It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

[Newsbreaker]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

Think corporate sponsorships.

From that standpoint, there is little difference between STL and KC.

There's a reason they wouldn't let KC have even a single year, forget a rotation (which is probably what it really should be)...if it moved to KC once, nobody would ever want to go back. The arena is better, the near-by nightlife is better, the city is nicer, the market is similarly sized but large enough.

Still, it will never move, not as long as Valley folks are literally sleeping with people whose job it is to bring large events to STL.

[MarshallTucker]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

Sprint Center and Power & Light District would be an immense upgrade.



Two questions:

1. Would State Farm back out as the major sponsor if it moves farther away from their headquarters in Bloomington, IL and would the MVC be able to secure a new major sponsor such as H&R Block or Sprint?

2. When does the tournament open for bid again?

[FMPanther]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

No way would I want it moved to KC. When I think of KC I start to yawn just sitting here.

I agree that it will probably never move from St. Louis.

[FMPanther]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

Also, is this where sports fans are now? The Scottrade/Savvis/Kiel Center is too old? 15 years old?

I will admit that my feet stuck to the floor with each step in that place, similar to Wrigley.

[JD720]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

2. When does the tournament open for bid again?

Doug Elgin was on the radio a few weeks ago and said the current contract was for two more years. I can't remember if that included this year or if he meant two years after this year. The conference has an option for 2 more years and he wouldn't say for sure, but he indicated they would exercise those options.

[FMPanther]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

How about the Mark? Wells Fargo? Chicago?

[SteinPizza]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

I vote for Chicago every time. Why not go big.

Sorry Des Moines but we want it somewhere fun!

Not just sorry Des Moines, but sorry KC and STL too.

One big thing you have in STL is being the only game in town. Someone else brought up the Big Twelve tourney in KC. It would be tough to compete for the casual fan against that tradition. Not just tough, but almost impossible. I know they're a week apart, but they would be in competition for the casual fan's money.

As far as Chicago, I remember reading there was a move to bid on the tourney a year or so ago. You'd have the same thing here...you're the only game in town, at least collegiately. Corporate sponsorship potential would also dwarf KC and STL, probably combined.

[NorthernIowaBacker]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

From that standpoint, there is little difference between STL and KC.

There's a reason they wouldn't let KC have even a single year, forget a rotation (which is probably what it really should be)...if it moved to KC once, nobody would ever want to go back. The arena is better, the near-by nightlife is better, the city is nicer, the market is similarly sized but large enough.

Still, it will never move, not as long as Valley folks are literally sleeping with people whose job it is to bring large events to STL.

Agree with everything you say. Thats key there....we need some folks to swap beds and sleep around with other people.

Pantherwoman...you want to elaborate? That really didnt provide anything. I'd put a solid bet State Farm would stay with it....they are nationwide. From everything I've read/heard is that KC gave a very, very lucrative bid, and it was just rejected.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

Not just sorry Des Moines, but sorry KC and STL too.

One big thing you have in STL is being the only game in town. Someone else brought up the Big Twelve tourney in KC. It would be tough to compete for the casual fan against that tradition. Not just tough, but almost impossible. I know they're a week apart, but they would be in competition for the casual fan's money.

As far as Chicago, I remember reading there was a move to bid on the tourney a year or so ago. You'd have the same thing here...you're the only game in town, at least collegiately. Corporate sponsorship potential would also dwarf KC and STL, probably combined.

IIRC, the Big XII tourney is in KC 1 out of every 3 years.

[TheMacHouse]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

IIRC, the Big XII tourney is in KC 1 out of every 3 years.

I am almost positive after this year it will be there the next two years.

[NorthernIowaBacker]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

I am almost positive after this year it will be there the next two years.

Correct. Sprint Center last year, Ford Center in Oklahoma this year, next two years back at the Sprint Center.

[cydave]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

I am almost positive after this year it will be there the next two years.

You are correct.

[Newt99]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

I would be very happy to see it move to K.C., or at least be there every other year. St. Louis just doesn't have that much that appeals to me other than the tournament itself and the A-B brewery tour. Kansas City is far from New York or Chicago but I think it has more to offer than St. Louis. I could always go take the tour at Boulevard in K.C. instead! The downtown district would be much nicer as well. Being closer to Des Moines is obviously a factor for me as well, but I would prefer K.C. even if it were farther away than STL.

Omaha or Des Moines would be great too but I just can't see them ever allowing the tournament in a town where an MVC school is located.

I would miss the "Arch Madness" name but I'm sure they could come up with something clever for when it was in K.C. Any suggestions?

[Newsbreaker]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

Good info there.

I question if it matters. Sure, we're the only show in STL, but is there any actual benefit to that? State Farm sponsors every MVC Championship, so proximity of the even isn't what's pushing them - and base on the attendance under 10,000 on Sunday, it certainly doesn't appear there's much of a local draw in STL as it is.

[Panther789]

Re: It is time...move the MVC Tourney away from St. Louis!

IIRC, the Big XII tourney is in KC 1 out of every 3 years.

Did anyone else notice that the Big XII tournament is starting a day earlier this year?

I'm not sure if this is for television purposes, or if the conference wanted to end earlier in order to give the committee more time to bump its champion up a seed or 2.