Why not in Houston?
I truly enjoy covering women's college basketball. Being privileged to receive a media credential the last six or seven years to cover the Women's Final Four is always an honor. However, every year I attend a Final Four, I always say to my friends, “Why can't Houston host the Final Four?” While we were in Cleveland this year, I joked with my friends, “Okay, we're here now; so, count how many times I say 'Houston can do this or the Final Four should be in Houston'.” (We stopped counting at eight on just the second day we were there.)
In the past, I've worked with a representative of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority to help bring the first two rounds (the Regional and ultimately the Final Four) of the Women's NCAA Tournament to Houston. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in our efforts. I haven't given up hope of getting it done; and, thankfully, a prominent women's head basketball coach, Texas A&M's Gary Blair, is beginning to trumpet the cause:
Why not in Houston?
Coach Blair brought up the notion of the city of Houston bidding on hosting the Big 12 women's basketball tournament and the NCAA Tournament to practically every member of the media he spoke with at last week's Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day.
“I think what has to happen, Dallas has got a problem, because they do not have a second venue for us (women’s college basketball) because they’re going to tear down Reunion Arena and we do not necessarily want to go to SMU or another college campus to play,” said Coach Blair. “So, we either have to play our conference tournament on a separate weekend (than the men’s Big 12 conference tournament) or we have to San Antonio or Houston bid.
“It doesn't matter what we want. The city of Houston has to want us; and, why they wouldn't want us I don’t know because, just think about this: if you’re in Austin or you’re in College Station we’re close (to Houston) but if we have to go all the way to Kansas City, you see what that distance is. But, what if Kansas State or KU had to come to Houston – it’s the same distance but for them. We have highways going north and they've got highways going south. I’d love to see it (the tournament) in Houston some day; but, it has got to be first started from the city of Houston wanting to be a player. They need to be at the Big 12 Conference Meetings just like San Antonio has been a number of times – not just the bowl games – we need to have the basketball people attend those meetings.
“Look at basketball in the state of Texas – Baylor’s won a national championship; Texas Tech has won a national championship; Texas has won a national championship on the women’s side. Junior College – Tyler’s won it; Trinity Valley has won it; Kilgore has won it. In the pro game, the Houston Comets have won it four times; the San Antonio Silver Stars have got an excellent program now; on the men’s side, the Spurs and the Rockets have won championships.
“Texas has become a basketball state as far as talent; but, we need to be exploring the opportunities to have those tournaments. We need the NCAA Regionals. Last season, it was in Dallas. Why not in Houston?
“We have a lot of high school state championship caliber teams coming from the Houston area; but, we need somebody to push that button in the Houston Sports Association and say, ‘Hey, we want to be a part of this.’ If you have the Comets in town participating, why wouldn't we be able to use that as a background. You have Houston and Rice there who could help run the tournaments as well. I’d love to see NCAA Tournaments in Houston. I’d love to see the Big 12 Tournament in Houston someday; but, if not, we have to make sure it’s, at least, in the state of Texas. We do not need to be playing in Oklahoma City where OU (Oklahoma Sooner) have a home court advantage if you will or all the way up in Kansas City where sometimes our fans cannot make it all the way up there. We’re a basketball state. Let’s put the bucks up to make sure it stays in our state.”
Good for him.
Perhaps the powers-that-be in the city of Houston will finally bring the Women's NCAA Tournament to Houston.
In the past, I've worked with a representative of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority to help bring the first two rounds (the Regional and ultimately the Final Four) of the Women's NCAA Tournament to Houston. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in our efforts. I haven't given up hope of getting it done; and, thankfully, a prominent women's head basketball coach, Texas A&M's Gary Blair, is beginning to trumpet the cause:
Why not in Houston?
Coach Blair brought up the notion of the city of Houston bidding on hosting the Big 12 women's basketball tournament and the NCAA Tournament to practically every member of the media he spoke with at last week's Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day.
“I think what has to happen, Dallas has got a problem, because they do not have a second venue for us (women’s college basketball) because they’re going to tear down Reunion Arena and we do not necessarily want to go to SMU or another college campus to play,” said Coach Blair. “So, we either have to play our conference tournament on a separate weekend (than the men’s Big 12 conference tournament) or we have to San Antonio or Houston bid.
“It doesn't matter what we want. The city of Houston has to want us; and, why they wouldn't want us I don’t know because, just think about this: if you’re in Austin or you’re in College Station we’re close (to Houston) but if we have to go all the way to Kansas City, you see what that distance is. But, what if Kansas State or KU had to come to Houston – it’s the same distance but for them. We have highways going north and they've got highways going south. I’d love to see it (the tournament) in Houston some day; but, it has got to be first started from the city of Houston wanting to be a player. They need to be at the Big 12 Conference Meetings just like San Antonio has been a number of times – not just the bowl games – we need to have the basketball people attend those meetings.
“Look at basketball in the state of Texas – Baylor’s won a national championship; Texas Tech has won a national championship; Texas has won a national championship on the women’s side. Junior College – Tyler’s won it; Trinity Valley has won it; Kilgore has won it. In the pro game, the Houston Comets have won it four times; the San Antonio Silver Stars have got an excellent program now; on the men’s side, the Spurs and the Rockets have won championships.
“Texas has become a basketball state as far as talent; but, we need to be exploring the opportunities to have those tournaments. We need the NCAA Regionals. Last season, it was in Dallas. Why not in Houston?
“We have a lot of high school state championship caliber teams coming from the Houston area; but, we need somebody to push that button in the Houston Sports Association and say, ‘Hey, we want to be a part of this.’ If you have the Comets in town participating, why wouldn't we be able to use that as a background. You have Houston and Rice there who could help run the tournaments as well. I’d love to see NCAA Tournaments in Houston. I’d love to see the Big 12 Tournament in Houston someday; but, if not, we have to make sure it’s, at least, in the state of Texas. We do not need to be playing in Oklahoma City where OU (Oklahoma Sooner) have a home court advantage if you will or all the way up in Kansas City where sometimes our fans cannot make it all the way up there. We’re a basketball state. Let’s put the bucks up to make sure it stays in our state.”
Good for him.
Perhaps the powers-that-be in the city of Houston will finally bring the Women's NCAA Tournament to Houston.
posted by Kris G @ 2:31 PM
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