I haven't been since they switched it to Sunday but I thought the double duty on Saturday was something really special. As a fan I greatly prefer that format.

 

I have not seen a championship game since making the change. Its hard enough paying for tickets, food, parking, hotel room, and add in a little shopping. I actually came home Saturday this year because it is hard just sitting around waiting. I know there are malls there, but I didn't come to Lexington to go to a mall. I want to watch basketball games. But money talks. I keep hearing people say that we can't change things about the way we do our state tournament, but this was a major change. The tradition has been changed. It was part of the "special" that our state tournament had. No longer.

 

If I lived where I could go home each night, drive in to the city for the games, then go home. I might feel different.

My preference is the semi's in the morning and the final at night. For one, that is what makes this tournament so special on top of the fact that there is 1 true champion. Second, playing two games in a day is nothing for most of these kids because if they are playing AAU ball they are playing at least 2 games in one day once they are out of pool play in most tournaments and 99% of the time in a much shorter time span. IMO, bring it back.

 

Nothing I hate more about AAU than playing at 10 in the morning and then waiting until 6 or 7 that night to play again.

My preference is the semi's in the morning and the final at night. For one, that is what makes this tournament so special on top of the fact that there is 1 true champion. Second, playing two games in a day is nothing for most of these kids because if they are playing AAU ball they are playing at least 2 games in one day once they are out of pool play in most tournaments and 99% of the time in a much shorter time span. IMO, bring it back.

 

Same here.

 

#Oldschool

I have not seen a championship game since making the change. Its hard enough paying for tickets, food, parking, hotel room, and add in a little shopping. I actually came home Saturday this year because it is hard just sitting around waiting. I know there are malls there, but I didn't come to Lexington to go to a mall. I want to watch basketball games. But money talks. I keep hearing people say that we can't change things about the way we do our state tournament, but this was a major change. The tradition has been changed. It was part of the "special" that our state tournament had. No longer.

 

If I lived where I could go home each night, drive in to the city for the games, then go home. I might feel different.

 

I live 45 minutes away so I hated that limbo of going home or staying and blowing money in Lexington on Saturdays in between the semis and finals. Like you said if you lived closer you'd feel differently. This format favors me considerably.

One game per day makes for such a better championship game.

I don't have a strong preference on Saturday Final (with starting on Tuesday) or keeping it the same as it is now. Just please don't go back to the old format.

They should keep it the way it is! Ask the kids who get to the finals how they would like it. As was said two games on Sat is not good baker all and not good for the kids. Did someone actually compare 2 or more AAU games in a day to a state-semi and state final? Not even in the same ballpark!

 

It won't start on a Tuesday as its one more day out of school. And what has been said many times it red book is killing the tourney

Also what is causing the lower attendance numbers is a lot of the old timers are beginning to not come anymore, this has been happening thre past several years, younger people are not coming.

Same here I love it.:clap:

 

I am kind of surprised at your preference, Goldie.

 

Since this is your 50th Sweet Sixteen tournament, I am going to lump you in the old-timer class along with myself. From a spectator standpoint, I loved the Saturday morning/Saturday evening doubleheader. I am sure that coaches and players might have a different viewpoint.

 

I must admit that I have not been to a final under the new Sunday afternoon format. Doesn't seem right to me and I have other things to do on Sundays.

I prefer the current format. But as others have pointed out I live in Lexington so it works great for me. If I had to travel I might feel differently.

 

I will say though, I hate that it is the same weekend as the start of the NCAA tournament. I'm sure it isn't a huge difference but I know some that'll choose to stay home Thursday/Friday and watch the NCAA tournament instead of going to Rupp.

They should keep it the way it is! Ask the kids who get to the finals how they would like it. As was said two games on Sat is not good baker all and not good for the kids. Did someone actually compare 2 or more AAU games in a day to a state-semi and state final? Not even in the same ballpark!

 

It won't start on a Tuesday as its one more day out of school. And what has been said many times it red book is killing the tourney

 

I don't think a lot of schools are out for the State Tournament like the old days, unless your team is in it. Didn't I read on here that Calloway County(because they played the night game) didn't get out of school and the pep bus had to go back home and come back the following day. But for every school like this there is the mystery of a school like Bracken County that gets out for the State Tournament every year and then Spring break one to two weeks later, count getting off two days for the Girls All A State and all the missed days for winter and they have hardly went at all this year(2015)

Why not bring back the third place game? I know it's kind of redundant but it would give everyone an extra game and would cut down on the sitting around.

was there a reason given for Sunday afternoons?

 

The change was made in 2013 because the Saturday on which the semi-finals and finals were to be played was also the day UK was scheduled to host Florida. UK-Florida played as scheduled in the afternoon, the semi-finals were moved to Saturday night and the finals moved to Sunday afternoon.

 

I am very old school on this. I always loved the Saturday morning/night set-up, with watching NCAA games in-between. Made for a long, but memorable, day of basketball. For example, yesterday could have consisted of watching the semi-final games in the morning, driving to Louisville to go to the UK game in the afternoon, and then back to Lexington to watch the finals. That would have been a great day of basketball.

Why not bring back the third place game? I know it's kind of redundant but it would give everyone an extra game and would cut down on the sitting around.

 

Have that Saturday night at 6:00, followed by championship at 8:15 and I'm there, that is if the teams involved are from 10th or 13th-16th region:thumb:

I love the old format, you could go up on Friday and see 4 good games and spend one night in a hotel, see two good games Saturday Morning and then the championship game Saturday night and drive home and not be out all that expense.

I like the idea of starting on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, and having the semi's on Friday night, and the finals on Saturday night.

 

The old way with the Saturday morning Semi's, and Saturday night final was stupid, and unfair on so many levels.

 

For the fan it forced them to have to wake earlier on Saturday morning and gobble down breakfast and journey to Rupp, and be there for a 10:00 a.m. tip off, when you were already at Rupp on Friday night watching the quarterfinals that might've ended on the late side, and you had very little time to wind down before bedtime just to have to be up at it early on Saturday morning.

 

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday you were tuned into a noon tip off which gave you plenty of time not to feel so rushed. Now on Saturday morning you were forced to push yourself even before you were in the mood to take it all in. It went against having the games when the vibe was right for the teams and/or the fans.

 

For the teams playing in the Friday afternoon quarterfinals, they had plenty of time to rest before playing again on Saturday morning, however the teams playing the late games on Friday night still had to be up early the next morning to go at it again with the possibility of going at it again on Saturday night.

 

Sure you can say that they're kids and they can handle it, but some of the teams have WAY more time to rest than others, and that's just fundamentally unfair.

 

Not only that, this is the Semi's and the Finals of the state. Why on earth shouldn't they be allowed to play these games under more normal circumstances, and what's the big rush to have to try to play 3 games for some teams within 24 hours?

 

I'm glad they have at least changed things to stop that nonsense, but I do also like the idea of Friday night Semi's, and a Saturday night Final, which all that it would take to accomplish that would be to start the tourney on Tuesday.

 

Easy Peasy