Michigan State Univ. AD Mark Hollis has "ceased his pursuit of a major event to open the 2013-14 college basketball season and entertain U.S. troops in Texas," according to Joe Rexrode of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. The idea was for "four games going on four courts at once, starting 15 minutes apart, to replicate the feel of a March Madness day of action." Hollis on Thursday e-mailed officials at the other "seven schools that were going to participate with MSU in the event at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas." He said, "It's off." The biggest issue was the "inability to find a TV network willing to broadcast four games at once on different channels." Hollis said that ESPN, CBS and Turner were "approached, but there were concerns about 'diluting exposure and tying down four networks' ... at a time of year in which college basketball does not typically receive high ratings." The "logistics of the games themselves had been worked out." Hollis said Cowboys Exec VP/Brand Management Charlotte Jones Anderson was “phenomenal” in trying to make it all work. Hollis said that he still would "like MSU to be involved in some kind of event to honor Veterans Day weekend and make it ... an annual tradition" (FREEP.com, 12/27).
