Why does the big 12

[Laxtothemax12]

Are there any other conferences that have championship tournaments and don't rotate the sites? I noticed the Big Ten tournament was in DC this year. What about the ACC, SEC etc?

ACC has been in Brooklyn, DC, and North Carolina in years past. SEC I'm not sure. Might be in Nashville every year

 

[ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms]

I loved it when it was in DFW.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Crimson King]

I like it rotating, but it got lost in Dallas and the second time in OKC ThunderMania had taken over and it wasn't as big of a deal as it was the first time.

I think it should go 2 years in KC and one year in Tulsa. KU fans would still roll down to Tulsa, it would be a big deal there without the NBA, the arena is great, and it would pick up more OK (and possibly TX) attendance to possibly make up for the lack of ISU and KSU fans.

 

[Maverick008]

Guess I better brush up on my geography...didn't know it was that much difference in distance. I can see someone wanting to drive 4 hours to a destination, but not 6-7.

I live in KC and have been to Norman multiple times for games. It's a 5 hour drive which really isn't that bad. Per mapquest, Stillwater is around 4 1/2 hours. That's not a great excuse in my opinion for the Oklahoma schools' fans not to show up in KC. I'm not saying that the tournament shouldn't/couldn't move around but especially for those schools the "distance" argument isn't a good one IMO.

 

[BoulderSooner]

It isn't due to ticket sales or attendance.

Here are some numbers shown by Big-12 as attendance per session (since sales are always "sold out") from the years when it used to rotate:

2001 KC 15,250
2002 KC 17,457
2003 DA 15,800
2004 DA 17,002
2005 KC 18,268
2006 DA 18,238
2007 OKC 18,879
2008 KC 18,876
2009 OKC 15,769

The years with low attendance had to do with what teams advanced. For example in 2009, the final game was between Missouri and Baylor, but the tournament was in OKC. the same happened for the other "lower" attendance figures - no matter where the game was played. Note that the highest attendance was actually in OKC (in 2007) over those years.

Politics are the reason for placing the championships. It appeared that to get the football and WBB tournaments out of KC, the negotiation gave KC the men's tournament on a regular basis.

there was also an ice storm in 2009

 

[JBaker]

yeah, I love it here...but I'd like to see it rotate, KC, OKC, Dallas...

all 3 cities have things to offer and honestly ku fans will travel.

I think this makes the most sense. A northern location, a central location, and a southern location. It stays in KC due to politics. Would love to have it in Dallas again so I could go.

I'm fine with football rotating again too, just keep it out of San Antonio.

 

[usedtobe1]

I was in OKC on business during the tournament in 2007. The weather was great, and Bricktown was within walking distance. It was just a lot of fun.

I like the idea of rotating it between KC, OKC, and DFW or Austin.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I was in OKC on business during the tournament in 2007. The weather was great, and Bricktown was within walking distance. It was just a lot of fun.

I like the idea of rotating it between KC, OKC, and DFW or Austin.

Not only that, many new hotels have been built in the Bricktown area since 2007. All are within easy walking distance of the arena. This makes OKC a better host site than it was back then.

 

[kansasooner]

KC is an elite venue for this tournament.

 

[MsProudSooner]

KC is an elite venue for this tournament.

It's no more elite than The Chesapeake, the BOK or the American Airlines Arena in Dallas.

 

[Sooner04]

I have attended the Big 12 Tournament in the following venues:

American Airlines Center: '03, '04, '06
Kemper Arena: '05
Chesapeake Energy Arena: '07, '09
Sprint Center: '08, '10, '12, '13, '14, '16, '17

I feel uniquely qualified to comment in this thread because I've seen a Tournament in every venue the Big 12 has ever visited FOR the Tournament.

I'd rank the host cities as follows:

1. Kansas City
2. Oklahoma City
3. Beirut
4. Dallas

Nothing personal against Big D, but the Tournament gets swallowed up there. I was in the stands for the infamous "Touchdown Pervis Pasco" game and you could've swung a dead giraffe around the upper level and not hit a soul. Compare that with Wednesday night in Kansas City, when 12,000-plus came out for the opening session featuring three teams from Texas and Oklahoma. We played Texas in the AAC on a Friday night in 2004 following a game between Missouri and Kansas and it wasn't anywhere close to full.

If the fruitcakes in the Big 12 office pull their heads out of their butt and move the women's tourney back alongside the men's then I believe you'll see OKC hosting it once again, and fairly often. You simply cannot beat that "across the street" dynamic between the CHK and the Myriad. Downtown also has a heck of a lot more hotel rooms now than in 2009, so that's another feather in its cap.

My buddy Sooner24 has a saying, and I tend to agree with him, "those who complain about the Tournament being in Kansas City have never been to the Tournament in Kansas City." Power and Light is awesome. Plenty of good food options very close by. Tons of downtown hotels. Great shopping and dining a short car ride away in the Plaza. Throw in the new street car connecting downtown to the Crown Center and it's got everything you need.

I'm all for fairness, and I'd love to see Tulsa get their shot. I have no problem with OKC once every couple of years either. If they want to throw Dallas a bone and be greeted with a plethora of empty seats, they can do that too. But I've been everywhere this Tournament has ever been, and Kansas City does it better. By a large margin.

 

[WTSooner]

What is the seating capacity of the options in Dallas, OKC, Tulsa, and KC, anybody know?

 

[Sooner04]

Directly from our good friends at Wikipedia:

American Airlines Center: 19,200 (standing room - 21,146)
Chesapeake Energy Arena: 18,203
Sprint Center: 18,972
BOK Center: 17,839


Tickets will always be sold out, I'd guess, but KC has a very brisk re-sale market. Lots of people always milling about, probably because of their Bricktown literally being right across the street. When you get a KU or ISU session, it's full, and when they're together in said session it's nuts. KSU fans came out really well this year as well.

A really good OU or O-State team might be able to move the needle in a similar manner in OKC, but I can't imagine any scenario where that would happen in Dallas.

 

[Crimson King]

A really good OU or O-State team might be able to move the needle in a similar manner in OKC, but I can't imagine any scenario where that would happen in Dallas.

Been to all of those tourneys and agree with nearly everything you say. If more people would commit to KC, they would have a great time. Would still like to see a little movement and have Tulsa get a shot.

Regarding the above, however, we have proof that there will be no moving of the needle in OKC. 2009, OU's best team in at least 7 years in Bedlam III, and not even a sellout.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I have attended the Big 12 Tournament in the following venues:

American Airlines Center: '03, '04, '06
Kemper Arena: '05
Chesapeake Energy Arena: '07, '09
Sprint Center: '08, '10, '12, '13, '14, '16, '17

I feel uniquely qualified to comment in this thread because I've seen a Tournament in every venue the Big 12 has ever visited FOR the Tournament.

I'd rank the host cities as follows:

1. Kansas City
2. Oklahoma City
3. Beirut
4. Dallas

Nothing personal against Big D, but the Tournament gets swallowed up there. I was in the stands for the infamous "Touchdown Pervis Pasco" game and you could've swung a dead giraffe around the upper level and not hit a soul. Compare that with Wednesday night in Kansas City, when 12,000-plus came out for the opening session featuring three teams from Texas and Oklahoma. We played Texas in the AAC on a Friday night in 2004 following a game between Missouri and Kansas and it wasn't anywhere close to full.

If the fruitcakes in the Big 12 office pull their heads out of their butt and move the women's tourney back alongside the men's then I believe you'll see OKC hosting it once again, and fairly often. You simply cannot beat that "across the street" dynamic between the CHK and the Myriad. Downtown also has a heck of a lot more hotel rooms now than in 2009, so that's another feather in its cap.

My buddy Sooner24 has a saying, and I tend to agree with him, "those who complain about the Tournament being in Kansas City have never been to the Tournament in Kansas City." Power and Light is awesome. Plenty of good food options very close by. Tons of downtown hotels. Great shopping and dining a short car ride away in the Plaza. Throw in the new street car connecting downtown to the Crown Center and it's got everything you need.

I'm all for fairness, and I'd love to see Tulsa get their shot. I have no problem with OKC once every couple of years either. If they want to throw Dallas a bone and be greeted with a plethora of empty seats, they can do that too. But I've been everywhere this Tournament has ever been, and Kansas City does it better. By a large margin.

KC has almost the same dynamic with Municipal just 3 blocks from the Sprint Center. If you are staying at any of the hotels between the Sprint Center and the Muni then you have the same dynamic. Except in KC you would be 2 blocks from the Sprint Center and 1 or 2 blocks from Muni.

As you said, in your last paragraph, Kansas City has so many great places to eat and things to see. You have the P&L which will be crowded during the games so you can catch the streetcar and eat at tons of great places in the River Market, the Crossroads District, the Freight House District, or Crown Center. If that isn't to your liking you can drive to the Plaza, Brookside, or Waldo and find even more places. Most of the establishments in Waldo or Brookside are local with excellent local craft beers as well as local whiskey/vodka/gin that is excellent too.

OKC has some great eating options too so both places are excellent choices to host.

 

[NMSooner'80]

I personally don't care a bit about how much KC offers in terms of attendance. I just remember my brother's trip up there in '85 and how he came back with horror stories about how hateful the people were there towards OU. It didn't get any better in the ensuing years. So screw KC and its Beaker-bias.

 

[Sooner24]

I personally don't care a bit about how much KC offers in terms of attendance. I just remember my brother's trip up there in '85 and how he came back with horror stories about how hateful the people were there towards OU. It didn't get any better in the ensuing years. So screw KC and its Beaker-bias.

My first Big 8 tournament was 1984 and I have never once been treated badly in KC, Dallas or Oklahoma City.

I don't drink or hang out in bars so I'm not exposed to a bunch of drunks that will probably say things while inebriated that they wouldn't say sober around the arenas. The closest I get to drunks is slipping in to get a slice of pizza in the P&L distract. Not sure where your brother has encountered the people that have given him a hard time but I have yet to have a problem in 34 years.

 

[sperry]

The "People were mean to me in location xyz" is just weird to me. I've had zero problems anywhere, including just about every football road venue, lot's of bowl games, Big XII hoops tourney, Big XII football championships. Same goes for all friends and family who routinely travel for sporting events.

The only place I've heard believable accounts of terrible fan behavior on a large scale is the Sugar Bowl in '03.

 

[Big Old Booger]

My first Big 8 tournament was 1984 and I have never once been treated badly in KC, Dallas or Oklahoma City.

I don't drink or hang out in bars so I'm not exposed to a bunch of drunks that will probably say things while inebriated that they wouldn't say sober around the arenas. The closest I get to drunks is slipping in to get a slice of pizza in the P&L distract. Not sure where your brother has encountered the people that have given him a hard time but I have yet to have a problem in 34 years.

I've attended almost every year it's in the Sprint Center and the worst fans I've seen are ISU fans. Though they haven't been rude or mean to me, but when they get drunk, watch out. They love to drink too...remind me of Nebraska fans. Must be something due to how cold it is in those states or something.

Anyway, last year I was sitting by an older gentleman KU fan and his wife as well as friends of their's. He was real nice. We visited before the OU-ISU game. KU had beaten Texas in the earlier session. Once the OU game started and Niang traveled the first time he got the ball, I hollered "HE WALKED!". The ISU fan a few rows in front of me turned around and mouthed something. Right after that, the KU fan turned to me and said "you haven't been around Iowa State fans much, huh?". I said, "no not really". He said, "well, they like to drink and they like to fight". :ez-roll:

Sure enough after that game I saw some ISU fans trying to fight, LOL, and they were all drunker than Cooter Brown.

 

[Big Old Booger]

The "People were mean to me in location xyz" is just weird to me. I've had zero problems anywhere, including just about every football road venue, lot's of bowl games, Big XII hoops tourney, Big XII football championships. Same goes for all friends and family who routinely travel for sporting events.

The only place I've heard believable accounts of terrible fan behavior on a large scale is the Sugar Bowl in '03.

I've been to all the Big 12 football stadiums except Texas, TCU and WV (including Mizzou, aTm, and Nebraska) to watch OU play. The only place I had any problems was at Nebraska in 2005. I was sober and had my 9 year old son with me and a Nebraska fan tried to pick a fight because he said the refs cheated for us. I turned and walked away. I was there for a football game, not a fight.