NCAA report recommends combined Final Fours

[User 150927]

Combining the two is a stupid idea. I think the women's final four stands fine by its own, it's just the inequities and how the two sports are treated that needs to be addressed, not necessarily the final couple of games.

 

[HanSenSE]

They tried something similar a ways back, the men's games in Seattle (when the Kingdome still existed) and the women's in Tacoma. Men sold out, of course, but there wasn't a trickle down to the women. Yeah, there's always the hoops junkies who will watch all six, but are there enough? Most, I'm guessing, are there to see their beloved Podunk Tech at either big dance.

Hotel space has been bought up, but how many people can afford strips for both?

 

[TigerVols]

I love the idea of combining the tournaments. The girls can play at halftime of the men's games, just like the NFL had the Punt, Pass and Kick championships at halftime of a lame Lions game on Thanksgiving!
/clay travis

 

[cjericho]

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This is simply not so. In this century all but about four or five Final Fours have been played in domes and they wouldn't keep doing it if they weren't banged out. My guess is that if they went women's Friday-Sunday and men's the usual it'd be a huge hit and make a bunch of money, especially for the ticket holders of the two women's Friday losers.

When was the women's Final Four played in a 40k+ venue?

 

[SoloFlyer]

When was the women's Final Four played in a 40k+ venue?

This year was in the Alamodome (64,000).

But most are in traditional arenas.

 

[cjericho]

This year was in the Alamodome (64,000).

But most are in traditional arenas.

Yes and there were less than 5K people there. Guess it wasn't understood that it meant -- when was the last time
the women's Final Four was sold out at a 40K+ venue?

 

[Vombatus]

That's fine as far as it goes - but they need to make an actual effort to build the women's tournament. Stuff like last year's weight room was bad enough, but did you know that the NCAA refuses to allow the women's tournament to use "March Madness"?

heck, there was an effort about a dozen years ago by the NC$$ to get lacrosse to come up with some other name than "Final Four", which they seem to want to use exclusively for branding of MBB and to a lesser extent WBB.

The effort really got a push when the term "Frozen Four" became popular for Men's hockey.

The NC$$ wanted something equivalent for lacrosse and other sports, and solicited ideas.

Nothing really stuck. The best lacrosse could do was to try and use the term "Lacrosse Championships" and "Lacrosse Championship Weekend" (over the Memorial Day weekend), and avoid use of "FF".

I thought the whole initiative was bullshirt and just another example of how the NC$$ is driven by $$$ money.

And that's what I think of this move to combine FFs.

Is it really a move to promote equality, or is it really a harebrained idea to try and make more money off of the women's tournament through attendance and TV contracts?

My bet is it's the latter. Because that's what the NC$$ is all about. $$$$$.

 

[User 150927]

Yes and there were less than 5K people there. Guess it wasn't understood that it meant -- when was the last time
the women's Final Four was sold out at a 40K+ venue?

The women's game is not the men's and it's not going to sell out 40+ venues. But the days of <5000 for the tournament are long gone.

NCAA women's attendance at highest level in 15 years

These are the most highly-attended women's college basketball games

 

[dixiehack]