Dave Geringer wrote:
<<  I'm sure no host team would guarantee 75% of anything if they didn't get
to play in their own regional.  >>
 
Add to that, as concerns noncampus venues, who'd want to commit to the costs
of an outside venue years before they have any idea what the marketing
conflicts might be?  I haven't yet seen the following brought out, so I'll
relay the comments of a nonlistmember, [log in to unmask]:
 
     "The 1992 and 1993 regionals held at Joe Louis were hurt by another
      major factor--basketball.  Both years Michigan played for a Final Four
      berth in hockey on the same day that the Fab Five team was playing
      for a Final Four berth in basketball on national TV.  Lots of Michigan
      fans didn't go to JLA so they could stay home and watch the basketball
      team."
 
I don't know the ins and outs of financial arrangements with venues like Joe
Louis.  Maybe someone can shed light on it.
 
Suppose Michigan, as Red Berenson put it, just decided "it was our turn to
contribute something to hosting a regional" without knowing whether UM or MSU
would end up playing at the Joe and having no reason to suspect that MSU's
basketball team would wind up in the Final Four that weekend (OK, bad example,
but go with it.)  Who eats the financial loss of an empty Joe?
 
Should Bowling Green or Miami step up and volunteer for an unpredictable host
scenario like that?   One very important benefit of playing at a campus site
is surely the avoidance of uncontrollable financial risk.
 
Bob
Go Blue ! ! !
 
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