NCAA committee makes recommendations

[PCM]

In Saturday's Grand Forks Herald, there was an article regarding recommendations of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee. The committee had a two-day meeting in Boston at which it came up with recommendations on the American Indian nicknames issue.

But Gail Dent, an NCAA spokeswoman, said the specific recommendations of the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee likely would remain under wraps until two senior NCAA panels can discuss them. The committee wrapped up two days of meetings in Boston this week.

Dent said a subcommittee on gender and equity issues is slated to take up the subject at an Aug. 3 meeting in Indianapolis. The next day, the NCAA Executive Committee will take all previous recommendations into consideration before issuing an official stance.

Until then, the work of the panels, including Minority Opportunities' recommended actions, would be an internal process and would not be made public, Dent said.

Edited June 27, 2005 by PCM

[dagies]

According to this story Herald Article on NCAA Regional Site Awards the NCAA wants to use more neutral sites for regional tournaments. I can understand why that can make sense in trying to keep a team from playing on its home ice during this tournament. However, they had no trouble awarding bids to Mariucci, World Arena and Kohl Center

The Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., along with the World Arena in Colorado Springs, landed regional tournaments in 2008 and Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis landed the 2009 West Regional. That means three of the four regional sites awarded in the West and Midwest on Thursday were placed at on-campus sites. The only non-campus site in the Midwest or West is the 2009 Midwest Region at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.

I wonder if the nickname issue is playing into this decision in any way.

If it is a matter if too few off-campus sites being available in the midwest and west region areas, then just don't place teams in their home arenas. I can understand why fans would get upset about that, but it's one way of keeping things neutral.

[ESPNInsider]

According to this story  Herald Article on NCAA Regional Site Awards the NCAA wants to use more neutral sites for regional tournaments.  I can understand why that can make sense in trying to keep a team from playing on its home ice during this tournament.  However, they had no trouble awarding bids to Mariucci, World Arena and Kohl Center

I wonder if the nickname issue is playing into this decision in any way.

If it is a matter if too few off-campus sites being available in the midwest and west region areas, then just don't place teams in their home arenas. I can understand why fans would get upset about that, but it's one way of keeping things neutral.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the only problem with that is that hockey is not popular enough to draw in neutral settings. The same goes for baseball, where they have to play the first few rounds in home stadiums to gaurantee decent crowds. Basketball is the only sport where you know that you are going to get huge crowds at the first few rounds even in neutral sites. For that matter, in the basketball tourney the host team cannot play at their site in any round. I wish this were the case for baseball and hockey, but the NCAA wants to make sure they get some $$$ out of the deal.