In Hartford, Kenneth Gosselin notes the AAC men's basketball tournament tomorrow returns to XL Center after a year absence, giving downtown a "chance to showcase itself for a national audience" on ESPN networks. The "expected attendance for the four-day basketball tournament is about 50,000." XL Center GM Chris Lawrence said that the UConn games will "sell themselves." It is the other games that "need local support to show national TV audiences Hartford can fill seats throughout the tournament" (HARTFORD COURANT, 3/8).
EVERYBODY WANTS SOME: In Pittsburgh, Sean Gentille writes the Atlantic 10 men's tournament’s first time at PPG Paints Arena "already sounds like a success," as for the "first time in the event’s history, ticket sale revenues have exceeded" $1M. The previous record was $930,302, "set last year at Barclays Center in Brooklyn." First-round matchups start today (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 3/8).
KEEPING OPTIONS OPEN: In Detroit, Chris Nelsen noted though the Horizon League signed a contract with Olympia Entertainment back in May '15 to "hold its men's and women's basketball tournaments" in the city through '20, the league will "re-evaluate the contract after next year's event." Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone "plans to keep an open mind about rotating the tournaments to different cities" after '20. LeCrone: "People talk about Chicago and Indianapolis. Is that potential out there? Sure. Would we be open to other community interest? Absolutely. But, boy, right now Detroit would certainly be the leader in the clubhouse" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/7).
THE RIGHT DIRECTION: In Virginia, Harry Minium noted as the MEAC basketball tournament opened its fifth year at Norfolk Scope Arena on Monday, it "seems to have carved out a pretty cool niche" in the downtown part of the city. Paid attendance is "up nearly" 50% from '13 -- the first year in Norfolk. And although the MEAC has "yet to sell out the men’s championship game ... the numbers the tournament produces stack up pretty well against other mid-major leagues." The league "sold 74,218 tickets to last year’s tournament," up from 52,293 in '13, although "only 24,943 of those tickets were actually used" in '16 (Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 3/7).
GROWING POPULARITY: In Utah, Darnell Dickson noted attendance for the West Coast Conference tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas is "ahead of last year’s pace, according to the numbers provided by the league." The WCC's contract to play the tournament at the arena runs through the '18-19 season (Provo DAILY HERALD, 3/7).
