menu
Logo
99+
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
99+
Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Remaining attendance for the MAC Tourney
Page: 1 of 1
Mark Lembright '85
General User
ML85
Member Since: 8/22/2010
Location: Highland Heights, OH
Post Count: 2,460
person
mail
Mark Lembright '85
mail
Posted: 3/13/2014 10:15 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Wow-there's absolutely no one left at the Q for the Buffalo-EMU game tonight!  I have to figure that unless Akron (gulp) makes it to the MAC championship game that attendance for the MAC Tourney will be down this year.
RSBobcat
General User
Member Since: 8/23/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,504
mail
RSBobcat
mail
Posted: 3/13/2014 11:12 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Yeah - and how many will give a crap at all w/remote/online viewing blacked out by TWC.

#MACSelfDestruct


 
oldkatz
General User
O
Member Since: 12/22/2004
Post Count: 1,461
person
mail
oldkatz
mail
Posted: 3/14/2014 9:30 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Hope the MAC office is pleased with their tourney seeding system this year.  Might have more folks in the Convo for the DIV Harvest Prep-Africentric regional matchup than will be in the Q for the semifinals/finals.

Reaping and sowing, MAC.
Tyler
General User
Member Since: 7/7/2010
Location: AZ
Post Count: 894
mail
Tyler
mail
Posted: 3/14/2014 9:50 AM
settings_applications edit_note
A Toledo-Akron final would be pretty well attended.

On the other hand, WMU-EMU would look pretty embarrassing on ESPN2. You could put that game in a high school gym and it wouldn't sell out.

 
Pataskala
General User
P
Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: At least six feet away from anybody else
Post Count: 9,465
person
mail
Pataskala
mail
Posted: 3/14/2014 11:50 AM
settings_applications edit_note
Start handing out tickets to people on the streets.  That's what the Philly Bell of the USFL used to do to fill up the stadium.
OU_Country
General User
Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
Post Count: 8,401
mail
OU_Country
mail
Posted: 3/14/2014 3:02 PM
settings_applications edit_note
I agree Akron/Toledo would be well attended.  Having EMU in the final would mean one side of the arena would be practically empty. 
ts1227
General User
T1227
Member Since: 2/28/2006
Location: Tallmadge, OH
Post Count: 880
person
mail
ts1227
mail
Posted: 3/14/2014 11:15 PM
settings_applications edit_note
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
Hope the MAC office is pleased with their tourney seeding system this year.  Might have more folks in the Convo for the DIV Harvest Prep-Africentric regional matchup than will be in the Q for the semifinals/finals.

Reaping and sowing, MAC.
Eh, regardless of bracket structure, this will happen so long as the West actually produces teams that are decent, as none of their teams draw worth a damn (except Toledo). The MAC probably wishes the West would go back to being as good as a high end D2 conference so that they would all get blasted early and often, as has happened the past 5-7 years, leaving the teams that actually travel left to compete in the semis and finals.
perimeterpost
General User
Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165
mail
perimeterpost
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 12:50 AM
settings_applications edit_note
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
Hope the MAC office is pleased with their tourney seeding system this year. Might have more folks in the Convo for the DIV Harvest Prep-Africentric regional matchup than will be in the Q for the semifinals/finals.

Reaping and sowing, MAC.
so what are you suggesting, the MAC should change the tournament format each year to make sure that Ohio/Akron/Kent are always in the semis? Think about what you're saying.

It's not reaping and sowing, its whining and complaining.
oldkatz
General User
O
Member Since: 12/22/2004
Post Count: 1,461
person
mail
oldkatz
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 10:37 AM
settings_applications edit_note
perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
Hope the MAC office is pleased with their tourney seeding system this year. Might have more folks in the Convo for the DIV Harvest Prep-Africentric regional matchup than will be in the Q for the semifinals/finals.

Reaping and sowing, MAC.


so what are you suggesting, the MAC should change the tournament format each year to make sure that Ohio/Akron/Kent are always in the semis? Think about what you're saying.

It's not reaping and sowing, its whining and complaining.


Not in the least.  Attendance is historically an issue.  Simply stating that the current format, where the 5/6 seeds have the more difficult path to the tourney, is folly.  I know that fairness is for five year olds but this year's approach seemed punitive.

Toledo will bring a crowd.  By the way, the DIV regional was well attended; probably would make EMU jealous.
Last Edited: 3/15/2014 10:38:18 AM by oldkatz
bornacatfan
General User
Member Since: 8/3/2006
Post Count: 5,752
mail
bornacatfan
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 10:47 AM
settings_applications edit_note
I think the Ruck Bracket addresses that issue. JC should use his winningest coach in the MAC status and go toe to toe with the last standing short man and get it instituted. (I think he is standing, hard to tell)
Ted Thompson
Administrator
Member Since: 11/11/2004
Location: MAC Play
Post Count: 7,948
mail
Ted Thompson
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 12:49 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ironically, on the women's side, it's the 1 and 2-seeds that want the format changed. 
bornacatfan
General User
Member Since: 8/3/2006
Post Count: 5,752
mail
bornacatfan
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 2:54 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Ruck to the rescue.  11/12 sit home and this tourney evens out

Not sure you can throw those numbers out without also looking at the men's side to see how well the new format has done protecting the top seeds.  Two sides of every coin
Last Edited: 3/15/2014 2:56:25 PM by bornacatfan
perimeterpost
General User
Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165
mail
perimeterpost
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 3:42 PM
settings_applications edit_note
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
Hope the MAC office is pleased with their tourney seeding system this year. Might have more folks in the Convo for the DIV Harvest Prep-Africentric regional matchup than will be in the Q for the semifinals/finals.

Reaping and sowing, MAC.


so what are you suggesting, the MAC should change the tournament format each year to make sure that Ohio/Akron/Kent are always in the semis? Think about what you're saying.

It's not reaping and sowing, its whining and complaining.


Not in the least. Attendance is historically an issue. Simply stating that the current format, where the 5/6 seeds have the more difficult path to the tourney, is folly. I know that fairness is for five year olds but this year's approach seemed punitive.

Toledo will bring a crowd. By the way, the DIV regional was well attended; probably would make EMU jealous.
what does the current format have to do with attendance? how does the 5 and 6 seeds having a tougher path hinder attendance?
Alan Swank
General User
AS
Member Since: 12/12/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 7,375
person
mail
Alan Swank
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 5:15 PM
settings_applications edit_note
perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
Hope the MAC office is pleased with their tourney seeding system this year. Might have more folks in the Convo for the DIV Harvest Prep-Africentric regional matchup than will be in the Q for the semifinals/finals.

Reaping and sowing, MAC.


so what are you suggesting, the MAC should change the tournament format each year to make sure that Ohio/Akron/Kent are always in the semis? Think about what you're saying.

It's not reaping and sowing, its whining and complaining.


Not in the least. Attendance is historically an issue. Simply stating that the current format, where the 5/6 seeds have the more difficult path to the tourney, is folly. I know that fairness is for five year olds but this year's approach seemed punitive.

Toledo will bring a crowd. By the way, the DIV regional was well attended; probably would make EMU jealous.


what does the current format have to do with attendance? how does the 5 and 6 seeds having a tougher path hinder attendance?


When 8 teams went to Cleveland, it was easy to take two vacation days plus Thursday was a great day for basketball fans with 4 games.  Now if you're not a 1 - 4 seed, you have to take 3 days off plus on the men's side, it has become pretty well evident if you're not a 1 - 4, you're not playing Saturday night.  Some folks have lost the motivation to go until they seed how their team does on Wednesday or Thursday.  That's how it affects attendance.  The crowds Thursday night were horrible compared to Thursday nights under the old system.
ts1227
General User
T1227
Member Since: 2/28/2006
Location: Tallmadge, OH
Post Count: 880
person
mail
ts1227
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 7:06 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
When 8 teams went to Cleveland, it was easy to take two vacation days plus Thursday was a great day for basketball fans with 4 games.  Now if you're not a 1 - 4 seed, you have to take 3 days off plus on the men's side, it has become pretty well evident if you're not a 1 - 4, you're not playing Saturday night.  Some folks have lost the motivation to go until they seed how their team does on Wednesday or Thursday.  That's how it affects attendance.  The crowds Thursday night were horrible compared to Thursday nights under the old system.

This is definitely at least somewhat true. At the same time, under any format, if the West is good the attendance will suffer because their fans just do not care. Will that change if the schools have sustained success? I'd hope so, but for now it isn't happening.

The MAC will always, under any format, hope that their big draws that are largely "immune" to drops due to format (Akron, Kent, Ohio) are in it as long as possible. But your theory definitely has merit.

 
Last Edited: 3/15/2014 7:09:28 PM by ts1227
Andrew Ruck
General User
Member Since: 12/22/2004
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 5,644
mail
Andrew Ruck
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 10:48 PM
settings_applications edit_note
bornacatfan wrote:expand_more
I think the Ruck Bracket addresses that issue. JC should use his winningest coach in the MAC status and go toe to toe with the last standing short man and get it instituted. (I think he is standing, hard to tell)

All I ask is that JC refers to it as the Ruck bracket when he makes his proposal.  Barbasol can keep the sponsorship, they probably pay better.
Tom Valentino
General User
TV
Member Since: 3/14/2005
Location: Painesville, OH
Post Count: 280
person
mail
Tom Valentino
mail
Posted: 3/15/2014 11:11 PM
settings_applications edit_note
5,278 for the championship game tonight. Lowest ever in Cleveland, and I'm guessing it's by a wide margin. I knew attendance would be down from past finals, but I was hoping it would still draw decently. Nope.

Making tonight's in-arena trivia question "What was the most attended MAC championship game ever?" (Answer: Kent-BG with 14k in 2002) really drove the point home, to boot.
MedinaCat
General User
MC
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Lakewood, OH
Post Count: 750
person
mail
MedinaCat
mail
Posted: 3/16/2014 2:32 PM
settings_applications edit_note
According to the Plain Dealer it was also the lowest combined attendance for the semis and finals. 11,596 this year vs 22,426 last. I'd say this is a result of the final 4 teams vs the format. Although you could argue the format affects which teams made it to the semis.
perimeterpost
General User
Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165
mail
perimeterpost
mail
Posted: 3/16/2014 3:35 PM
settings_applications edit_note
Here's a comparison of the attendance in Cleveland this year vs last year.

2,147 Wednesday 2013
3,361 Thursday 2013
10,324 Friday 2013
12,102 Saturday 2013
27,934 Total 2013


513 Wednesday 2014
4,116 Thursday 2014
6,318 Friday 2014
5,278 Saturday 2014
16,226 Total 2014
Recovering Journalist
General User
RJ
Member Since: 8/17/2010
Location: Cleveland, OH
Post Count: 1,864
person
mail
Recovering Journalist
mail
Posted: 3/16/2014 4:23 PM
settings_applications edit_note
It's obviously the teams that were playing. I find it amazing that this is spurring a small debate on the MAC board about moving the tournament west. The are arguing that it would have accommodated the mighty fan bases of some of the participating MAC West schools, which had average home attendance of 2,675 (WMU), 1,012 (NIU) and 970 (EMU). I'm a little surprised Toledo didn't bring more fans for the final, but the notion that the location had a significant negative impact on attendance really ignores the fact that most MAC schools have students and alumni that don't really care.
Showing Messages: 1 - 20 of 20
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)