apparently ranks first in the country in three-point shooting and is seventh or eight in terms of offensive efficiency, I think it also helps that Markus apparently is the top three-point shooter in the country.

I don't know if Cronin is right or not, but his perspective seems logical to me.

That being said, I think most would agree that MU needs to beat Creighton Saturday or win at least one game in the BET to be safely in, but I am guessing that we might be a very attractive option when compared to other teams in similar situations.

[IWB]

I have bitched about this for years. I hate the freaking POD system. Stop moving teams, put the tourney games where they belong. Can't sell tickets in Boise or Salt Lake? Stop putting the tourney there.

When selling tickets to the NCAA tourney, you need three things...
#1 Most important, support from the host school. The host school needs to sell tickets to their fan base, their season ticket holders.
#2 You need to sell tickets to the host community. Ask yourself, does the local community support events like this?
#3 You need to sell tickets to participating schools.

If your stadium seats 16,000, you need to sell...

#1 5,000 to your host school
#2 5,000 to your local community
#3 6,000 to the participating schools

Its that simple.

The problem is they have changed it to help things, but they have really only hurt it. Every year you see games in obscure cities where the seats are completely empty - stop giving it to them. I don't care if Salt Lake City is the only city that applies in the West every year, stop giving it to them if they can't sell seats!

Then you have the mega cities like New Orleans. If you are hosting a Final Four, you ramp up with 1st & 2nd round, then Regionals. Please stop. I remember a few years back they had problems selling tickets so on selection Sunday they changed seeds to send Duke & Notre Dame there to help sell tickets. That is fair to no one. Did it help? They sold 2,000 more tickets, but the stadium, or DOME, was still empty. Don't put first two rounds in a Dome. Oh, and the host school? Tulane. They don't have a fan base, so what did they sell, 500 tickets?

Look at some of the bracketed projections for Milwaukee this year...
Some have MKE getting 5-12, 4-13, 6-11 & 3-14. So no 1 or 2 seed. Shouldn't every location get one of the best?
There is another projection where MKE gets 5-12, 4-13, 5-12, 4-13. Really? Not even a top 3 seed? These literally could be 4 blowout games? Every city should get a mix, and it should be the same region. If I am watching four teams the winners should advance to play each other. Give me a 2-15, 7-10, 3-14 and 6-11 and I'll be happy. Also, if you are a fan of a 3 seed and you win, will you stay in the stadium after the game if the next game is an obscure matchup from a different region? No, but if you play the winner of the next game as you advance, you might stay to watch. Look at ESPN's bracket, they have TWO 2-15 seeds in Indy. Really? Sure, Indy wants to see a #2 seed, but do they need two blowouts?

Finally - Stop putting it in cities that are hard to fly to. Maybe cut deals with airlines and preferred cities? I am cheap so I watch costs. Each year MU is in the tourney I plan on going. Then it comes out... Sacramento? Hmm... let's check flights...$300? Maybe I'll swing it....talk to the wife...sure I'll go, log back in and now its $375. Hmm... "hey it just went up, should I still go?" Ok... log back in...now $475. This is all in less than an hour.

NCAA needs to do three things...
1) Select host sites that sell tickets to the host school and community, if they don't - don't repeat there.

2) Stop the pod system and put teams where they need to be put. You have four #4 seeds, place them the closest that you can to their home and go from there. Don't slide them up, or down, seed them correctly and place them the best you can IN THEIR REGION!

3) Pick favorable travel sites. If they are tough to fly to? Cut deals with airlines to charter. "Official Charter of the NCAA". Take a 747 and sell tickets to Marquette fans and Wichita State fans. Depart Milwaukee, layover in Wichita and land in Sacramento. Keep fares reasonable and you will sell tickets.

[Goose85]

And from that angle I think the committee or the NCAA gets it wrong.
So they think a school from the big 5 football conferences is who people want to see. In the case of the NCAA tourney, I think that is wrong.

Most fans love the mid major and lower level upset games. Nobody cares if Syracuse gets the 11th seed, they would rather see an Illinois State or a team like that get the nod.
Under .500 in your conference over a team from a smaller conference that only lost one conference game but somehow doesn't win the conference tourney.

I don't recall any wins by power 5 football conference teams that were low high seeds, but we all love to see the Hampton / Northern Iowa / Georgia State / Belmont / Davidson / Mercer / Wichita State type teams get their shot and then beat one of the big boys. That is what makes the tourney the spectacle that it has become.

With more games on TV, locations are going to have a harder time selling tickets. I'm a prime example as I always bought the tickets, but didn't this year because the TV experience has become so good. Also thought if MU was in the dance (I was hoping) I might make the drive if they were close enough.

[Goose85]

I have bitched about this for years. I hate the freaking POD system. Stop moving teams, put the tourney games where they belong. Can't sell tickets in Boise or Salt Lake? Stop putting the tourney there.

When selling tickets to the NCAA tourney, you need three things...
#1 Most important, support from the host school. The host school needs to sell tickets to their fan base, their season ticket holders.
#2 You need to sell tickets to the host community. Ask yourself, does the local community support events like this?
#3 You need to sell tickets to participating schools.

If your stadium seats 16,000, you need to sell...

#1 5,000 to your host school
#2 5,000 to your local community
#3 6,000 to the participating schools

Its that simple.

The problem is they have changed it to help things, but they have really only hurt it. Every year you see games in obscure cities where the seats are completely empty - stop giving it to them. I don't care if Salt Lake City is the only city that applies in the West every year, stop giving it to them if they can't sell seats!

Then you have the mega cities like New Orleans. If you are hosting a Final Four, you ramp up with 1st & 2nd round, then Regionals. Please stop. I remember a few years back they had problems selling tickets so on selection Sunday they changed seeds to send Duke & Notre Dame there to help sell tickets. That is fair to no one. Did it help? They sold 2,000 more tickets, but the stadium, or DOME, was still empty. Don't put first two rounds in a Dome. Oh, and the host school? Tulane. They don't have a fan base, so what did they sell, 500 tickets?

Look at some of the bracketed projections for Milwaukee this year...
Some have MKE getting 5-12, 4-13, 6-11 & 3-14. So no 1 or 2 seed. Shouldn't every location get one of the best?
There is another projection where MKE gets 5-12, 4-13, 5-12, 4-13. Really? Not even a top 3 seed? These literally could be 4 blowout games? Every city should get a mix, and it should be the same region. If I am watching four teams the winners should advance to play each other. Give me a 2-15, 7-10, 3-14 and 6-11 and I'll be happy. Also, if you are a fan of a 3 seed and you win, will you stay in the stadium after the game if the next game is an obscure matchup from a different region? No, but if you play the winner of the next game as you advance, you might stay to watch. Look at ESPN's bracket, they have TWO 2-15 seeds in Indy. Really? Sure, Indy wants to see a #2 seed, but do they need two blowouts?

Finally - Stop putting it in cities that are hard to fly to. Maybe cut deals with airlines and preferred cities? I am cheap so I watch costs. Each year MU is in the tourney I plan on going. Then it comes out... Sacramento? Hmm... let's check flights...$300? Maybe I'll swing it....talk to the wife...sure I'll go, log back in and now its $375. Hmm... "hey it just went up, should I still go?" Ok... log back in...now $475. This is all in less than an hour.

NCAA needs to do three things...
1) Select host sites that sell tickets to the host school and community, if they don't - don't repeat there.

2) Stop the pod system and put teams where they need to be put. You have four #4 seeds, place them the closest that you can to their home and go from there. Don't slide them up, or down, seed them correctly and place them the best you can IN THEIR REGION!

3) Pick favorable travel sites. If they are tough to fly to? Cut deals with airlines to charter. "Official Charter of the NCAA". Take a 747 and sell tickets to Marquette fans and Wichita State fans. Depart Milwaukee, layover in Wichita and land in Sacramento. Keep fares reasonable and you will sell tickets.

Great points IWB. Maybe one of the criteria to host should be selling a certain number of tickets for round 1, or should I say percentage of their building.
Also good point on putting schools like Kentucky in locations where they think they can sell tickets doesn't work in round 1. Guess what, I've talked to Kentucky fans and they often don't go to round 1 games because they are planning to advance and spend their money in sweet 16 games.

[MayorBeluga]

Throw in the fact the NCAA wants me to buy tickets over a year in advance to the games in Milwaukee, then i can only watch the game in front of me, the wifi sucks and there's no beer sales. Throw in the fact they'll likelyt send the rodents to Milwaukee again to sell tickets and you've guaranteed that I will not be buying the tickets in Milwaukee again.

[IWB]

Also, I am not a big fan of the local games. Sure, it is great when MU plays in Indy or Minneapolis as it is an easy drive, but that doesn't make it a home game. Look at when Wisconsin played in Milwaukee. It took away the entire atmosphere of the NCAA tourney. This is not a knock on UW fans as if MU was in Madison I would be there too. But one thing I love is that when the tourney is in Milwaukee, there are fans from every school. Go into Goolsby's or Buck Bradley's or any bar on Old World 3rd Street or Water Street - everywhere you look you see a table of different fans - Minnesota, California, UNI, Alabama, Toledo... but when UW was in Milwaukee, every bar was 99% UW fans. Then you go to the game - the stadium was all UW fans and that takes away from the NCAA experience. Then what happened on Day 2? They all spent so damn much money on tickets Day 1, that they didn't go Day 2. When I heard how much people had spent Day 1, I was going to sell my tickets Day 2 - absolutely zero buyers.

But the NCAA takes it to a whole new level with their love for Duke & UNC...

1st & 2nd Round
2008 - Raleigh, NC
2009 - Greensboro, NC
2010 - None in NC? Hmm...
2011 - Charlotte, NC
2012 - Greensboro, NC
2013 - None in NC? Hmm...
2014 - Raleigh, NC
2015 - Charlotte, NC
2016 - Raleigh, NC
2017 - Greensboro, NC
2018 - Charlotte, NC

Last 10 years plus next year, 2 out of 11 years haven't had games in North Carolina. Since the pod system has been in place (2012) they have had games in NC every year. (Can't count 2013 as it was already scheduled).

Anyone still think there is no NCAA bias to these schools?

[IWB]

Duke or UNC to Raleigh: 27 miles
Duke or UNC to Greensboro: 52 miles
Duke or UNC to Charlotte: 142 miles (Oh the humanity!)

[Mucrisco]

That is one Irritated White Boy.;)

I agree with everything you said. I haven't been to the Milwaukee site games in a while because I love being able to watch multiple games on tv. We usually do well in attendance though, don't we?

[Gato78]

College hoops is my favorite sport. When I have the chance to watch great games live and in person, I will. I am looking forward to the NCAA games here. However, I will say this, I will take the BIG EAST Tourney to the NCAA as an in-person viewing experience every day of the week. Compared to the BIG EAST Tourney, the early round games of NCAA are lifeless. Fans of the schools are there for their teams and not the tourney. At BIG EAST, everyone knows every other team and seem more into all of the games than just one game each day.

[MayorBeluga]

However, I will say this, I will take the BIG EAST Tourney to the NCAA as an in-person viewing experience every day of the week. Compared to the BIG EAST Tourney, the early round games of NCAA are lifeless. Fans of the schools are there for their teams and not the tourney. At BIG EAST, everyone knows every other team and seem more into all of the games than just one game each day.

Winner winner, lenten fish fry dinner. The BET is incredible - you know the teams playing, you know the players, the fans are mixed in amongst each other. Plus it's the World's Most Famous Arena. No comparison, really.

[MUwarrior1090]

Shout out to me for being a subscriber to this board for a few years and just now realizing what IWB stands for. Thanks, Crisco.

[Mucrisco]

Shout out to me for being a subscriber to this board for a few years and just now realizing what IWB stands for. Thanks, Crisco.

IWB should tell the story. It's one of the best.

[IWB]

For cripes sake... Here goes...

Gato, Little Bro, the Chief Justice of the United States and I were in New York for the NFL Draft. Oh, excuse me, I mean the Annual Selection Meetings of the National Football League. So one night we are out walking through Times Square and you know how there are street musicians? Well, there is this group of about 8 little kids rapping. Thing is, they were so good that there was a good sized crowd listening to them. Out of nowhere people started running across the street in droves, and I mean in moving traffic. Cars are slamming on their brakes, I saw one guy fly up onto the hood of a car and I yell, "What in the Hell is going on?" Someone explained it. "Jessie the Homeless VJ from MTV was going live across the street!"

I had a history of going off on rants, and this was no exception, so I went off. "Someone is going to get hit and killed by a car just to see a homeless guy on TV?!?!? What in the hell?!?!" I went off for what seemed in my head like 20 minutes, but was probably just two. When I got done ranting I am all heated up and then...you know how you get the feeling like someone is staring at you?

I look to my right, then down, and there is the little lead singer of the rap band staring up at me with eyes as wide as saucers. He points his finger at me and yells, "MAN! YOU ONE IRRITATED WHITE BOY!!!" Still worked up and now confused, I look to my left and there are Gato78 and Little Bro nodding their heads up and down with smiles like kids on Christmas morning and then they say in unison, "Oh yeah, the Irritated White Boy!"

The rest is history.

[IWB]

So now back to the conference tournaments... They are always better, as Gato pointed out - you know the teams, the coaches, the players and even the fan bases. You know the Memphis Dance Team, the USF Sun Dolls, Benny the Bull... When it was C-USA I went every year, and would run into various people and fans every year. It was a blast. You hated each other but all was good. Then there are the antics, like the first year that USF ever made it? In Cincy I think, five guys come in orange jump suits, hand cuffed and shackled together with Cincy players names and numbers on the back. Mid way through a game security was removing them, the place went crazy in their defense.

AND THAT WAS JUST C-USA!!

Add on the Big East, NYC, Madison Square Garden... It is the soul of college basketball.

[Goose85]

For cripes sake... Here goes...

Gato, Little Bro, the Chief Justice of the United States and I were in New York for the NFL Draft. Oh, excuse me, I mean the Annual Selection Meetings of the National Football League. So one night we are out walking through Times Square and you know how there are street musicians? Well, there is this group of about 8 little kids rapping. Thing is, they were so good that there was a good sized crowd listening to them. Out of nowhere people started running across the street in droves, and I mean in moving traffic. Cars are slamming on their brakes, I saw one guy fly up onto the hood of a car and I yell, "What in the Hell is going on?" Someone explained it. "Jessie the Homeless VJ from MTV was going live across the street!"

I had a history of going off on rants, and this was no exception, so I went off. "Someone is going to get hit and killed by a car just to see a homeless guy on TV?!?!? What in the hell?!?!" I went off for what seemed in my head like 20 minutes, but was probably just two. When I got done ranting I am all heated up and then...you know how you get the feeling like someone is staring at you?

I look to my right, then down, and there is the little lead singer of the rap band staring up at me with eyes as wide as saucers. He points his finger at me and yells, "MAN! YOU ONE IRRITATED WHITE BOY!!!" Still worked up and now confused, I look to my left and there are Gato78 and Little Bro nodding their heads up and down with smiles like kids on Christmas morning and then they say in unison, "Oh yeah, the Irritated White Boy!"

The rest is history.

For crying out loud IWB, on your board I'm Goose85.
The rest of the story is not only accurate, but was hilarious in person. And all a beet red faced IWB could do was shake his head and laugh knowing the nickname would certainly stick. Almost as good as the cheering section IWB had while climbing the rock wall at the Times Square ESPN Zone. That was worth the price of admission.

[TheSultan]

Also, I am not a big fan of the local games. Sure, it is great when MU plays in Indy or Minneapolis as it is an easy drive, but that doesn't make it a home game. Look at when Wisconsin played in Milwaukee. It took away the entire atmosphere of the NCAA tourney. This is not a knock on UW fans as if MU was in Madison I would be there too. But one thing I love is that when the tourney is in Milwaukee, there are fans from every school. Go into Goolsby's or Buck Bradley's or any bar on Old World 3rd Street or Water Street - everywhere you look you see a table of different fans - Minnesota, California, UNI, Alabama, Toledo... but when UW was in Milwaukee, every bar was 99% UW fans. Then you go to the game - the stadium was all UW fans and that takes away from the NCAA experience. Then what happened on Day 2? They all spent so damn much money on tickets Day 1, that they didn't go Day 2. When I heard how much people had spent Day 1, I was going to sell my tickets Day 2 - absolutely zero buyers.

But the NCAA takes it to a whole new level with their love for Duke & UNC...

1st & 2nd Round
2008 - Raleigh, NC
2009 - Greensboro, NC
2010 - None in NC? Hmm...
2011 - Charlotte, NC
2012 - Greensboro, NC
2013 - None in NC? Hmm...
2014 - Raleigh, NC
2015 - Charlotte, NC
2016 - Raleigh, NC
2017 - Greensboro, NC
2018 - Charlotte, NC

Last 10 years plus next year, 2 out of 11 years haven't had games in North Carolina. Since the pod system has been in place (2012) they have had games in NC every year. (Can't count 2013 as it was already scheduled).

Anyone still think there is no NCAA bias to these schools?


There won't be games in North Carolina this year. The NCAA moved them from Greensboro due to the bathroom bill issue - they are in Greenville, SC instead. I don't think the ones in Charlotte for 2018 have been moved yet.

[MU/Panther]

NCAA should go to new cities. So, what if the arena holds 12,000.

[Nukem2]

NCAA should go to new cities. So, what if the arena holds 12,000.
Agree. Mostly a TV event but for the schools involved.

[TheSultan]

For instance, the Resch Center is nice enough to host the first two rounds. I'm sure there is plenty of hotel space right?

[MU/Panther]

For instance, the Resch Center is nice enough to host the first two rounds. I'm sure there is plenty of hotel space right? One would think. It would grow the city in terms of college basketball.

UW-Madison hosted a regional final and nothing since. Odd.

[IWB]

One problem with places like Green Bay and Madison... while sure, you can fly in to those cities, the mainstream flights land in Milwaukee, then it is a 90 minute drive to airport for Madison or 2 hour drive to Green Bay. Inconvenient for the amount of travelers coming to your town.

[MayorBeluga]

One problem with places like Green Bay and Madison... while sure, you can fly in to those cities, the mainstream flights land in Milwaukee, then it is a 90 minute drive to airport for Madison or 2 hour drive to Green Bay. Inconvenient for the amount of travelers coming to your town.

Clearly you're not flying as much these days. Unless you're flying to a hub city, there are almost no direct flights to Milwaukee. If I'm flying Delta, it's just as easy to fly from Detroit or Minneapolis to Green Bay or Madison as it is to go Detroit or MSP to Milwaukee. Same for Chicago on United (but admittedly not Southwest)

[MUMac]

I thought Madison got a favor to host the tournament because of the new facility (the Kohl Center was fairly new at that time). They do not have the seating capacity nor the press area or hotel space for the Regional Finals. They are tied into the boys basketball tournament and thus cannot host the first/second round games.

[MUMac]

Clearly you're not flying as much these days. Unless you're flying to a hub city, there are almost no direct flights to Milwaukee. If I'm flying Delta, it's just as easy to fly from Detroit or Minneapolis to Green Bay or Madison as it is to go Detroit or MSP to Milwaukee. Same for Chicago on United (but admittedly not Southwest)

Ease is one thing, number of flights and the cost are another. Flying into Madison is damn expensive.

[Goose85]

Ease is one thing, number of flights and the cost are another. Flying into Madison is damn expensive.

I get that, but it is no easy feat getting into Boise, Spokane, Dayton, Raleigh, Greensboro, Des Moines, Tulsa, Omaha, etc.
Green Bay isn't easy, but might be easier than some of those listed.

[IWB]

I never mentioned direct flights, most have layovers/stops, but as those mentioned above, its about cost & number of flights.

[TheSultan]

Clearly you're not flying as much these days. Unless you're flying to a hub city, there are almost no direct flights to Milwaukee. If I'm flying Delta, it's just as easy to fly from Detroit or Minneapolis to Green Bay or Madison as it is to go Detroit or MSP to Milwaukee. Same for Chicago on United (but admittedly not Southwest)

You can only fly four places from Green Bay direct. Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta. There are about 30 departures daily.

You can fly to 30 domestic cities from Milwaukee. There are over 200 departures from daily.

It is much easier to fly into Milwaukee from all over the country. Even if it isn't direct, there are tons of options.