Sixth seed in NIT
Mar 19, 2008 20:06:30 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2008 20:06:30 GMT -5
www.tulsaworld.com/sports/article.aspx?articleID=20080318_2_B1_NoArt57366
Momentum pays off
By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
3/19/2008
TU's late run gives it a $60,000 shot at the postseason in the CBI.
Tulsa's opportunity to host a College Basketball Invitational game wasn't as simple as making the Reynolds Center available on Wednesday night.
The school had to guarantee a $60,000 fee to the Gazelle Group, which manages the inaugural 16-team event.
TU will face Miami (Ohio) at 7:05 p.m.
The decision wasn't made in haste, but athletic director Bubba Cunningham said momentum built over TU's recent run at the Conference USA Tournament was the determining factor.
"It really came down to where we were from a program standpoint at the end of the year," Cunningham said. "Since we've been successful lately, we wanted to continue play. If we were struggling in the last 12 games, then we'd probably say we've had a good year but we're going to wait until next year.
"But we have momentum and we're going to try to capitalize on it."
Ticket sales are the most important aspect in recouping the guaranteed fee. By close of business Monday, the school had sold nearly 3,000 tickets, which put it more than halfway toward its goal.
"I've got a big smile on my face right now," TU coach Doug Wojcik said. "It's part of the momentum of the weekend. It's great that we have the opportunity to capture that. Otherwise, it would have been 'Oh, they're going to be really good next year.' "
Cunningham is watching the ticket count closely. He hopes the sales exceed the $60,000 and the school will be able to generate a little profit.
"My goal is to get over 5,000 (tickets sold)," Cunningham said. "I'd love to get 6,000. But I think if we get over 5,000, then I think we've hit a home run."
Does a home run mean break-even?
"We're trying to balance the revenue with the fans. We wanted to make the price appealing to where we can get a lot of people to come and, if we do that, we can make some income to pay expenses that we have."
TU has priced ticket sales at $15, $10 and $5 on a first-come, first-served basis.
It's possible that Tulsa could get more than one home game. It's seeded in the South Region with Utah and UTEP. If TU and UTEP win, Cunningham said he's been told his school will play a Monday game at El Paso. If TU and Utah were victorious, the game would be at the Reynolds Center.
That means another $60,000 check would have to come from TU.
"But hopefully we'd have continued momentum," Cunningham said. "We would have won 11 of our past 14, including the first round of a tournament with a quality opponent coming in. You'd hope you could exceed your sales for the first round in the second round and also have four or five days to plan for it."
Not all schools were equipped to pay the $60,000 fee, and have felt slighted by the format.
Wright State finished with a 21-10 record (including a win over Miami, Ohio) and an RPI of 85. It volunteered for a road game because it couldn't pay for a home contest. It didn't make it into the 16-team field.
"They're just guys in the back room doing what they want to do," Wright State coach Brad Brownell told the Dayton Daily News. "It may prove to be a very good tournament, and they've got good teams in there. But their goal is to make money and not to be fair to everybody else.
"I don't think the RPI or records or any of that counted (for the CBI)," Brownell said. "They needed teams that had money."
A call to the Gazelle Group wasn't returned.
TU resembled Wright State and was one of about 15 teams willing to go on the road. But there was attrition among the 8-10 teams that were willing to host early and Tulsa was among the last teams to agree to play a home game.
"As time went on and we started looking at where we might be on the road and who we could play at home, we wondered what would be best for our situation," Cunningham said. "We decided we could get one more home game."
Early ticket sales have been encouraging.
"I've always heard about the community and the support and it shows that it's there," Wojcik said. "Especially if we do our part of it."
Momentum pays off
By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
3/19/2008
TU's late run gives it a $60,000 shot at the postseason in the CBI.
Tulsa's opportunity to host a College Basketball Invitational game wasn't as simple as making the Reynolds Center available on Wednesday night.
The school had to guarantee a $60,000 fee to the Gazelle Group, which manages the inaugural 16-team event.
TU will face Miami (Ohio) at 7:05 p.m.
The decision wasn't made in haste, but athletic director Bubba Cunningham said momentum built over TU's recent run at the Conference USA Tournament was the determining factor.
"It really came down to where we were from a program standpoint at the end of the year," Cunningham said. "Since we've been successful lately, we wanted to continue play. If we were struggling in the last 12 games, then we'd probably say we've had a good year but we're going to wait until next year.
"But we have momentum and we're going to try to capitalize on it."
Ticket sales are the most important aspect in recouping the guaranteed fee. By close of business Monday, the school had sold nearly 3,000 tickets, which put it more than halfway toward its goal.
"I've got a big smile on my face right now," TU coach Doug Wojcik said. "It's part of the momentum of the weekend. It's great that we have the opportunity to capture that. Otherwise, it would have been 'Oh, they're going to be really good next year.' "
Cunningham is watching the ticket count closely. He hopes the sales exceed the $60,000 and the school will be able to generate a little profit.
"My goal is to get over 5,000 (tickets sold)," Cunningham said. "I'd love to get 6,000. But I think if we get over 5,000, then I think we've hit a home run."
Does a home run mean break-even?
"We're trying to balance the revenue with the fans. We wanted to make the price appealing to where we can get a lot of people to come and, if we do that, we can make some income to pay expenses that we have."
TU has priced ticket sales at $15, $10 and $5 on a first-come, first-served basis.
It's possible that Tulsa could get more than one home game. It's seeded in the South Region with Utah and UTEP. If TU and UTEP win, Cunningham said he's been told his school will play a Monday game at El Paso. If TU and Utah were victorious, the game would be at the Reynolds Center.
That means another $60,000 check would have to come from TU.
"But hopefully we'd have continued momentum," Cunningham said. "We would have won 11 of our past 14, including the first round of a tournament with a quality opponent coming in. You'd hope you could exceed your sales for the first round in the second round and also have four or five days to plan for it."
Not all schools were equipped to pay the $60,000 fee, and have felt slighted by the format.
Wright State finished with a 21-10 record (including a win over Miami, Ohio) and an RPI of 85. It volunteered for a road game because it couldn't pay for a home contest. It didn't make it into the 16-team field.
"They're just guys in the back room doing what they want to do," Wright State coach Brad Brownell told the Dayton Daily News. "It may prove to be a very good tournament, and they've got good teams in there. But their goal is to make money and not to be fair to everybody else.
"I don't think the RPI or records or any of that counted (for the CBI)," Brownell said. "They needed teams that had money."
A call to the Gazelle Group wasn't returned.
TU resembled Wright State and was one of about 15 teams willing to go on the road. But there was attrition among the 8-10 teams that were willing to host early and Tulsa was among the last teams to agree to play a home game.
"As time went on and we started looking at where we might be on the road and who we could play at home, we wondered what would be best for our situation," Cunningham said. "We decided we could get one more home game."
Early ticket sales have been encouraging.
"I've always heard about the community and the support and it shows that it's there," Wojcik said. "Especially if we do our part of it."