Big Ten Trying to Muscle Big Ten Tournament into NYC (Madison Square Garden)

[Muskie]

Link (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/09/12/jim-delany-evaluating-options-for-2018-big-ten-tournament/)

One of those options is Madison Square Garden in New York City, which would get the event in the largest media market in the country. However the issue at play here is the presence of the Big East tournament, with that conference having an agreement with Madison Square Garden through the 2025-26 season.
As a result, in order for the Big Ten to get into MSG they would likely have to play their event a week earlier, and the financial cost associated with playing at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” is another issue Delany cited in the Tribune story. With this being the case Delany has also discussed other options for the 2018 Big Ten tournament.

[xubrew]

I actually kind of like having the idea of having the tournament a little earlier.

No major conference would ever do it because they feel doing something that no other major conferences do is beneath them, but if you can get past that.....

-You get a longer break before the NCAA Tournament, so you don't go from playing three games in a roughly 48 hour stretch from Thursday night to Saturday night, flying back home, and then flying to your tournament site another 48 hours later

-You get to sit back and watch/scout all of the other games.

-You're not in a ratings battle with all the power conferences because you're not playing at the same time they are.


The Big Ten won't want to play earlier, but in reality I don't think it'd be that bad.

[Muskie]

I see what you're saying Brew. I love how the Big Ten thinks they've somehow captured the NY tv market with Rutgers and Maryland...

[GoMuskies]

If they did that, teams that think they have a shot at the NCAA Tournament (not so fast Northwestern!) should schedule a non-conference game for the Saturday of the "traditional" conference tournament weekend to stay sharp. They'd have no trouble attracting a mid or low major to come and take the payday.

[GoMuskies]

I see what you're saying Brew. I love how the Big Ten thinks they've somehow captured the NY tv market with Rutgers and Maryland...

Hey, everyone knows that the one thing Manhattan is clamoring for is more Iowa vs. Nebraska at MSG!

(Granted, they're probably not looking for a whole lot of Xavier vs. Creighton (non Doug McDermott version), either)

[xubrew]

If they did that, teams that think they have a shot at the NCAA Tournament (not so fast Northwestern!) should schedule a non-conference game for the Saturday of the "traditional" conference tournament weekend to stay sharp. They'd have no trouble attracting a mid or low major to come and take the payday.

There were a few years where Gonzaga scheduled their second exhibition game (the ones that are usually scheduled before the first official game) after their conference tournament. There's no rule against it.

Or, schedule an Ivy. You can also schedule a team that failed to make their conference tournament (Saint Mary's has done that a few times), but it doesn't give you much of a game.

[X-band '01]

If they did that, teams that think they have a shot at the NCAA Tournament (not so fast Northwestern!) should schedule a non-conference game for the Saturday of the "traditional" conference tournament weekend to stay sharp. They'd have no trouble attracting a mid or low major to come and take the payday.

Nobody would televise it with all the other conference tournaments going on.

[GoMuskies]

Nobody would televise it with all the other conference tournaments going on.

Who cares? That's not the point. And in any event they have the Big Ten Network.

[xubrew]

Who cares? That's not the point. And in any event they have the Big Ten Network.

I'm kind of derailing this here, but somewhat along these lines, there's nothing in the rules that says conference tournaments cannot have losers brackets with third and fifth place games.

In other words, wouldn't it be interesting if they were set up the way the Maui is, and so many other early season tournaments are??

It's kind of high risk, high reward. A bubble team could lose in the quarters, but still come out with two more wins and play their way in, whereas a team that's inside the bubble could end up losing two or three games and playing their way out. It could swing both toward the good and the bad. No one does it. Perhaps no one has thought of it. Perhaps they have thought of it and don't see the point. At the very least, it would be different.

[RoseyMuskie]

I'm kind of derailing this here, but somewhat along these lines, there's nothing in the rules that says conference tournaments cannot have losers brackets with third and fifth place games.

In other words, wouldn't it be interesting if they were set up the way the Maui is, and so many other early season tournaments are??

It's kind of high risk, high reward. A bubble team could lose in the quarters, but still come out with two more wins and play their way in, whereas a team that's inside the bubble could end up losing two or three games and playing their way out. It could swing both toward the good and the bad. No one does it. Perhaps no one has thought of it. Perhaps they have thought of it and don't see the point. At the very least, it would be different.

Some interesting thoughts and facts in this thread. Much appreciated. With the way Xavier plays in postseason tournaments, though, I'd definitely be concerned the latter would happen.