HARVARDDADGRAD
Postdoc
Posts: 2701
Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
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03-14-22 12:28 PM - Post#339149
In response to digamma
To me the attendance confirms the obvious: the tournament is only a destination for most when convenient. Also, students don't attend at the start of their spring break. They likely only attend at the end of spring break and only when on campus.
I was clear for years that Penn had the fans only because the location was convenient and because it was held on the weekend that students returned from break (no conflicts, HW, etc.). This weekend seems to have proved my point.
Harvard men weren't in the tournment, otherwise Lavietes would have been sold out for the Harvard contests. Imagine if Penn didn't make it in and the cavernous Palestra had 1,200 fans? Holding the tournament in an outlying southern most venue would be exposed for what it was. This could happen at Dartmouth, Ithaca and likely Providence as well in the coming years. Jadwin next year won't be a problem if Princeton and/or Penn make it in. Columbia will benefit from being in NYC with tons of alums.
Holding the tournament at the Palestra was deceiving and inequitable. Holding it at a school that doesn't participate is simply foolish.
Holding it when students are on break is bad, but is it possible to fix that.
I think what we've now experienced proves that the #1 seed should host the tournament. I know there are logistical issues, but are they that difficult or isn't it worth it to deal with them? If you want to diminish the logistical issues, finish the regular season a week earlier - giving fans two weeks to plan to attend.
Edited by HARVARDDADGRAD on 03-14-22 12:29 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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