Vegas 16 Article

[GGGG]

Here is an article on the Vegas 16.  It will cost teams $50,000, but everything is at one site.  It wouldn't even start until March 26 and takes place over four days.  (That is Elite 8 weekend.)

http://www.reviewjournal.com/ron-kantowski/vegas-16-basketball-tournament-needs-few-good-teams

I would guess that MU would spring for that right?

[Litehouse]

I'd obviously prefer the NIT, but I'd be disappointed if MU passed this up.

[RubyWiscy]

With the young team MU should take the chance to play vs. ego.

[GooooMarquette]

With the amount we spend on hoops, $50k is a drop in the bucket.  Given the youth of this team, I think Wojo would jump at the chance to play longer.

[Coleman]

Here is an article on the Vegas 16.  It will cost teams $50,000, but everything is at one site.  It wouldn't even start until March 26 and takes place over four days.  (That is Elite 8 weekend.)

http://www.reviewjournal.com/ron-kantowski/vegas-16-basketball-tournament-needs-few-good-teams

I would guess that MU would spring for that right?

I would hope so. $50,000 would be a worthwhile investment in the future of this young team.

[Benny B]

$50,000 may be a good estimate if you're Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, flying in on Southwest and staying at the Fitz.  Not Marquette, though... MU goes big or stays home.

$66,000 charter plane (6.6 hrs @ $10,000/hr)
$25,000 hotel/per diem (15 players, 10 coaches/team support, 15 staff @125/day x 5 days)
$10,000 miscellaneous (families, tickets, gear, fundraising, etc.)
$101,000  Total Costs
-$20,000 Estimated Shot-in-the-dark booster support, flight reimbursements, etc.
$81,000

(Add another $5,000-7,500 in the unlikely event that you're taking the pep band.)

Benefits of participating in a post-season tournament (and V16 rebuttal)

1) Revenue - Only a con-artist goes to Vegas thinking he's going to make money... besides, he's coaching at VPI now.
2) Exposure - V16 is too young, no prestige, no television rights, and scouts are going to be at the NCAA/NIT sites.
3) Team Building/Experience - Unless HE is coming back next year, the team is going to have to retool completely, so any team building will be for naught.  Even without HE coming back, there's not much individual experience to be gained against the likes of "BYU, Oakland, Albany, and a couple of Mountain West teams."  Too many cupcakes makes you fat and slow... if I see another one this season, I'm going to vomit.
4) To reward the team - a) Vegas means something completely different to the team than it means to us... they don't get to partake in that; this is just another basketball tournament to them, and b) personally, I don't feel that mediocrity should be rewarded, even with a mediocre reward.
5) Fundraising opportunity - See #1
6) To reward the fans/alumni - Honestly, this is the most legitimate reason I see, and frankly, it's a pretty pathetic one.

[#UnleashSean]

2) Exposure - V16 is too young, no prestige, no television rights, and scouts are going to be at the NCAA/NIT sites.

Scouts will be where the talent they want to scout are.

IE Henry and Simmons.

[Benny B]

Scouts will be where the talent they want to scout are.

IE Henry and Simmons.

Henry and Ben don't need any more exposure than they already have.  Maybe the scout thing was a distraction... I'm talking more the exposure that recruits care about.

And LSU will be in the NIT or nothing at all... perhaps you haven't noticed the fiscal crisis they seem to be in down there.

[brewcity77]

1) Revenue - Only a con-artist goes to Vegas thinking he's going to make money... besides, he's coaching at VPI now.
2) Exposure - V16 is too young, no prestige, no television rights, and scouts are going to be at the NCAA/NIT sites.
3) Team Building/Experience - Unless HE is coming back next year, the team is going to have to retool completely, so any team building will be for naught.  Even without HE coming back, there's not much individual experience to be gained against the likes of "BYU, Oakland, Albany, and a couple of Mountain West teams."  Too many cupcakes makes you fat and slow... if I see another one this season, I'm going to vomit.
4) To reward the team - a) Vegas means something completely different to the team than it means to us... they don't get to partake in that; this is just another basketball tournament to them, and b) personally, I don't feel that mediocrity should be rewarded, even with a mediocre reward.
5) Fundraising opportunity - See #1
6) To reward the fans/alumni - Honestly, this is the most legitimate reason I see, and frankly, it's a pretty pathetic one.

1) Agreed, we won't make money, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You pay for exposure.
2) Mostly disagree. It is a young tournament, but all games from the quarterfinals on will be broadcast on CBSSN, so fans will be able to watch. Scouts won't be at the first round, but they will be able to attend the Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday quarterfinals to finals.
3) We return 9 scholarship players even if Henry leaves. Even if we add two new players, it won't even be possible to retool that much. If there's benefit in playing competitive games in the NIT, no reason this won't also have benefit. Also, with the NIT sucking up most of the mid and low major champs, this may actually be a better, more competitive tournament.
4) I agree with rewarding the team. 20 wins and doubling our conference win total is still an accomplishment. Give them more one-and-done exposure, and if we win, a bit of a positive going into next season.
5) Doubt it will raise much money...definitely not enough to be a motivator.
6) After two years of no postseason, I think any chance to win something, anything, would be enjoyed by the diehard fans.

Other thoughts...
.

• I will always take any chance to see us play beyond Selection Sunday. I love Marquette basketball, so if they want to extend the season by a few games, I'll always be happy with it.
  
• This will be a better slate than our cupcake roster. I expect a handful of high majors and quality mid-majors.
  
• Another chance for Howard and Bailey to come see us play.
  
• If this tournament succeeds (to the point where it's on par with the NIT in a few years) it would be cool if we won it and our name was always the inaugural champ.
  
• It's not owned by the NCAA, and I like the idea of playing in a non-NCAA owned tournament. Reminds me of Al all those years ago, even if it's not remotely the same.

[VegasWarrior77]

For my own best interests i hope they come to Vegas!

[MU82]

I wouldn't pound the table either for going or for not going, but I lean slightly toward brew's arguments than Benny's.

Plus, I'd like to watch the lads play another game or three, "just because."

[keefe]

I think we all love Marquette basketball but there are things one does for pride, brand equity, precedent, reputation.

Marquette cheapens itself by participating in things like the Vegas Outsiders, CBI, et al.

Keeping one's dignity is far more important than getting whatever contrived benefit one rationalizes from playing in an also-ran tournament.

[Benny B]

Other thoughts...
.

• I will always take any chance to see us play beyond Selection Sunday. I love Marquette basketball, so if they want to extend the season by a few games, I'll always be happy with it.
  
• This will be a better slate than our cupcake roster. I expect a handful of high majors and quality mid-majors.
  
• Another chance for Howard and Bailey to come see us play.
  
• If this tournament succeeds (to the point where it's on par with the NIT in a few years) it would be cool if we won it and our name was always the inaugural champ.
  
• It's not owned by the NCAA, and I like the idea of playing in a non-NCAA owned tournament. Reminds me of Al all those years ago, even if it's not remotely the same.

I agree with all of this except the cupcakes (although not really sure Bailey makes the five-hour drive just to see MU play, good catch on Howard being only 15 minutes away).  By the sound of the article, there may be some challenges filling the bracket, and the last thing you want to do as Marquette is sign on to a tournament that features 2 majors, 2 quality mid-majors and 12 quality low-majors.  Well, you can call it a "quality low-major" if you'd like, but to me, cupcake is a cupcake.

Bottom line... there's a lot of "ifs" to justifying a six-figure outlay.

[oldwarrior81]

Isn't it $50,000 to enter the tournament?  Then the expenses.

I think I read the first three days (4 games each day) are televised by CBS Sports Network and the final two days on espnu.

[Coleman]

This thread makes me reeeeeeeeaally hope we sneak into the NIT.

[Litehouse]

Isn't it $50,000 to enter the tournament?  Then the expenses.

I think I read the first three days (4 games each day) are televised by CBS Sports Network and the final two days on espnu.

It said the $50,000 includes airfare and hotel.  But as Benny said, we'd probably take a charter flight anyway instead of sending them on Southwest.

[GGGG]

It said the $50,000 includes airfare and hotel.  But as Benny said, we'd probably take a charter flight anyway instead of sending them on Southwest.

Half the players would probably forget to check in at the right time and end up in the C boarding group with middle seats in the back of the plane.

[Eye]

Not great TV coverage, but quarters, semi's, final are on CBSSN. 1st round same 2 days as NC2A regional finals, so web-only.

[jsglow]

Boys, here's my take.  The Vegas 16 was created exactly because the organizers understand what is happening to the NIT which has become a fertile ground for low major failures where now each conference is essentially guaranteed 2 tourney bids rather than one.  Heck, a third of that field is going to be made up of schools nobody gives a hoot about.  So as has been discussed, the gap between the NCAA bubble and the end of the NIT at large has shrunk to about 15-20 teams, tops.

We also know that the CIT limits its invites to mid major and lower so that's out.

If I'm the Vegas 16 I beg the credible high profile teams like MU and Creighton to come.  I even find a way for them to have 'sponsorship' dollars available such that I can put on a show that a few eyeballs might tune in for.  This makes zero sense if high majors turn away.

By the way, the latest bracket has us bumped out of the NIT by those damn backwater schools we've been tracking this week.  We'd crush all of them by 20.

Let's get MU and Northwestern and ASU and Creighton and a crap ton of other decent programs and put together a show.  And then let's win the damn thing.

[keefe]

Boys, here's my take.  The Vegas 16 was created exactly because the organizers understand what is happening to the NIT which has become a fertile ground for low major failures where now each conference is essentially guaranteed 2 tourney bids rather than one.  Heck, a third of that field is going to be made up of schools nobody gives a hoot about.  So as has been discussed, the gap between the NCAA bubble and the end of the NIT at large has shrunk to about 15-20 teams, tops.

We also know that the CIT limits its invites to mid major and lower so that's out.

If I'm the Vegas 16 I beg the credible high profile teams like MU and Creighton to come.  I even find a way for them to have 'sponsorship' dollars available such that I can put on a show that a few eyeballs might tune in for.  This makes zero sense if high majors turn away.

By the way, the latest bracket has us bumped out of the NIT by those damn backwater schools we've been tracking this week.  We'd crush all of them by 20.

Let's get MU and Northwestern and ASU and Creighton and a crap ton of other decent programs and put together a show.  And then let's win the damn thing.

I hear you, Glow, but this has too much of the "I took my sister to the Prom" stink to it. I say we head home and try to figure out how to get better.

[jsglow]

For my own best interests i hope they come to Vegas!

Coincidentally, I'll be out there for the semis and the final.  If MU is there and participating, I'll be in the house.

[jsglow]

I hear you, Glow, but this has too much of the "I took my sister to the Prom" stink to it. I say we head home and try to figure out how to get better.

keefe, excluding the sister reference standards do go down at bar time.  Especially after a 3 year drought.

(Of course I've been to the NCAA for more that 30 straight years, mind you.)

[bradley center bat]

Not great TV coverage, but quarters, semi's, final are on CBSSN. 1st round same 2 days as NC2A regional finals, so web-only.

CBSSN is always great! It's your 24 hour home for CBS Sports. 

[CountryRoads]

Since it is not NCAA sponsored, is it outlandish to think they won't just take NCAA teams that lost? In any case, it will at least be interesting to see what type of teams this tourney attracts.

[bradley center bat]

Keep in mind this doesn't start untill March 26 and 27. Two weeks of practice time before the tournament starts.