2024 OVC Tournament

[wiu712]

OK -- Thanks, Scott !  You got a lot of TV time -- especially during Friday's game.  

I can remember seeing a video of the Western Band playing for the Women's team at their hotel when they were in Florida for the NCAA Tournament a few years ago.

I have a question for anyone who was at the OVC Tournament and also had been at past Summit League Tournaments.  ===>  What are your impressions of the OVC Tourney vs the Summit League Tourney from a fan's perspective ???

Obviously the Summit League has larger crowds.  But what about the game-day atmosphere, the arena, and Evansville vs Sioux Falls environment ???

 

[sealhall74]

i have been to many Summit League tourneys and this is my first at the Ford Center, although I was also there when we played Evansville a few years back.
My impressions.  Obviously, the OVC not as well attended.  Will that change over time and get better? Maybe but the chances of that happening go down IMHO if one or two schools tend to dominate from year to year like Murray St and Belmont did in the OVC for years.  Other team fan bases less likely to make the drive.  I chatted with a Morehead St fan for a few minutes.  He thought the Ford Center was locked in through 2028 but was not 100% sure on that.  Location wise,  Evansvile is not too bad.  Little tricky getting there from my neighborhood.  About half of the drive is not interstate if you want to take the shortest route as I did both going and coming home.  In fact, yesterday my Cell directed me to real back roads in Illinois because of some road closure south of Champaign.  Got to stop and and get some gas and a slice of pizza in town called Kansas.  I kid you not.  I think I drove for and hour and a half before that not seeing one town or gas station so I was out in the boonies pretty good.  lol.

The Ford Center is a nice venue.  Parking is all free and close by.  It does not have that big open walkup bar that the Denny had for serving up my Jack and Cokes but they are available a smaller concession area right next to the main one for $13 a pop.  Ouch, dont drink too many at that price.  Price of the other  concessions is a little high IMHO.  A nice size dog will cost you $7.  A Tenderloin basket (pretty good) will run you about $15 and does not include a drink.  Had some popcorn I think it was $5.  I think the concession areas closed a little early for my liking like at the midway point of 2nd half of last game.  Just have to plan accordingly I guess.  Much like the Denny for the non-Dakota games, you could pretty much sit wherever you want.

It is a crying shame some teams show up without cheer team or band. I know the tournament is always around spring break for most colleges so that could factor in I guess.  I am not sure I like the bye and double bye situation for the bracket format.  That could impact on how much time and money the lower seeded teams are willing to spend to send their bands and cheer teams. 

Evansville has lots of hotels and really nice restaurants within a 12-15 minute drive of the arena.  I was only there for a couple of days and did Texas Roadhouse.  Biaggis and Outback were close by.  If my wife was along, I am sure we would have hit Biaggis.
 
 

[4EverPurple&Gold]

i have been to many Summit League tourneys and this is my first at the Ford Center, although I was also there when we played Evansville a few years back.
My impressions.  Obviously, the OVC not as well attended.  Will that change over time and get better? Maybe but the chances of that happening go down IMHO if one or two schools tend to dominate from year to year like Murray St and Belmont did in the OVC for years.  Other team fan bases less likely to make the drive.  I chatted with a Morehead St fan for a few minutes.  He thought the Ford Center was locked in through 2028 but was not 100% sure on that.  Location wise,  Evansvile is not too bad.  Little tricky getting there from my neighborhood.  About half of the drive is not interstate if you want to take the shortest route as I did both going and coming home.  In fact, yesterday my Cell directed me to real back roads in Illinois because of some road closure south of Champaign.  Got to stop and and get some gas and a slice of pizza in town called Kansas.  I kid you not.  I think I drove for and hour and a half before that not seeing one town or gas station so I was out in the boonies pretty good.  lol.

The Ford Center is a nice venue.  Parking is all free and close by.  It does not have that big open walkup bar that the Denny had for serving up my Jack and Cokes but they are available a smaller concession area right next to the main one for $13 a pop.  Ouch, dont drink too many at that price.  Price of the other  concessions is a little high IMHO.  A nice size dog will cost you $7.  A Tenderloin basket (pretty good) will run you about $15 and does not include a drink.  Had some popcorn I think it was $5.  I think the concession areas closed a little early for my liking like at the midway point of 2nd half of last game.  Just have to plan accordingly I guess.  Much like the Denny for the non-Dakota games, you could pretty much sit wherever you want.

It is a crying shame some teams show up without cheer team or band. I know the tournament is always around spring break for most colleges so that could factor in I guess.  I am not sure I like the bye and double bye situation for the bracket format.  That could impact on how much time and money the lower seeded teams are willing to spend to send their bands and cheer teams. 

Evansville has lots of hotels and really nice restaurants within a 12-15 minute drive of the arena.  I was only there for a couple of days and did Texas Roadhouse.  Biaggis and Outback were close by.  If my wife was along, I am sure we would have hit Biaggis.
 
 

 

Some good insight here... hope to make it up there next year. 

I think one thing is attendance won't be amazing because lets face these schools fan bases aren't as close the venue as the dakota schools and I will saying being up in the Summit League Tourney, those dakota fans are passionate! They live and breath their schools sports and I think we have to realize that the OVC fan bases aren't like that. Also lot of these schools budgets probably can't afford to travel band and cheer... I am glad WIU made sure we sent ours. It was a great look and I am sure good experience of those kids.

I wonder in they could ever put it in a bigger city to increase attendance.. maybe Louisville? Its a basketball city and people might check games out as looking for something to do.

[sealhall74]

i have been to many Summit League tourneys and this is my first at the Ford Center, although I was also there when we played Evansville a few years back.
My impressions.  Obviously, the OVC not as well attended.  Will that change over time and get better? Maybe but the chances of that happening go down IMHO if one or two schools tend to dominate from year to year like Murray St and Belmont did in the OVC for years.  Other team fan bases less likely to make the drive.  I chatted with a Morehead St fan for a few minutes.  He thought the Ford Center was locked in through 2028 but was not 100% sure on that.  Location wise,  Evansvile is not too bad.  Little tricky getting there from my neighborhood.  About half of the drive is not interstate if you want to take the shortest route as I did both going and coming home.  In fact, yesterday my Cell directed me to real back roads in Illinois because of some road closure south of Champaign.  Got to stop and and get some gas and a slice of pizza in town called Kansas.  I kid you not.  I think I drove for and hour and a half before that not seeing one town or gas station so I was out in the boonies pretty good.  lol.

The Ford Center is a nice venue.  Parking is all free and close by.  It does not have that big open walkup bar that the Denny had for serving up my Jack and Cokes but they are available a smaller concession area right next to the main one for $13 a pop.  Ouch, dont drink too many at that price.  Price of the other  concessions is a little high IMHO.  A nice size dog will cost you $7.  A Tenderloin basket (pretty good) will run you about $15 and does not include a drink.  Had some popcorn I think it was $5.  I think the concession areas closed a little early for my liking like at the midway point of 2nd half of last game.  Just have to plan accordingly I guess.  Much like the Denny for the non-Dakota games, you could pretty much sit wherever you want.

It is a crying shame some teams show up without cheer team or band. I know the tournament is always around spring break for most colleges so that could factor in I guess.  I am not sure I like the bye and double bye situation for the bracket format.  That could impact on how much time and money the lower seeded teams are willing to spend to send their bands and cheer teams. 

Evansville has lots of hotels and really nice restaurants within a 12-15 minute drive of the arena.  I was only there for a couple of days and did Texas Roadhouse.  Biaggis and Outback were close by.  If my wife was along, I am sure we would have hit Biaggis.
 
 





 

Some good insight here... hope to make it up there next year. 

I think one thing is attendance won't be amazing because lets face these schools fan bases aren't as close the venue as the dakota schools and I will saying being up in the Summit League Tourney, those dakota fans are passionate! They live and breath their schools sports and I think we have to realize that the OVC fan bases aren't like that. Also lot of these schools budgets probably can't afford to travel band and cheer... I am glad WIU made sure we sent ours. It was a great look and I am sure good experience of those kids.

I wonder in they could ever put it in a bigger city to increase attendance.. maybe Louisville? Its a basketball city and people might check games out as looking for something to do.




 

I forgot to mention one thing they did to boost attendance a tad which you typically dont see at conference tournaments.  They had some elementary school kids have a little scrimmage on the court at half time.  Those 20 or so kids no doubt brought parents and siblings as well.  Not unheard of for it to happen at a college game though.  Even my 4th grade team hit the hardwood at Monmouth College for halftime I think it was back in 1966 or so.  My turn to brag.  I know I scored a bucket on a layup before a packed house in the old Waid Gym (or was it known as Glennie back then?) and the sight of those cheering Coeds behind the basket is still richly ingrained in my memory.  
 
 
 
 

[wiu712]

Waid Gymnasium at Monmouth College opened in 1925.

Waid Gym played host to Fighting Scots basketball, swimming, wrestling, and volleyball competition for almost 60 years and is now part of the Huff Athletic Center. It now houses locker rooms, a training room, and a fitness center.

In 1982 ground was broken on the south end of the Waid Gymnasium for another athletic building, and a year later Arthur Glennie Gymnasium was opened. 

Glennie Gymnasium opened in the fall of 1983.
 

[wiu712]

Morehead State is a #14 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  They will play #3 Illinois in a first-round game at Omaha.  The game will be Thursday at 2:00 PM.

[wiu712]

Little Rock is a #10 seed in the CBI.  They will be playing #7 Fairfield on Sunday.  Game time is 2:30 PM.  The game will be played in Daytona Beach.

Interesting to see that Chicago State is also in the CBI as the #15 seed.  Their overall record is 12-18.  Chicago State will be playing #2 UC-San Diego Saturday at 2:30 PM.  That game will also be in Daytona Beach.
 
 

[leatherneckcountry]

Do we know if we got offered a bit to one of these tournaments and turned it down I remember a few years ago we played in one of those and a bunch of guys didn’t play 

[meganeck]

Morehead State is a #14 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  They will play #3 Illinois in a first-round game at Omaha.  The game will be Thursday at 2:00 PM.

 

Summit League champ South Dakota St was a 15 seed