First game of 2010 Big East Tournament is a tough sell

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 15:24

BY MKE VORKUNOV

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

NEW YORK — The Big East Tournament is widely regarded as the most exciting conference tournament of them all — and there are 33 in all — but you wouldn't know it by actually looking around Madison Square Garden when the 16-team, five day event starts.

The first contest starts at noon on Tuesday, for two of its conference members that would mean it's still time for breakfast. The game plays to a background of purple and turquoise, the colors covering the Garden's seats, with smatterings of fans filling up the arena. The players make their way up and down the court to a soundtrack of white noise, more absent than ambient.

Yes folks, this is college basketball at its zenith.

When the tournament expanded to let all 16 of its members take part, it was received by complaints of lost luster and supersizing. Now media members complain about the noon game's irrelevance and enough fans don't show up to even be heard.

It does not help matters that game pits the last place No. 16 seed against the No. 9, hardly a matchup worth getting up early for.

But maybe focusing on the empty seats and mausoleum-like atmosphere is just nitpicking.

South Florida, winner of this year's noon game, can find one upside.

"We have time to get back to the hotel, relax a little bit, prepare for our next opponent," said their coach Stan Heath. "We'll get a good night's rest."

South Florida keeps NCAA Tournament hopes alive with victory over DePaul

Comments (2)

When 8 teams don't play until Wednesday/Thursday and the tickets are sold in full tournament books what do you expect? Add in the fact that people already are taking 2 or 3 days off work and the low face value of the Tuesday tickets (15 dollars per session) being easier to write off and you have a very low attendance... the first 2 days attendance peeked the first 5 minutes of the 2nd game of each session then petered out... Just wait until noon today is the most packed quarter final in the tournament's history... Syracuse, Philadelphia and DC all playing in the day session...

You're being a little harsh aren't you? I suppose that the Missouri Valley or the Atlantic 10 Championship games have fewer attendees than the Big East First round (well, maybe the second round). Also-don't forget the fact that every game is televised. Add to that the cost of tickets, and you have a rather sparse attendance in the first day. That said, we all know that by Thursday, the place will be packed to the rafters for some of the best entertainment NCAA Men's basketball can offer. This is still the creme de la creme of College Basketball, lackluster First round not withstanding

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