Great venues? Where? SLU has a single court, as does SEMO. I don't think would work out too well. JQH and HSC are right next to each other!
Why the move
- Thread starter BiggDog
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Great venues? Where? SLU has a single court, as does SEMO. I don't think would work out too well. JQH and HSC are right next to each other!
I don't think you have to have 2 facilities. They did it for years with just one. I just think it would be an opportunity for people through out the state to get to watch some good high school basketball. Do you not think that with 2 oran teams, Advance and south iron would not have packed the show me center in cape. I just think it would make for better crowds.
While not NEEDED, it seems like a great idea not to be playing semifinal games at 9 in the morning. They've played all year long, probably the earliest at noon or so in a tournament...and then play their most important game to date at 9am. Just silly.
I get that. I think that's the only downfall to Springfield. I think those that will drive the extra miles, and keep an open mind, will enjoy the experience much more than Columbia.
I could not care less where it is held. Small towns and out of the way, rural places (Southeast MO, Maryville, Kirksville, etc.) are not feasible. Not every little nook and cranny in the state needs to have the opportunity to host.
There are many considerations- hotels and other amenities, parking, seating, media facilities, etc. IMO, geographic location, within reason, should be way down the list. Columbia is a convenient location for the majority of the people who might be in attendance. But the other large towns/cities (Springfield/KC/StL) with adequate lodging are fine, too.
The number of local, 3rd party fans (of which I am one) shouldn't really be a factor. I fail to believe that having it in the "basketball town" of Springfield, MO is going bring throngs of people. If that is a consideration, then St.Louis and Kansas City would be the only ones in the mix. They both are major metropolitan areas. Sorry, Springfield is, ahem, not.
Many of the complaints people have about the facililty, operations, amenities, etc., are MSHSAA issues, not Mizzou, City of Columbia, etc. Those things are potentially an issue anywhere.
People complaining about parking at Mizzou/Hearnes? Gimme a break. You're not at your local gym. You might have to walk a couple hundred yards. Most of us could use it, anyway
There are many considerations- hotels and other amenities, parking, seating, media facilities, etc. IMO, geographic location, within reason, should be way down the list. Columbia is a convenient location for the majority of the people who might be in attendance. But the other large towns/cities (Springfield/KC/StL) with adequate lodging are fine, too.
The number of local, 3rd party fans (of which I am one) shouldn't really be a factor. I fail to believe that having it in the "basketball town" of Springfield, MO is going bring throngs of people. If that is a consideration, then St.Louis and Kansas City would be the only ones in the mix. They both are major metropolitan areas. Sorry, Springfield is, ahem, not.
Many of the complaints people have about the facililty, operations, amenities, etc., are MSHSAA issues, not Mizzou, City of Columbia, etc. Those things are potentially an issue anywhere.
People complaining about parking at Mizzou/Hearnes? Gimme a break. You're not at your local gym. You might have to walk a couple hundred yards. Most of us could use it, anyway
Agree with most of what you're saying. A couple of disagreements. Springfield will support it better, from a 3rd party fan standpoint. I think that will be obvious when the games are there. And MSHSAA doesn't bring all the people that work the events, merely the people that run the events. The locals in Springfield will be there working it. If nothing else, you won't have to deal with the feigned arrogance that comes along with being at MU.
Man, I just don't see that. And I attend almost every session, chat up as many visitors as I can, talk with the event staff on a regular basis, etc. Maybe I am too far inside the forest to see the trees but I am merely an adopted Columbian. I'm a 417 guy from Bolivar at heart.
My big criticism of MSHSAA in CoMo is that I get the feeling that it was taken for granted. Not that there was an arrogance or anything. Just that people were complacent and assumed that it would always be at Mizzou Arena. Moving to Springfield will create more excitement in that sense. And I think Springfield is a bit more of a high school sports area and also more of a basketball fan. I think attendance will be great. However, if it stays in Springfield for an extended period, I think it will have the same feel of CoMo. It will lose the luster and complacency will set in.
Oh, please! Stop with this Springfield is on the same level as Cape or St. Joe or Warrensburg or Sedalia or Rolla or Jeff City, etc. It's CLEARLY the third largest metro in the state and very deserving of hosting any and all MSHSAA events. 160,000+ in the city and another 400,000+ in the metro area.
Fair enough. Complacency might better explain it. I've just had far better experiences in Springfield. And this is coming from a coach in the OC not at a Springfield school. Meaning, the Springfield folks don't normally roll out the red carpet for us. Lol.
A lot of people are spoiled at the shorter drives. We here in the SEMO area drive 2 hours to St. Louis. 4 hours to Columbia and now Springfield will be 4 hours (from Sikeston). I'm fine with it moving to Springfield. My only gripe is that I won't see my friends in Columbia that I enjoy seeing every year. And my only request is please don't EVER move it to KC......I would never go again unless my team made it. 6-plus hour drive from here. I can only imagine now the ridiculous drives that folks from NW and NE MO will have to make. You'll drive to the moon if your team is there. But for casual fans, you're less likely to drive 6 hours.
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I'm as critical on MSHSAA as anybody. But I've always felt like they do a very good job of running the state tournaments, overall. And I have no loyalty to MU or Columbia. I just don't notice the arrogance off the workers or whatever you reference. I've never noticed anything like that. To each their own, I guess. I'll drive to them no matter where they are. I'll just miss the restaurant/ bar options in Columbia. I enjoy the town when I go there.
It's such a big deal they ALL want to go to Mizzou LOL
Brew Co in Springfield can make you forget all the rest. I'll even buy the first Green Ghost or Hoplobster!
you need two venues, when we moved to five classes it made it one heck of a day, remember when there was just hearnes, it was a all day affair on Friday and Saturday with just 8 games, I think springfield will do a good job, there is plenty of hotels and activities, I don't think Maryville, St Joe, Cape or Truman could handle it, the state will keep it to MU or SMS (ha), KC could handle it but I don't think it would go there,
Chaefetz would be sweet...BUT...only one venue. I honestly can't think of a site large enough, with a second arena within walking distance, other than MU and MSU.
Kansas City with Sprint Center and Municipal with Power & Light located in between. But this time of the year they are busy hosting Big 12, MIAA, NAIA National Championships and NCAA Tourney games.
Never considered those merely because I thought the price tag on Sprint Center would be outrageous. Was just an assumption though. And totally get what you're saying about scheduling. But just from a fan experience standpoint, that would be an awesome two locations. Perfect places to wet your whistle and fill your belly on the walk.
I live in Missouri. Columbia has never been centrally located to me. But Springfield is centrally located to about a fourth of the state, including me. A rotating venue would more fairly distribute the closer vicinity of the event on an every fourth or fifth year schedule.
Never went to St. Louis for the football championships. But went to Springfield this past Fall and really enjoyed watching the games there.
Move it around - give everybody their turn for it to be close by. OR, get comfortable with the quality and consistency of a certain place, and reward them by keeping it there year after year. I'm glad they decided to move things around - mix it up.
Never went to St. Louis for the football championships. But went to Springfield this past Fall and really enjoyed watching the games there.
Move it around - give everybody their turn for it to be close by. OR, get comfortable with the quality and consistency of a certain place, and reward them by keeping it there year after year. I'm glad they decided to move things around - mix it up.
Long drive for us up here in the Northeast region. Certainly the kids and parents will play anywhere, but relatives grandparents etc. not so much. I only hope the Springfield area supports it better than they did the baseball championships a few years back. I'm sure the facilities will be immaculate though which will be a extreme difference than the baseball field was. Simply pitiful for a STATE FINAL FOUR!
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