AAC Hoops Tourney Will Stay At Dickies Arena

[SUMG]

Just read in the DMNews.......that the league has agreed to keep the b-ball tourneys in Ft Worth..........through 2028.

This is pretty big news....because I've got to figure a lot of the schools (Memphis and the Eastern ones)......would like to see it much closer to them. MU would like it in Memphis. So very happy that it's gonna stay here at Dickies Arena. 

[Zeleny' Orel]

I was unable to attend this year in Ft. Worth.  How did those of you who were able to attend feel about the venue and the AAC tournament set up?

[wardly]

The venue and tournament are well done,and Dickies Arena is a good venue. However attendance sucks, and will continue to do so until the tournament moves to a more geographically centered location.

[NT80]

On 6/2/2024 at 9:41 AM, wardly said:

The venue and tournament are well done,and Dickies Arena is a good venue. However attendance sucks, and will continue to do so until the tournament moves to a more geographically centered location.

It helps the decision to have the Conference headquarters in DFW, plus an International airport with nonstops to most conference locations.   I approve!

[Matt from A700]

I love it being in Fort Worth better than Frisco because it's an actual basketball venue and closer to home.

However, pictures of the terrible attendance throughout the week went viral on Twitter and the showing was not only ridiculed by other AAC fans, but college basketball fans in general. I haven't seen the 2028 announcement on Twitter yet but it's sure to cause more widespread disapproval.

The teams have to take advantage of the opportunity and make it to the title game, though, and more fans need to show up. We couldn't have gotten luckier with the scheduling this March - all three men's/women's games started at 6 p.m. or later.

Edited June 4 by Matt from A700

[SUMG]

12 minutes ago, Matt from A700 said:

I love it being in Fort Worth better than Frisco because it's an actual basketball venue and closer to home.

However, pictures of the terrible attendance throughout the week went viral on Twitter and the showing was not only ridiculed by other AAC fans, but college basketball fans in general. I haven't seen the 2028 announcement on Twitter yet but it's sure to more widespread disapproval.

The teams have to take advantage of the opportunity and make it to the title game, though, and more fans need to show up. We couldn't have gotten luckier with the scheduling this March - all three men's/women's games started at 6 p.m. or later.

BVito had it in the sports capsules one day in the DMNews. I found it in his online blog....(copied here....amongst other items:

The American Athletic Conference renamed its MVP award for the league’s football championship after outgoing commissioner Mike Aresco and officially announced its basketball tournament will remain at Dickies Arena through 2028 at its annual business meetings this week.

The MVP will now receive the Mike Aresco Most Outstanding Player award.

 

The league announced those moves and a host of others on Friday, one day after the event wrapped up.

Aresco announced his retirement in December. He was named the fourth commissioner of the Big East in 2012 and oversaw its transformation as it became the American.

Friday was Aresco’s final day as the league’s commissioner. Tim Pernetti, the former president of IMG Academy, is taking over for Aresco.

The league honored Aresco with a celebration of his tenure on Wednesday.

 

“Serving as Commissioner of the American Athletic Conference has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” Aresco said in a statement.

UNT athletic director Jared Mosley was named to the conference’s athletic directors executive committee and will serve a term that runs through 2026.

The league made several other announcements following the meetings, including …

-- The conference’s 2025 softball tournament will be played at South Florida.

-- UNT will host the league’s annual Academic Symposium in 2025.

-- The league will increase the fees paid to softball umpires to attract top-rated officials.

-- The AAC’s finance committee said that the distribution pool for the 2024 fiscal year was higher than what the league budgeted, while expenses were lower than projected.

 

 

[wardly]

19 hours ago, NT80 said:

It helps the decision to have the Conference headquarters in DFW, plus an International airport with nonstops to most conference locations.   I approve!

I don't think having the tournament in the city where you have your  conference headquarters makes any difference. Several conferences have their tournament in Las Vegas but don't headquarter there. While it nice to have non stops to DFW it would be even nicer if that was important to AAC fans in March, which based upon attendance it isn't. I think other venues such as those located in New Orleans,Nashville,and Orlando just to name a few would increase attendance . However since the AAC just renewed their contract with Dickies proves that attendance is not important.

[Matt from A700]

Assuming the exposure on linear ESPN all week is worth more than more people in the stands.

[NT80]

15 minutes ago, Matt from A700 said:

Assuming the exposure on linear ESPN all week is worth more than more people in the stands.

I agree.  If attendance was an issue affecting conference revenue from the event, or from ESPN's concern, then it would have been moved.  

If I was going to move it to a more central and tourist spot, probably New Orleans.

[UNTLifer]

I like the current location.  If they want to centralize, then I would pick either Nashville or Atlanta.

[MrAlien]

It was a good venue, but the location is terrible for the conference. I think Memphis or Nashville would be more central, and cities that are interesting to visit for a weekend.  New Orleans would be cool, but the tournament would be very close to mardi gras.