Future ACC conference tournies...

[44USMC]

I lived in ATL about 15 years ago. I'd say it was 90% Georgia fans, 10%(or less) Georgia Tech fans. that said, GT hoops was still an impossible ticket to get, even against shlub teams. That's that advantage of a large city, small numbers of fans by percentage are still huge numbers of fans total.

check and see how the ACC tournament does in ATL this March. I'll bet money it does really, really well. it's a great, natural spot for an ACC tourney, and will be in the rotation going forward.

You know what? I'll eat crow. I'd love the tournament there. I can go see games with the family

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Atlanta is the natural crossroads of the south. It has a strong infrastructure (hotels, arenas, etc), so the ability to hold a conference tournament there would be easy, logistically speaking.

Greensboro is definitely not happening for the ACCT in the future. With the move to 14 (or 16) schools, increasing the exposure of basketball, you need a larger venue and city with better infrastructure to handle that type of tourney.

Charlotte, ATL, DC and NYC make sense.

Hell, NYC might become the permanent location for the ACCT if the BE folds (or becomes less desirable). MSG would take the premier basketball conference (more $$$) over the Catholic Basketball Conference.

This really is contingent upon UConn going to the ACC. If they stay in the BE (or some other form if it), then there still might be some pull with Nova, SJU, and Gtown to have a quality conference.

 

[Cusey]

I think there will be more MSG games/tourneys than many people think. TV $$$$ and the NY fan bases for many of these teams will demand it. Cantor has already hinted at that and we know Gross will also be one of the prime movers toward that end. Also agree with Seattle that Atlanta, NYC, Charlotte and DC will end up as the rotation for the ACCT.

 

[longislandcuse]

I agree that they are already planning a 4 city rotation, but part of me thinks that once they play one tourney at MSG theyre are going to leave NYC thinking "how do we move this here permanantly". At least thats my wishful thinking.

 

[Knicks411]

I agree that they are already planning a 4 city rotation, but part of me thinks that once they play one tourney at MSG theyre are going to leave NYC thinking "how do we move this here permanantly". At least thats my wishful thinking.

Maybe this is me just thinking in the past terms, but while I think they're going to play it at MSG if/when the contract with the BE is over, I don't see it being moved there every year. The ACC tournament is a big deal down there; they've been playing the thing for close to 60 years. People really care about it there, so that's why I find it hard to believe they'd move the thing to NY every year.

That being said, I'm kinda thinking about it in the "old ACC" terms, for lack of a better word. When the league was 8 or 9 teams, and half of them were in North Carolina, no chance the thing gets moved. The Carolina schools, especially Duke and UNC, have basically run the conference for so many years. (And don't get me wrong, I think they'd love to play the ACC Tournament in MSG, but probably not every year). But the conf is 14 teams right now, and it's inevitably going to be 16, and it seems more likely than not that the 2 additional teams will be coming from the BE. So the more schools you get, the less power UNC and Duke have, and particularly if those schools are coming from the BE, that's more of a power base.

So while it's hard to predict the future, I would not be surprised down the road if it becomes more of a 2 city rotation; MSG and then somewhere in NC (Greensboro, Charlotte, etc).

 

[longislandcuse]

Yea, I doubt they would move it up here totally, the southern ACC members might have a fit over that. Ive watched the ACC tourney and to me, it has no punch. Its boring and blaa...you take these teams now and put them under the lights...WOW.

 

[OttoMets]

I'm hoping Atlanta won't be, as it's a lousy sports town with a sterile venue for the games.

Yep. All this talk about Atlanta is odd. There aren't too many worse choices for the ACC tournament. Heck, Providence might be as attractive.

 

[Shermthegeneral]

I'd like to see a scenario of a 3 or 4 city rotation for the ACC tourney.

Focusing around:

1) Atlanta
2) Charlotte
3) Washington DC
4) NYC

It would be fair and balanced. I honestly think the ACC could wiggle their way into MSG by offering more money. Let's face it, the ACC will have more money (and appeal) than the BE remnants.

I actually wouldn't mind seeing a two city rotation between Atlanta and NYC.

I hear this comment over and over but if you were MSG and you are looking to make money on a yearly basis, would you kick out your main money draw from the past 30 years for a once every 4 years deal? I certainly wouldn't! It makes no sense to me at all! St. Johns, Seton Hall, Villanova and Gtown aren't going anywhere! There will still be a lot of solid basketball teams left in the new Big East. It seems as though a lot of people now feel have an elitist attitude or entitlement now that we will be in the ACC. I don't get it how people are turning our backs on the league so fast!

 

[Cusefan95]

Greensboro has a nice large arena and the talk from the ACC seems to be about keeping them in the rotation... But the city infrastructure is really not going to be adequate for as many out-of-town fans as they will have. My guess is they'll have one tourney there, It'll be obvious to everyone except the folks that run the arena that it isn't a long-term option...and the ACC will look for ways to cut Greensboro out of the loop without looking like shmucks in the process.

If the first ACC tourney in NYC is anything like 2006, I wouldn't be surprised if they angled for a way to play in MSG every year - that tourney was truly national news, and I can't remember the last time you could say that about the ACC tourney. I think Duke would secretly be gleeful if the ACC tourney found a permanent home in MSG... But would need to put on a public face of disappointment so none of their NC companions realize how much of a Yankee school they really are.

 

[OttoMets]

Greensboro has a nice large arena and the talk from the ACC seems to be about keeping them in the rotation... But the city infrastructure is really not going to be adequate for as many out-of-town fans as they will have.

Are the bulk of the Duke/Carolina/Wake/State fans day-trippers? Because I know Greensboro gets sellouts or near sellouts for most of those games, and the city handles it fine. If they don't require hotels, though, the situation will change.

 

[rstone7727]

But would need to put on a public face of disappointment so none of their NC companions realize how much of a Yankee school they really are.

:rolling:

 

[SkanSU]

While not happy about JB's comments re: Greensboro I guess the ACC press (or some of them) are in agreement. With the expanded ACC and the liklihoood of increased traveling fandom (especially Pitt and SU) a larger facilty and better environs are called for. I do foresee Greensboro being slowly edge out of the tourny picture ... afterall it is about money and if ya can't fit the fans ... oh well. While Atlanta is not a great sports city (supporting ACC I guess) it does offer the facilities and entertainment (altho I would defer that issue to Atlanta SU alums ... I've really only been there at the airport). In any case the fans would travel as they always do and SU will fill the seats ... as will the Tarheels and the Dookies.

I would think that DC would also be a good central point. Of course everyone wants NYC (including the ACC) at either MSG or Barclay. Charlotte would be acceptable... and again a central location (more or less).