How do you improve the 9th region tournament?

[mexitucky]

We had some close games this year. However, the tournament itself seemed to have it's glitches. How does the Bank of KY and the 9th region improve the tournament?

I'll leave parking issues to people smarter than myself. The one big thing that I would like to see is for each team to be allotted 1:30 of practice time at the Bank of KY prior to the start of the tournament. Give each team time to get used to the backdrop and the size of the court. From what I've been told, this used to be the case back in the day. Conner would give each team a scheduled slot to go to their and practice if they so desired.

[Clyde]

We had some close games this year. However, the tournament itself seemed to have it's glitches. How does the Bank of KY and the 9th region improve the tournament?

I'll leave parking issues to people smarter than myself. The one big thing that I would like to see is for each team to be allotted 1:30 of practice time at the Bank of KY prior to the start of the tournament. Give each team time to get used to the backdrop and the size of the court. From what I've been told, this used to be the case back in the day. Conner would give each team a scheduled slot to go to their and practice if they so desired.

 

That's because we're good kind-hearted people in Hebron!

 

Agreed that it would be beneficial if the logistics work out. 60 minutes would be enough IMO.

[HICKORY]

We had some close games this year. However, the tournament itself seemed to have it's glitches. How does the Bank of KY and the 9th region improve the tournament?

I'll leave parking issues to people smarter than myself. The one big thing that I would like to see is for each team to be allotted 1:30 of practice time at the Bank of KY prior to the start of the tournament. Give each team time to get used to the backdrop and the size of the court. From what I've been told, this used to be the case back in the day. Conner would give each team a scheduled slot to go to their and practice if they so desired.

 

How many threes were made yesterday?

[Clyde]

How many threes were made yesterday?

 

Not sure if that's rhetorical or not.

 

Yesterday was the first day I saw good shooting. Takes a while to adjust.

[ESPNdeux]

One thing I'd say is you simple can't start a game and evening classes at the same time...

[Mustang]

Publish a program. The regional field is set in plenty time (2 District finalists determined) in time to have a program published with a team picture of each team and a team roster.

 

The 10th Region publishes an entire newspaper supplement insert as its program. If the 10th can do it - the 9th can do it.

 

$8 for admission, on top of $4 parking seems excessive. The key is cutting back on the share money. CovCath and Holmes will clear $7,500 in share money. Give each participating team $3,500 and cut the admission price to $5 and sell the place out.

 

Take the girls tournament somewhere else. It is obviously a drain on the boys tournament's revenues, and wouldn't be a Title IX violation since they can't pay their way or justiify needing a facility of that size.

[uselessinfo]

They need basketball people running this..........The BOK people are not NKU athletic dept. folks and many of them do not get it when it comes to running a major basketball tournament.

[Flotsam]

The BOK is a great venue. NKU is a great school. I hope the 9th region tournament stays at the BOK forever. 90 + % of everything went great. My post is offered in the interest of making a good event even better:

 

My #1 rule in business is ....never make anybody wait who is trying to give you money.

 

Attack the issues of parking, purchasing a ticket & concession stands.

 

Spread out the parking options on campus. There are more than enough surface lots and garage options on campus. It would take a few more workers but probably not all that many more. I would much rather walk 5 or 10 extra minutes from my parking spot to the arena than sit in traffic for 40 extra minutes.

 

Have ticket sellers milling about (other than at the ticket windows). At Holmes they used to have a couple of sellers you could pay with exact change milling back through the ticket line. Also, there were ticket windows open around the back of the BOK arena on Saturday and Sunday. Best kept secret in Highland Heights. Only a handful of people were in rear of the arena ticket line at the time the main door line stretched back across the foot bridge. There have been several posts on BGP from avid fans who saw the line and left. If I did not have a presale ticket, I would have gone home and listened to CovCathiradio.

 

Open more concession stands. Considering the cost of the soft drink, cup and ice what would guess the unit cost is....maybe 50 cents??? They sold for (I don't know because I didn't want to miss a quarter waiting in line)....$3.00 ...$4.00??? Think how much money was lost.

[G1]

The 9th region tourney belongs at Holmes. The BOK is easier for me personally, but it kills the atmosphere. Anybody can say it was crowded yesterday. It wasn't. Look at the pictures. Tons of open seats. On top of that, the folks running the arena are clueless.

 

If NKU ever gets good, maybe they'll learn how to handle a crowd. Right now they don't have a clue. It's the same thing no matter what the event at the arena. Living close to the arena, I sometimes make the mistake of cutting through NKU at the wrong time when there's something going on there. Parking is a mess whether it's regional basketball, concerts, arena football, or monster trucks. The parking garage seems to be poorly designed for entrance and exit. The prices are a ripoff for students.

[Jammin]

The ticket sales line was a joke. Even at half time the line was across the bridge. That is just unacceptable. We arrived at 4:45 p.m. and waited in a line of about 40 people. I am thankful we got there at that point because within minutes it was at least 100+ people long. If there was another ticket counter/entrance open, the staff should have alerted all those folks waiting out there in the cold to buy tickets. A significant portion missed 1/2 of the game.

[RomanEmpire]

BOK might want to consider Mobile POS devices to sell tix to people waiting in line and in the parking lots as they exit their vehicles. Its quick and efficient.

[frankdracman23]

1) Either adjust doubleheader start times (or do not play two games). Can't start a game at 6 pm on a weeknight with classes starting at 6 PM.

2) Print tickets ahead of time. Seriously you get to the window and they have to physically print the tickets? Why?

3) Try to figure out a better way to park cars and handle the roundabout. Cars should not be backed up on US 27 and I-275.

4) Never happen but do something about concession prices

5) Publish a program (See Mustangs comments)

6) Mark off sections for student cheer sections. If by game time the students are not there then you can use the seats.

7) Have a clue and take the ropes off the upper sections when you know they are going to be used.

8) Turn the scoreboard ads off during play. No one is watching the Newport on the Levy ad while play is going on and it makes the floor different colors.

9) Have some sort of security and traffic direction AFTER the games let out.

10) Nice to offer $6 finals tickets after the semis but 30 minute limit and two ticket windows (printing tickets of course) is just silly. I gladly paid myself $2 to NOT stand in that line.

[SportsGuy41017]

BOK has the same issues they had a few years ago, if they haven't fixed them by now, they will never be fixed, unless they get new people! The 9th belongs at the BOK! But too many people just went home because of the long line and others missed half the game. Who could have decided to delay the game for about 30 minutes? If they knew how many people where still outside that would have been a possible option. But the system they have for selling tickets is a joke and the 9th region needs to demand this is fixed.

 

Many above have good ideas, I hope they finally fix the problems before next year! How many concession stands were open? When I was there 3 weeks ago for an NKU game they had ONE open! And one open for beer. I would have ate more food but I am not going to miss part of the game waiting in the only line open.

[Flotsam]

One of my best friends is a professor at NKU. After waiting in line on Tuesday for tickets, I asked him to go over to the Bank of Kentucky box office during the day on Friday to pick up Saturday & Sunday tickets. He was the only one in line and waited 10 minutes while the only teller at the only open ticket window talked on the phone.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

They need basketball people running this..........The BOK people are not NKU athletic dept. folks and many of them do not get it when it comes to running a major basketball tournament.

 

THIS!