Big 12 Tournament permanently in Kansas City?

[OUHoops]

There's been some talk this week by Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe that the football championship game could be permanently placed at Jerry World in Arlington, and in turn the basketball tournament set in Kansas City at the Sprint Center. What do you guys think about that?

 

[quick release]

The sprint center is a really nice basketball arena. Unfortunately there are about 10 million KU fans everywhere up there.

 

[boksooner]

I like both moving around. It changes the dynamics ever year.

 

[skyvue]

I have less of a problem with the football game potentially being played in Dallas on a continuing basis, because of the likelihood the weather there will be better at that time of year, but there's no reason in the world the basketball tourney should be given to KC long-term.

 

[thebigabd]

They should alternate between Dallas, OKC, and Kansas City for the basketball tournament. Football should alternate between Jerry World and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

Why do they have the Big 12 Championship at Arrowhead? I mean, who the hell wants to sit in 15 degree temps for 5 hours? Drive the extra two hours and have it at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

 

[boksooner]

They should alternate between Dallas, OKC, and Kansas City for the basketball tournament. Football should alternate between Jerry World and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

Why do they have the Big 12 Championship at Arrowhead? I mean, who the hell wants to sit in 15 degree temps for 5 hours? Drive the extra two hours and have it at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

For the Big XII tourney, you can throw in Tulsa, St. Louis, Denver, Houston, San Antonio, etc. I think it is great to expose as many different fans in as many different cities to Big XII basketball. It'll be good for recruiting...

 

[SoonerfanTU]

Rotate them. But not to the Edwards Dome in STL. Terrible site for the event.

I'd put football in Dallas and KC. And I'd put basketball in KC, OKC, and Dallas.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Rotate venues. I don't like permanent sites. Which sites should be in the rotation is a different question, but a permanent site gives too much of an advantage to teams in the area of the permanent location.

 

[thebigabd]

Rotate them. But not to the Edwards Dome in STL. Terrible site for the event.

Why? Its a dome that keeps people out of 15-20 weather in the same area.

 

[sanguinetti]

i'm not real hip on JerryWorld as a permanent site. something about it rubs me the wrong way.

 

[sanguinetti]

Why? Its a dome that keeps people out of 15-20 weather in the same area.

according to Missouri and Kansas peeps, STL is a Big 10 town. not sure how or why but that's what you see on their boards.

 

[thebigabd]

according to Missouri and Kansas peeps, STL is a Big 10 town. not sure how or why but that's what you see on their boards.

and if you have the Big 12 Championship there it will be half Nebraska/Kansas/Mizzou fans and half OU/Texas fans. Then for a day it becomes a Big 12 town.

 

[Oscar Uniform]

I think the negatives outweigh the positives for OU, OSU, and the state of Oklahoma.

Positives:

The BIG XII Championship Football game would be played in the South every year. Dallas is closer and much warmer than any North venue. This benefits OU. This is not applicable to OSU.

You could conclude that OKC would get the baseball tournament every year which is good for OU, OSU and OKC.

Negatives:

KU will essentially be the home team for the Big XII basketball tournament every year which is good for KU and bad for everybody else.

OKC and possibly Tulsa will miss out on future Big XII basketball tournaments. The baseball tournament is no consolation.

 

[SoonerEyeDoc]

I have heard that as well and it would be fantastic! It draws well in KC and has done so throughout its history here. (this is me being selfish as a Kansas Citian wanting to see the event in my back yard on a yearly basis like it used to be as well as giving me an opportunity to see OU play here on an annual basis again).

From an OU standpoint, it would be great to have in OKC from time to time, but the Sooners won in KC on a regular basis early in this decade, including a beatdown on KU in front a partisan Jayhawk crowd in 2002, so crowd allegiance doesn't make as much of a difference as some might think.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Another reason to rotate the locations is the economic benefit the cities that host the tournaments see. Why should Dallas and KC be the only cities to benefit economically from these tournaments and games.

 

[bocabull]

I think that is a great idea. The Big 8 basketball tournament was always in KC and that was never a problem.

As for the football title game. I have froze my sack off twice at Arrowhead. The game should definitely be in Dallas every year. Hands down.

Both places are close for OU fans.

 

[campbest]

In the past few years, I've attended Big 12 tournaments in Kansas City and OKC; without a doubt KC is the better place to hold the event. Not saying it should be there every year, but KC is a much cooler place to watch a game and soak up the environment. I have no problem with OKC getting a couple tournaments, but the venue is elementary compared to the Sprint Center and Power & Light District. Don't think the Big XII wants to do Dallas again, the attendance that year was atrocious.

For football, I think it should rotate between Dallas and Kansas City. I know it's cold when the game is played at Arrowhead, but to me, that's part of the experience. I've heard people loved San Antonio, but I seriously doubt JJ is going to let another stadium in Texas get this game.

 

[AdaSooner]

Rotate them.

I'd put football in Dallas and KC. And I'd put basketball in KC, OKC, and Dallas.

^
This.

If schools in the Big 12 South sit on their hands while conference officials give them the shaft by making KC a permanent site for basketball, they will have no one to blame but themselves.

 

[Sid]

The Big 12 CCG needs to be held permanently in Arlington at Jerry's World. Arrowhead Stadium is a pit in December. The frozen field is atrocious. That kind of venue should not be allowed to host a championship game. On the other hand, The Big 12 basketball tournament should be held in KC every year. A DUMP like OKC is not worthy of holding the Big 12 basketball tournament.

If the basketball tournament is not going to be held in KC every year, then Tulsa would be the next best location. The BOK center is a first class facility compared to that cheap box they put up in OKC. If they have to throw OKC a crumb, they can hold the baseball tournament there. Arlington and KC will come out smelling like a rose when it's all said and down. It's going to happen so get used to it.

 

[tomkar98]

In the past few years, I've attended Big 12 tournaments in Kansas City and OKC; without a doubt KC is the better place to hold the event. Not saying it should be there every year, but KC is a much cooler place to watch a game and soak up the environment. I have no problem with OKC getting a couple tournaments, but the venue is elementary compared to the Sprint Center and Power & Light District. Don't think the Big XII wants to do Dallas again, the attendance that year was atrocious.

For football, I think it should rotate between Dallas and Kansas City. I know it's cold when the game is played at Arrowhead, but to me, that's part of the experience. I've heard people loved San Antonio, but I seriously doubt JJ is going to let another stadium in Texas get this game.

The Ford Center was a very basic facility when it was made. However, that is why it is currently getting an upgrade. At the beginning of the next NBA season, most of the interior (concourse, concessions, restrooms, restaurants, shops, etc) will have been greatly upgraded and some changes to the inner bowl (but probably not much of a change).

In the next coming year (or two) they will star work on improving the rest of the facility. Here is a website that shows what will be done.