BET Attendance

[Madbiker]

for Friday night semi-final reported as 15,580 which is about 80% of capacity. I assume that is the number of tickets sold but can't be sure. Friday night was always a sell out and the hardest ticket to get. Will be interesting to see if MSG is half empty tonight for the final with Providence-Creighton.

 

[two3zone]

for Friday night semi-final reported as 15,580 which is about 80% of capacity. I assume that is the number of tickets sold but can't be sure. Friday night was always a sell out and the hardest ticket to get. Will be interesting to see if MSG is half empty tonight for the final with Providence-Creighton.

Well, I'm shocked it's at 80% with the teams the BE lost. I'm actually quite impressed. Kudos to the New Big East.

 

[cardinalfan123]

Such a shame what happened to the Big East. Arguably the best basketball conference ever assembled went up in smoke over money. It's amazing to think one conference could put 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The BET featured some of the best basketball of the season too.

 

[Madbiker]

Well, I'm shocked it's at 80% with the teams the BE lost. I'm actually quite impressed. Kudos to the New Big East.

Those are the number of tickets sold. I'm guessing that with St. John's, Nova ,and GT all out early that the number of fannies in the seats is probably way lower. Which hurts concession sales and ultimately $$$ MSG makes on the tourney.

 

[nyhc666]

Creighton is on spring break this week and a shitload of their students are down here in Orlando...just sayin

 

[BEC1]

I was actually there Friday night. It was definitely around 80 to 85% filled and there was a lot of energy in the building. Keep in mind that there was no Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's. I have no ill feelings toward the Big East. Not sure why people here feel the need to want to see them struggle. SU left for the ACC, the Big East didn't kick anyone out.

 

[orangedave]

Such a shame what happened to the Big East. Arguably the best basketball conference ever assembled went up in smoke over money. It's amazing to think one conference could put 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The BET featured some of the best basketball of the season too.

Of course it was about money. You seem to think that's a bad thing. Didn't money help the Cards build the YUM Center, Papa John Stadium and pay huge salaries to Pitino and Strong?
Not to mention that the Big East was formed for money, added football for money, played it's hoops tournament in MSG for money.
I loved the Big East for hoops and it wouldn't bother me if it had remained a hoops only conference, but that ain't reality.

 

[BEC1]

Creighton is on spring break this week and a shitload of their students are down here in Orlando...just sayin

Not sure if they were students, fans or alums but the Creighton fans were in full force both Thursday and Friday nights at the Garden. Have to admit it was funny hearing people referring to them as the "new" Syracuse and UConn lol.

 

[longtimefan]

Not sure if they were students, fans or alums but the Creighton fans were in full force both Thursday and Friday nights at the Garden. Have to admit it was funny hearing people referring to them as the "new" Syracuse and UConn lol.

Sans McDermott next season, Creighton might look more like the "new" Rutgers.

 

[rstone7727]

Not sure if they were students, fans or alums but the Creighton fans were in full force both Thursday and Friday nights at the Garden. Have to admit it was funny hearing people referring to them as the "new" Syracuse and UConn lol.

Will be interesting to see how many show next year when McDermott and Wragge are both gone.

 

[Madbiker]

I was actually there Friday night. It was definitely around 80 to 85% filled and there was a lot of energy in the building. Keep in mind that there was no Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's. I have no ill feelings toward the Big East. Not sure why people here feel the need to want to see them struggle. SU left for the ACC, the Big East didn't kick anyone out.

I have nothing against the Big East schools. But our self interest lies in getting the ACC tourney into MSG and that only happens if their attendance tanks and MSG wants out of the deal. So there's curiosity about how the attendance is doing.

 

[PeteCalvin]

The evil minions at Providence finally got what they wanted! They found a way to get all the big time programs out of the equation so that they could get into the BE Tournament Championship game. Boy, we're we all suckers, or what?!

 

[BEC1]

Will be interesting to see how many show next year when McDermott and Wragge are both gone.

I used to think the same thing about UConn. I thought once the Donyell Marshall group graduated that they would be a blip on the radar. Granted they are closer geographically than Omaha. I work with 2 people who are from Nebraska, both also went to school there (two Cornhuskers ugh) but they both have said that Creighton has always maintained a strong following and fan support. I don't think the Creighton fans that I encountered the last 2 nights are suddenly going to stop coming to NYC for the Big East tournament. I think it's pretty silly to think fans won't keep coming b/c certain guys graduate. These are fans who were fans before McDermott and will continue to be after he leaves. I think as SU fans the focus should be on the ACC and just get over wanting the Big East to struggle.

 

[BEC1]

I have nothing against the Big East schools. But our self interest lies in getting the ACC tourney into MSG and that only happens if their attendance tanks and MSG wants out of the deal. So there's curiosity about how the attendance is doing.

I agree but I just don't think its ever going to happen at least until the current contract expires. I could be wrong but everything I've read about the current MSG contract is that the only way they can pull out is if the Big East loses additional schools, nothing about attendance.

 

[rstone7727]

I used to think the same thing about UConn. I thought once the Donyell Marshall group graduated that they would be a blip on the radar. Granted they are closer geographically than Omaha. I work with 2 people who are from Nebraska, both also went to school there (two Cornhuskers ugh) but they both have said that Creighton has always maintained a strong following and fan support. I don't think the Creighton fans that I encountered the last 2 nights are suddenly going to stop coming to NYC for the Big East tournament. I think it's pretty silly to think fans won't keep coming b/c certain guys graduate. These are fans who were fans before McDermott and will continue to be after he leaves. I think as SU fans the focus should be on the ACC and just get over wanting the Big East to struggle.

I don't wish them bad at all and know how good Creighton has been over the years but I think you'll have to agree the interest can't possibly be at the same level next year. Who does Creighton have coming in next year to replace McDermott, Wragge, Manigat and Gibbs? Those are four very key Seniors if I'm not mistaken..

 

[netman99]

Such a shame what happened to the Big East. Arguably the best basketball conference ever assembled went up in smoke over money. It's amazing to think one conference could put 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The BET featured some of the best basketball of the season too.

Old Big East Schools should still get 8 in this year.

 

[rrlbees]

I was actually there Friday night. It was definitely around 80 to 85% filled and there was a lot of energy in the building. Keep in mind that there was no Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's. I have no ill feelings toward the Big East. Not sure why people here feel the need to want to see them struggle. SU left for the ACC, the Big East didn't kick anyone out.

The BEC screwed us and others by always catering to the catholic schools. They had no vision and couldn't see a mixed conference would die. The BEC is dead to me.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Looks like they are paying Thamel to hype this game for them on Twitter. He keeps talking about an electric atmosphere in MSG

 

[EastCoast2]

Such a shame what happened to the Big East. Arguably the best basketball conference ever assembled went up in smoke over money. It's amazing to think one conference could put 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The BET featured some of the best basketball of the season too.

I thought it was 11 one year?

Edit: it was, in 2011: http://basketball.about.com/od/ncaatournament/a/most-teams-ncaa.htm

 

[obliterata]

Such a shame what happened to the Big East. Arguably the best basketball conference ever assembled went up in smoke over money. It's amazing to think one conference could put 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The BET featured some of the best basketball of the season too.

Here's some highlights:

1985 - 3 schools make the Final Four
1991 - 7 of 9 schools (78%) make the NCAAT
2009 - 3 number one seeds
2009 - 4 schools make the Elite Eight
2011 - 11 schools make the NCAAT
2006 to 2013 (8 years, 16 schools minus WVU in 2013) - 8 Final Fours by 6 different schools, 15 Elite Eights by 8 different schools

All of these achievements have a decent chance of never being duplicated or surpassed.

The Big East was great in the 80s but a lot of people don't realize how great it was once Louisville et al joined as the stats above show.

 

[BEC1]

Here's some highlights:

1985 - 3 schools make the Final Four
1991 - 7 of 9 schools (78%) make the NCAAT
2009 - 3 number one seeds
2009 - 4 schools make the Elite Eight
2011 - 11 schools make the NCAAT
2006 to 2013 (8 years, 16 schools minus WVU in 2013) - 8 Final Fours by 6 different schools, 15 Elite Eights by 8 different schools

All of these achievements have a decent chance of never being duplicated or surpassed.

The Big East was great in the 80s but a lot of people don't realize how great it was once Louisville et al joined as the stats above show.

How could you leave out 1987, 2 more schools make the Final Four, Providence and some school named Syracuse ; )

 

[BEC1]

The BEC screwed us and others by always catering to the catholic schools. They had no vision and couldn't see a mixed conference would die. The BEC is dead to me.

Catering to the Catholic schools? The Big East did everything they could to make the football schools happy, they invited Miami, then they formally formed the Big East football conference, then they added those schools (Rutgers, VT, WVU, etc) to the league for all sports, then they added Louisville, Cincinnati, etc for football purposes when BC, Miami and VT left. Come on, the Big East did everything it could to cater to the football schools. Maybe these weren't the smartest decisions, but they were not made for the basketball schools benefit.

 

[44PRIDE]

Catering to the Catholic schools? The Big East did everything they could to make the football schools happy, they invited Miami, then they formally formed the Big East football conference, then they added those schools (Rutgers, VT, WVU, etc) to the league for all sports, then they added Louisville, Cincinnati, etc for football purposes when BC, Miami and VT left. Come on, the Big East did everything it could to cater to the football schools. Maybe these weren't the smartest decisions, but they were not made for the basketball schools benefit.

My friend, if you think you're going to win this argument here...you are on the wroooooooong board.

 

[rrlbees]

Catering to the Catholic schools? The Big East did everything they could to make the football schools happy, they invited Miami, then they formally formed the Big East football conference, then they added those schools (Rutgers, VT, WVU, etc) to the league for all sports, then they added Louisville, Cincinnati, etc for football purposes when BC, Miami and VT left. Come on, the Big East did everything it could to cater to the football schools. Maybe these weren't the smartest decisions, but they were not made for the basketball schools benefit.

Yea, everything they did was to keep those schools in the conference. All the did in helping the football schools was out lipstick on a pig. Anyone with half a brain knew a conference with different schools playing difference sports was eventually a big fail. Not a single BEC commish had any vision if the future landscape of sports. They were narrow minded and threw the occasional bone to the football schools.

 

[Cuseman78]

Looks like they are paying Thamel to hype this game for them on Twitter. He keeps talking about an electric atmosphere in MSG

It may have been "electric", but it was electric with 5,000 empty seats. The BET was an attendance fail.