Des Moines bids to host Mens NCAA tourney games

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twocoach

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Jan 13, 2014
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If I am not mistaken: Doesn't that mean that Iowa State would be ineligible to play there?
No, they would only be ineligible to play there if they played their home games in that arena, similar to Creighton not being allowed to play in ncaa tourney games in Omaha because it is held in their home arena. ISU could play in an ncaa game in Des Moines, no problem.
 

CysRage

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Oct 18, 2009
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No, they would only be ineligible to play there if they played their home games in that arena, similar to Creighton not being allowed to play in ncaa tourney games in Omaha because it is held in their home arena. ISU could play in an ncaa game in Des Moines, no problem.
This might be my favorite Twocoach post.
 

cemarclone

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Feb 6, 2014
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If you are a host of a venue, your team isn't allowed to play there. Either a school or a conference needs to host each venue. If a conference hosts, any school can play there still, but if it's a school, then that particular team must be sent somewhere else.

For example, the Big 12 hosted the Final Four in Dallas last spring. Marquette was the host school for the Milwaukee site that you mentioned. And I believe the MVC was the host for the St. Louis site, too.

UT-SA was the host school for the San Antonio site this spring that we played at.

If Iowa State is the host for Des Moines, then we wouldn't be able to play there.

The only rule I can find is that a school can not play on a court where they have had at least 4 games during the season. So I see no reason why ISU can not play there. In fact, if they can't why bother hosting it?
 

CysRage

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Oct 18, 2009
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The only rule I can find is that a school can not play on a court where they have had at least 4 games during the season. So I see no reason why ISU can not play there. In fact, if they can't why bother hosting it?
My thoughts exactly. JP is a very smart man. Why would he disqualify ISU from being able to play 30 minutes from Ames in order to host the 2nd and 3rd rounds? I'm sure he knew ISU would still be eligible to play in Des Moines.
 

nickcyv

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Apr 29, 2009
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Not all hotels are equal. Des Moines needs more full service hotels like the Embassy, Marriott, Hyatt, or proposed convention center. The hotel directly to the north wouldn't even get to host a team...
 

Tornado man

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I know some people in the know (Greater Des Moines Partnership) that have said that not having a large hotel with direct access to the event location definitely does hurt it. The NCAA want convenient hotel access at event locations. The small hotel directly to the north isn't large enough to accommodate all of the fans, teams, media, etc.

Yes, there are other hotels scattered around the downtown area, but nothing large and central near the IEC. We could spend all day talking about the flaws of the IEC, thankfully in a few more years not having a hotel there won't be one of them.
This doesn't make any sense - I've been to both the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, and Scottrade Center in St. Louis in the last year. Both hosted NCAA games in 2014 (2nd round for both, I believe). Neither has a hotel connected to it, and Wells Fargo has more hotels close by...
 

kingcy

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As long as there isn't a hotel attached to the IEC, Des Moines will never host this event. That is the main barrier at this point. Sadly, while there are plans in the works for a 400-450 room hotel in the area, the city has been dragging their feet and you probably won't see it finished until 2018.

I don't think it is the city dragging their feet. It has more to due with not having a company that wants to put one up there. There has to be a demand for those rooms more than 3 weeks a year to make a hotel work there.
 

CysRage

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Oct 18, 2009
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Isn't the Qwest Center their home arena though?
Yes which is why Creighton was ineligble to play there. On the other hand, if Twocoach is correct, ISU CAN play at Wells Fargo since ISU doesn't play their home games there.
 

twocoach

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Jan 13, 2014
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The only rule I can find is that a school can not play on a court where they have had at least 4 games during the season. So I see no reason why ISU can not play there. In fact, if they can't why bother hosting it?
Yep, you got it. Syracuse cannot play a tourney game in the Carrier Dome whether they are the host school or not. Creighton cannot play a tourney game in the Century Link center whether they are the host school or not. ISU CAN play a tourney game in Des Moines whether they are the host or not.
 

twocoach

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Jan 13, 2014
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Also tougher for 8 different schools to get last minute flights booked into Des Moines airport than it is to Omaha or Kansas City.
 

flander1649

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Apr 20, 2006
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The hotel infrastructure is for sure the largest issue for Des Moines. Omaha and KC both still have hotel issues because there aren't enough close to the arenas. 30 miles away don't cut it even hotels out in West Des Moines aren't close enough. I would love to see them get it at some point though.
 

Clone1138

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Apr 18, 2013
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This doesn't make any sense - I've been to both the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, and Scottrade Center in St. Louis in the last year. Both hosted NCAA games in 2014 (2nd round for both, I believe). Neither has a hotel connected to it, and Wells Fargo has more hotels close by...

And since when has the NCAA been consistent on *anything* they've ever done?
 

roundball

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Dec 8, 2013
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As long as there isn't a hotel attached to the IEC, Des Moines will never host this event. That is the main barrier at this point. Sadly, while there are plans in the works for a 400-450 room hotel in the area, the city has been dragging their feet and you probably won't see it finished until 2018.

I'd read a few things about that, and unless you're talking about something that's come up in the last three months, it sounds like the city is doing a lot to get a convention center hotel built.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...-moines-convention-hotel-moves-ahead/8999129/

NCAA tournament games in Des Moines would totally kick ***!
 

CapnCy

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Jul 6, 2010
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I assume the bid materials is heavy on His Dreaminess (watermark of his face on each page, cover page, etc). :)