SWAC basketball tournaments will begin at campus sites, finish in Houston, next season

Nelson

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The Southwestern Athletic Conference basketball tournaments will return to Houston in 2017.

But teams will get there a little differently.

First-round games will happen at campus sites, and the semifinals and finals will go on as usual at the Toyota Center, the league announced Thursday.

The new format — which also reduces the tournament field from 10 to eight teams on the men’s and women’s sides — will go into effect next season.

Read the rest: http://theadvocate.com/sports/lates...at-campus-sites-finish-in-houston-next-season
 
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I think it was definitely fan / alumni / money influence. I worked a few blocks away from the Toyota Center so I managed to go to games everyday of the tournament.

To say that they arena was empty was an understatement. The arena has a capacity of ~18,000. The poorest attended games were the SWAC East teams that would play another SWAC East team. The girls were even worse. I'm talking about 50 or less paid people in that place. These were all weekend games where alumns weren't willing to travel to see their team possibly lose all the way in Houston + the cost of the hotel + travel expenses. This will at least give some higher-than-normal attended games since it's the "playoffs" played on the better teams' home court.

2 years ago at the Toyota Center with a PV/TSU final for both the men & women was a blessing for the SWAC as that guaranteed a good crowd. Had it been anyone other than PV/TSU the games would've had half of the attendance. I can say that with certainty.

My only question is will the SWAC live stream these games with commentary like they did for the tournament in Houston? Travel expenses for announcers would be higher, so my gut says it's not happening.
 
I think it was definitely fan / alumni / money influence. I worked a few blocks away from the Toyota Center so I managed to go to games everyday of the tournament.

To say that they arena was empty was an understatement. The arena has a capacity of ~18,000. The poorest attended games were the SWAC East teams that would play another SWAC East team. The girls were even worse. I'm talking about 50 or less paid people in that place. These were all weekend games where alumns weren't willing to travel to see their team possibly lose all the way in Houston + the cost of the hotel + travel expenses. This will at least give some higher-than-normal attended games since it's the "playoffs" played on the better teams' home court.

2 years ago at the Toyota Center with a PV/TSU final for both the men & women was a blessing for the SWAC as that guaranteed a good crowd. Had it been anyone other than PV/TSU the games would've had half of the attendance. I can say that with certainty.

My only question is will the SWAC live stream these games with commentary like they did for the tournament in Houston? Travel expenses for announcers would be higher, so my gut says it's not happening.

Well the championship game has been broadcasted live for years on ESPN. And the only SWAC East teams that will bring a crowd is Jackson State or Alcorn State so it's always in the best interest for TSU, PV, SU make the finals which will likely happen next year b/c they are pretty strong every year.
 
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