MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[WUPHF]

Millikin/Concordia (WI) on demand video...

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/millikin.portal#


The final sequence starts at about 2:18:00 on the player.

Wow.

Wow, indeed.  Thanks for sharing.

Incidentally, that is one giant M for such a small gym.  Michigan and Minnesota has nothing on Milliken.

[bopol]

(Possibly) dumb question for you long-time D3 watchers. 

What's up with the football and men's basketball championships always being in Virginia?  It seems reasonable for football for weather reasons, but there hasn't been a southern team in the final for ten years.  For basketball, it seems fairly ridiculous that it doesn't get rotated around to different regions where there is a lot of D3 schools and strong programs especially in the Midwest (not the region, but the area - Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin) and the Northeast.

[AndOne]

Congrats to North Central on an outstanding football season and for representing the CCIW so so well vs. The Machine, Mount Union.  The NCC team just came up short, losing to Mount 41-40 in the snow in Alliance.  What an awesome game -- determined by the special team and kicking game snafus in very trying, challenging conditions, it would appear.  A great season for NCC.  Great performance in the Semis against the greatest power in D3 football.  Congrats to Coach Thorne and all the NCC players, coaches and fans -- good luck to the seniors in future endeavors.

IWU70

Thanks 70. Final Four in 2013 in both basketball and football for the NCC Cardinals. Not bad. 
Now, over the coming months, the red birds and the rest of the CCIW will try to keep pace with The World's Best D3 Basketball Team Ever Assembled (to borrow from Greg Sager) 

[AndOne]

(Possibly) dumb question for you long-time D3 watchers. 

What's up with the football and men's basketball championships always being in Virginia?  It seems reasonable for football for weather reasons, but there hasn't been a southern team in the final for ten years.  For basketball, it seems fairly ridiculous that it doesn't get rotated around to different regions where there is a lot of D3 schools and strong programs especially in the Midwest (not the region, but the area - Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin) and the Northeast.

A great question asked by many over several years, bopol.
I believe one of the reasons is the positive experience Salem has provided over the years in that the community really gets behind the efforts and provides class treatment of the participating teams in both sports. I think Titan Q has previously provided a detailed analysis of the positives provided by the Salem organizers.
I was fortunate enough to attend last season's basketball Final Four and found Salem to be a nice place with friendly people. The problem is that its pretty difficult (due to location), and expensive (mainly due to a limited number of flights) to get to, and there really isn't much to do in the Salem area. Additionally, I really wasn't impressed with the Salem Civic Center where the basketball tournament was held.
We've heard the NCAA's primary consideration is the student-athlete experience, and I assume Salem does a good job in fulfilling that consideration. However, my main question/problem is that I don't know why a first class experience can't be provided for both the athletes AND the fans. Think about the kids parents who have chauffeured the players around since they were 5 or 6 and sacrificed throughout the years to attend games. Think about the players friends and fellow students who might like to attend the finals to support their buddies and schools. I just think it would be really nice if the games could be held someplace that wasn't so difficult to get to and that had a little more to do during downtime from the games themselves. I paid a tidy sum for my plane ticket in March. My only other option would have been a 24-26 hour round trip drive. I realize there are several points that would have to be considered, and some obsticles to be overcome, but I do think the NCAA could do a little better.

[kiko]

(Possibly) dumb question for you long-time D3 watchers. 

What's up with the football and men's basketball championships always being in Virginia?  It seems reasonable for football for weather reasons, but there hasn't been a southern team in the final for ten years.  For basketball, it seems fairly ridiculous that it doesn't get rotated around to different regions where there is a lot of D3 schools and strong programs especially in the Midwest (not the region, but the area - Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin) and the Northeast.

A great question asked by many over several years, bopol.
I believe one of the reasons is the positive experience Salem has provided over the years in that the community really gets behind the efforts and provides class treatment of the participating teams in both sports. I think Titan Q has previously provided a detailed analysis of the positives provided by the Salem organizers.
I was fortunate enough to attend last season's basketball Final Four and found Salem to be a nice place with friendly people. The problem is that its pretty difficult (due to location), and expensive (mainly due to a limited number of flights) to get to, and there really isn't much to do in the Salem area. Additionally, I really wasn't impressed with the Salem Civic Center where the basketball tournament was held.
We've heard the NCAA's primary consideration is the student-athlete experience, and I assume Salem does a good job in fulfilling that consideration. However, my main question/problem is that I don't know why a first class experience can't be provided for both the athletes AND the fans. Think about the kids parents who have chauffeured the players around since they were 5 or 6 and sacrificed throughout the years to attend games. Think about the players friends and fellow students who might like to attend the finals to support their buddies and schools. I just think it would be really nice if the games could be held someplace that wasn't so difficult to get to and that had a little more to do during downtime from the games themselves. I paid a tidy sum for my plane ticket in March. My only other option would have been a 24-26 hour round trip drive. I realize there are several points that would have to be considered, and some obsticles to be overcome, but I do think the NCAA could do a little better.

I go back to what I said on this topic last year:

The ideal location would have magnificent volunteers who understand what the D3 experience is all about, a beautiful facility, lots to do outside of the games, a high demand for tickets irrespective of which teams qualified (MSP would not draw those mythical 5,000 fans if Puget Sound and Amherst followed Trinity and Wittenberg on the Final Four dance card), easy and relatively inexpensive air access for out-of-town fans, relatively close proximity to many schools in the core D3 geographic footprint, and high levels of local media interest.  And probably other stuff as well.  Oh, and to put a cherry on top, let's also say they have to be able to deliver this for both football and basketball because there is something intangibly nice that the promised land be the same place for both sports.

Salem delivers very well on some of these and not so well on others.  But I don't imagine that any locale would deliver all of these dimensions.  The question becomes how you (er, the NCAA) prioritize the tradeoffs among each of these variables.  It would seem to me that 3,000 is pretty much the ceiling we can expect for attendance absent a local (immediate vicinity) team, and you can't bank on their being one of these in the field.  Other places might muster the volunteer support, but I take those who have experienced Salem first-hand at their word that it would be hard to improve upon what Salem has to offer here.

I don't know that any other venue is going to offer better media coverage than the status quo -- the local paper provides decent coverage, and probably more column inches than you'd get out of someplace big enough to support a AAA or major league baseball team.  I'm not sure what other local media you'd find in another location that is either not present or ignoring the tourney in Salem.  ESPN / other cable properties aren't staying away because of the location, and any city big enough to have more local media outlets to provide coverage almost assuredly has bigger things to cover.

One additional thought -- I like that the tournament returns to the same location every year.  For my money, the idea that a single point on the map -- be it the Rose Bowl, the Peoria Civic Center for HS basketball, Williamsport, Salem, etc. -- becomes the focus and the goal year-in and year-out is something that fosters a strong tradition and sense of culture moreso than something that moves around and becomes a different experience each year.

[bopol]

I just thought of it when I read that Carthage will host the men's volleyball championship in 2018.  I also saw that Calvin will host  women's basketball in 2015 and 2017.

It would be nice to see men's basketball move around similarly.  Not suprisingly, I would think that Tarble would be a great place for that.

[Naperick]

Millikin/Concordia (WI) on demand video...

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/millikin.portal#


The final sequence starts at about 2:18:00 on the player.

Wow.

Wow, indeed.  Thanks for sharing.

Incidentally, that is one giant M for such a small gym.  Michigan and Minnesota has nothing on Milliken.

Wow is right.  That loss has to hurt but the "Big Blue" will learn from it.

[Greenguy]

I admit I'm biased because I live in the East and the only time I get to see my Titans is during the Final Four.  The atmosphere for the championships that Salem provides is very special.  They do an excellent job of catering to the D3 crowd.   

[AndOne]

Yes Greenguy, but remember, that catering job could probably be duplicated someplace else, and its only able to be partaken of after many of those fans navigate their way across a pretty fair distance to a place that is not exactly on a major beaten path.
I have no problem with the level of efficiency or hospitality provided by the fine folks of Salem, but it would be nice to be able to find a spot more readily accessible that also had a few more local attractions to fill the downtime.

Think of all the Weenie fans in B-N who will want to attend this year's Final Four. While you, of course, would be inconvenienced, a journey to the Chicago area, or even somewhere in IN or OH, would be a lot shorter and cheaper for many Midwestern fans than a sojourn to Salem. Especially for all those nursing home residents that regularly make up a sizable percentage of the crowds in the Beer Nuts Center. 

[iwu70]

Be careful now, AndOne, you are talking about my Mom and Dad -- and lots of other oldies but goodies from the Titan faithful.  And, I'll soon be there myself.  Have grace and discernment -- as your time will come too.

Congrats again to NCC on the football successes.  CCIW roundball should be quite a battle this year -- as 5-6 teams are surely capable of winning the conference, surely winning on any given night.  My money is still on my Titans, of course, but I'm well aware how good a number of other teams are and how several others have improved significantly from last year.

Keep eating those Beer Nuts -- we're hoping for a new Fine Arts Center in future, too. 

IWU70

[Titan Q]

Think of all the Weenie fans in B-N who will want to attend this year's Final Four. While you, of course, would be inconvenienced, a journey to the Chicago area, or even somewhere in IN or OH, would be a lot shorter and cheaper for many Midwestern fans than a sojourn to Salem. Especially for all those nursing home residents that regularly make up a sizable percentage of the crowds in the Beer Nuts Center. 

You are just an absolute jerk, AndOne.  Wow.

[robertgoulet]

Think of all the Weenie fans in B-N who will want to attend this year's Final Four. While you, of course, would be inconvenienced, a journey to the Chicago area, or even somewhere in IN or OH, would be a lot shorter and cheaper for many Midwestern fans than a sojourn to Salem. Especially for all those nursing home residents that regularly make up a sizable percentage of the crowds in the Beer Nuts Center. 

You are just an absolute jerk, AndOne.  Wow.

I don't see anything wrong w/ what AO said (and that doesn't happen very often!).

[AndOne]

Think of all the Weenie fans in B-N who will want to attend this year's Final Four. While you, of course, would be inconvenienced, a journey to the Chicago area, or even somewhere in IN or OH, would be a lot shorter and cheaper for many Midwestern fans than a sojourn to Salem. Especially for all those nursing home residents that regularly make up a sizable percentage of the crowds in the Beer Nuts Center. 

You are just an absolute jerk, AndOne.  Wow.

And I'm sorry that your Royal Highassness got up on the wrong side of the bed today.

I mean holy frickin' crap TQ. Are you 97 years old and devoid of any and all sense of even lighthearted humor? Or perhaps you really moved to Kazakhstan or some other tremendously depressing place rather than to Lincoln, NE.
You really need realize you're not the king, and to get down off you high (green) horse and live among the common people where you might find a smile or two. 
Super Wesleyan supporter IWU70 didn't have a problem with what I said, so why do you?? I even put in a smiley to indicate my comments were in jest, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

By the way, thanks for the promotion.   You previously called me an "assclown." I'm glad you've moved me up a notch to "absolute jerk." Does a pay raise come with that? 
Wow for sure!   

[Titan Q]

And I'm sorry that your Royal Highassness got up on the wrong side of the bed today.

I mean holy frickin' crap TQ. Are you 97 years old and devoid of any and all sense of even lighthearted humor? Or perhaps you really moved to Kazakhstan or some other tremendously depressing place rather than to Lincoln, NE.
You really need realize you're not the king, and to get down off you high (green) horse and live among the common people where you might find a smile or two. 
Super Wesleyan supporter IWU70 didn't have a problem with what I said, so why do you?? I even put in a smiley to indicate my comments were in jest, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

By the way, thanks for the promotion.   You previously called me an "assclown." I'm glad you've moved me up a notch to "absolute jerk." Does a pay raise come with that? 
Wow for sure!   

What I guess I don't understand is the lack of respect you show to the elderly fans that attend IWU games.  That group of fans ought to be applauded and celebrated for their loyalty and passion -- not made fun of by a chat board guy with a constant chip on his shoulder towards IWU.

In the last few years, several elderly IWU basketball fans - the people who have taken that bus to away games for 20+ years, and who faithfully come to the Shirk Center for every home game - have passed away.  I know several others - in some cases, parents of friends of mine - who aren't doing very well and are in assisted care facilities.  Yet they still come to games if they can, or follow on the radio if they can't.  These are really good people who just care a lot about IWU and the basketball team.

I'm just extremely bothered by the reference to "nursing home residents that regularly make up a sizable percentage of the crowds in the Beer Nuts Center" -- seems really insensitive and disrespectful to me.  (And putting a cute smiley face thing after a comment does not erase it.  If you didn't mean it that way you had the choice of not saying it all.)

[WUPHF]

[...] Or perhaps you really moved to Kazakhstan or some other tremendously depressing place rather than to Lincoln, NE.

Please leave Kazakhstan out of it...