So it's no secret to local sports fans that Coastal Carolina's basketball team is REALLY good this year, and that, if they win 4-5 more games, they'll have wrapped up the regular season Big South Conference title; with that comes the right to host the conference basketball semifinals and finals (as long as they're still in it, anyhow).
The Big South Conference hates that thought, though, because tiny Kimbel Arena, on the CCU campus, seats about 1,000 patrons - which A. is bad for the gate, and B. a bad visual representation of the conference to the national audience when aired on ESPNU and ESPN2. It sort of "diminishes" the Big South Conference's basketball prowess to be seen playing in a gym suitable for a high school.
So I read an article this weekend in the local paper that focused on this quandry, and how this scenario means the school will LOSE money in the process; but in the entire article, a possible solution isn't even mentioned: why would they not move the semifinal games and championship to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center?
I'd love to tell you the answer, but the question was never asked. Is the convention center booked, already? Is it too "cost-prohibitive" to use the facility? Does it negate a "home-court" advantage earned by the Chants?
Moving the three final tournament games to the MB Convention Center means a national audience sees the Big South playing its tournament in a facility that can apparenlty seat around 3,000 - which is FAR more than Kimbel, and looks at LEAST representative of a mid-major conference.
Why has nobody asked about this?
The Big South Conference hates that thought, though, because tiny Kimbel Arena, on the CCU campus, seats about 1,000 patrons - which A. is bad for the gate, and B. a bad visual representation of the conference to the national audience when aired on ESPNU and ESPN2. It sort of "diminishes" the Big South Conference's basketball prowess to be seen playing in a gym suitable for a high school.
So I read an article this weekend in the local paper that focused on this quandry, and how this scenario means the school will LOSE money in the process; but in the entire article, a possible solution isn't even mentioned: why would they not move the semifinal games and championship to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center?
I'd love to tell you the answer, but the question was never asked. Is the convention center booked, already? Is it too "cost-prohibitive" to use the facility? Does it negate a "home-court" advantage earned by the Chants?
Moving the three final tournament games to the MB Convention Center means a national audience sees the Big South playing its tournament in a facility that can apparenlty seat around 3,000 - which is FAR more than Kimbel, and looks at LEAST representative of a mid-major conference.
Why has nobody asked about this?
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