Slow Dancing

MWC Among Tourneys Touched By Economy

It might be a week before the start of the Big Dance, but March Madness is officially here, as college basketball’s major conference tournaments are all underway. But there could be a different form of madness this year -- the effects of the down economy are being felt in ways previously unheard of. The recession forces the ACC to offer public ticket sales for the first time in more than 40 years, and the SEC is struggling to fill the moderately-sized St. Pete Times Forum. And while paid attendance for the first day of the Big 12 tourney is in excess of 15,000, courtside observers put the actual figure at a third of that. Meanwhile, interest in the NCAA Tournament appears at an all-time high, and CBS is making its famed March Madness on Demand available on even more outlets. But does the net have too much control over the event? That is what Texas coach Rick Barnes is asking.

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