The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament's possible move to Barclays Center in '17 "would set up a conference tournament showdown with the Big East," which would be held simultaneously at MSG, according to Bernstein & Schonbrun of the N.Y. TIMES. Barclays Center in its first two years has "made a concerted effort to establish itself as a go-to destination for high-level college basketball." The Atlantic 10 "began holding its postseason tournament in Brooklyn in 2013, and its contract runs" through '17. A-10 presidents and ADs were "reportedly meeting Friday to discuss a deal with the ACC" and were "said to be open to moving its games to earlier in the week or to Nassau Coliseum." In exchange, A-10 officials were "interested in creating a regular-season, nonconference scheduling agreement with the ACC and its many perennial contenders" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/15). Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman said of the ACC possibly moving its tourney to N.Y., "It doesn’t surprise me at all. Everybody’s interested in New York, and that’s why we’re here. The Garden has become a mecca for regular-season games, so the idea that another conference would want to have a part of that as it relates to their postseason is not a surprise at all" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/16).
LEAVING ITS ROOTS: In Greensboro, Margaret Moffett Banks noted the ACC tourney "never has been played outside of North Carolina for more than two straight years." The move to Brooklyn means the tourney "will be out of state for three straight years -- maybe even more depending on future deals" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 3/15). ESPN's Sean Farnham said of the ACC tourney, "I don't think it will ever leave Greensboro permanently. I think it's been such a fixture." But he added of the proposed move to Brooklyn, "I do think it's good -- especially since the landscape has changed (and) the geographical footprint of this conference has changed -- that you are able to service the fan bases of all universities" ("N.C. State-Syracuse," ESPN, 3/14). ESPN's Doris Burke said of the move, "Get excited about the future and the new rivalries and the new locations, because this is the new day and age" ("Houston-Louisville," ESPN2, 3/14).
WALKING OUT OF MEMPHIS? In Hartford, Dom Amore reported the AAC, which held its inaugural men's basketball tourney at FedExForum, is "listening to officials from other venues who might want to host" the event. AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco said, "We have an option to come back to Memphis next year, but we've always been of the mind that we're going to be open-minded about next year." Amore reported Hartford and Orlando "have been mentioned as cities making a push" to get the '15 event. Aresco said that the conference would "let Memphis know its plans within six weeks." One thing Aresco "ruled out was the playing the men's and women's tournaments in the same place" (HARTFORD COURANT, 3/15).
SPRINT OR A DISTANCE RUN? Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby on Friday said that the conference's tourney "would go up for bid" after the '16 event is played at Sprint Center. He said, "We will likely have a request for proposal process at some point. But I want to be as direct as I can be and that’s simply to say that Kansas City does an extraordinary job of hosting this." Bowlsby: "It's going to take a Herculean effort for somebody to take this away from Kansas City" (K.C. STAR, 3/15).
