This shows that the College Basketball Invitational is a pretty cruddy event. If this was the NIT, schools would be begging to be a home team.
UTEP and Northeastern (Boston) were first-round winners Tuesday. Northeastern was chosen to host UTEP in the second round.
But Northeastern said no. It's gym can't hold enough fans and the school would have taken a financial bath. You're supposed to pay the CBI $60,000 for rights to a home game. Hah! Northeastern gets only a couple thousand fans a game.
UTEP said it didn't want to host the game, either. UTEP certainly doesn't want to lose money just so it can play in a third-tier tournament. So the CBI asked (I believe begged) UTEP to reconsider, and in exchange the rights fee was lowered. They didn't say by how much.
Don't have these rinky-dink tournaments with fields of teams that can't fill one of the 64 NCAA or 16 NIT brackets. Give it up if you're not in the top 80, already. Know when to go home and die.
UTEP will sell tickets for $10 in hopes enough fans want to see their team play Northeastern Monday.
Fans buying tickets can consider themselves the UTEP stimulus package, because the school didn't do very well at either football or basketball gates this year.
Remember, UTEP has been wanting to replace its inadequate artificial turf for a couple of years now. But that takes money.
Geez. What a mess.
Posted by: rayman | March 18, 2009 at 02:20 PM
I know everyone is going to start to rip the CBI and make fun of it, but you know what is even more of an embarrassment, that fact the UTEP isn't even sure that it can get more than 6,000 fans to come see a 20 win team. (thats about how many fans it would take for UTEP to recoup its losses for the game.
This game should be making UTEP money, If 8,000 to 10,000 fans would come out to the game UTEP would actually be making a profit from this.
This is actually an indictment on how bad fan support has gotten at UTEP. And don't use the CBI as an excuse not to go, this has been going on all season.
And fans want to Host conference tournaments at the Don. Not with this poor fan support. A school has to prove that it has good fan turn out and C-USA officials will look at the fan turnout for this CBI game. If fans don't come out for this game C-USA officials will not even consider letting UTEP host the conference tournament.
Why give a conference tournament to a city that doesn't support its own team. If they don't come out to see their own team play, what makes you believe they will want to see other teams play.
The CBI tournament may be a joke to some but UTEP fan support is down right pathetic.
Posted by: Jon | March 18, 2009 at 02:55 PM
The NCAA tournament starts tomorrow. Instead of taking a cheap shot at the CBI and Insider.com tourney's, I will stay positive.
Best of luck to two area athletes that are playing in the NCAA tournament.
Cliff Tucker and Maryland take on Cal.
I have Cliff and Co. moving on to the second round vs. Memphis.
Good luck to former Gadsden HS star, Frank Borden and his American University Eagles.
Frank is playing in his second straight NCAA tournament but, has a VERY tough task vs. Villanova tomorrow.
Frank Borden, BTW,
Is the younger brother of former Aggie VB star (& hottie), Alice Borden!!
Good luck to both local athletes!!
Posted by: Aggietude | March 18, 2009 at 03:29 PM
Touché Jon!
Posted by: Rooster | March 18, 2009 at 03:31 PM
I'm going on monday, should be a good game. The colonial league is no joke, having lived in philly and seen drexel play, northeastern should be just as good or better than nevada.
Posted by: djcjr3 | March 18, 2009 at 04:15 PM
Man Joe, you seem very bitter and angry about this tournament. I recommend you don't watch it as it infuriates you so. Take a deep breathe, drink some water, and accept we are in the tournament. Can't change the past, well that and you have no say so as to what the University does...
Go Miners!!
Posted by: Caesar | March 18, 2009 at 04:18 PM
good comment Jon agree with with you 100% cant wait to buy my tickets
Posted by: javi | March 18, 2009 at 04:27 PM
Joe isn't happy unless he has something to complain about. Deep down he must have a hatred for all Miner teams. I say "GO Miners!" and see you all at the game.
Posted by: David Corral | March 18, 2009 at 04:34 PM
It isn't just the CBI that has problems. Did you see Kentucky play it's opening NIT game in the small gym last night? They didn't want Rupp Arena to look like Mammoth Caverns.
I'll be there Monday night and I agree with Jon. I hear too many fans looking for excuses to ditch UTEP.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | March 18, 2009 at 04:52 PM
CLEOFITZWITZ,
Rupp Arena had already been booked for a separate event. Its not that there was no fan support, cmon its Kentucky. Although I do think UK Basketball should be able to play in their own arena anytime under any situation. But it wasn't because not enough people wanted to see an NIT game.
Posted by: Caesar | March 18, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Not I, said your wife. You got lucky that she was drunk.
Posted by: choco | March 18, 2009 at 06:01 PM
El Paso's population is something like 600,000+ and we can't get 6,000 in the DHC to watch the game on Monday night, and the problem is with all those fans? I don't think so.
The problem is with a team that hasn't produced. The problem is with a coach that hasn't generated any excitement. The problem is with an institution that has continually raised ticket prices at sporting events, hiked tuition, made parking worse, contracted for terrible TV coverage, and generally made the spectating experience less fun than it once was.
Posted by: Norville | March 18, 2009 at 06:46 PM
Thanks for the correction Caesar.
"Fans" like Norville should stay home until it's a nicer day in UTEPia.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | March 18, 2009 at 07:19 PM
We watch meaningless games, with no chance of a championship, every year when we go to the football games. Why not go watch a chance to see this young team play?
Posted by: David Mijares | March 18, 2009 at 08:17 PM
*Why not go watch this young team play?
Posted by: David Mijares | March 18, 2009 at 08:19 PM
I'll be there and right now I have 5 other people going with me. That number could go up.
Posted by: Joe Cole | March 18, 2009 at 08:21 PM
Heres one point New Mexico Lobos only got 7,200 in attendance for their NIT home game against Nebraska. They averaged 15,000 for the year. Dont make excuses lets support our UTEP Miners!!!
Posted by: javi | March 18, 2009 at 09:03 PM
Is UTEP 2 good for the CBI!!!???? are you serious lets look at the numbers> heres Stanford in the last 16 years:
1994-95 20-9 10-8 NCAA Second Round
1995-96 21-8 12-6 NCAA Second Round
1996-97 22-8 12-6 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1997-98 30-5 15-3 NCAA Final Four
1998-99 26-7 15-3 NCAA Second Round
1999-00 27-4 15-3 NCAA Second Round
2000-01 31-3 16-2 NCAA Elite Eight
2001-02 20-10 12-6 NCAA Second Round
2002-03 24-9 14-4 NCAA Second Round
2003-04 30-2 17-1 NCAA Second Round
2004-05 18-13 11-7 NCAA First Round
2005-06 16-14 11-7 NIT Second Round
2006-07 18-13 10-8 NCAA First Round
2007-08 28-8 13-5 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2008-09 18-13 6-12 CBI
Posted by: javi | March 18, 2009 at 09:14 PM
UTEP this is the only information i could find:
2001-02 9-21 3-14 no post season
2002-03 5-23 3-13 " "
2003-04 24-8 13-4 NCAA first round
2004-05 27-8 13-4 NCAA first round
2005-06 21-10 11-3 NIT second round
2006-07 14-17 6-10 no post season
2007-08 19-14 8-8 CBI first round
2008-09 20-12 10-6 CBI ?
so get over it!!!!
Posted by: javi | March 18, 2009 at 09:24 PM
We need to go out and support our UTEP Miners. As for as us, my boys and I are at every basketball home game from my two year old son That loves his GOO GOGS (thats Hot Dogs in Baby Language) to my two teenage boys we are Miner DIE HARD FANS all the way!! And Cherish every moment with them all the way, good or bad! Just Iimagine if every parent would instill this type of quality time with their families, UTEP wouldnt have a fan problem now or in the future!!
Posted by: Manny | March 18, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Javi,
Great statistics about past NCAA history between Stnaford and UTEP....Do you think Stanford is complaning or making the best of what they have recieved?...
True Miner fans will support any tournament!
On a side note...how many players have left a UTEP team in the past for any circumstances before the Babree era?
I though the standard was "If you quit now...you quit everyday the rest of your life"
Posted by: Eric | March 19, 2009 at 12:21 AM
must suck to be Joe's child:
1. if they play baseball and can't hit, bench him
2. in soccer if they can't kick, sit him down.
3. if his kid can't throw worth a darn, give him the water bottles...
Joe, post play is post play and yes we know the CBI is a third tier but now it's about watching the Miners, yes OUR Miners!
Cheer them on, or just shut up!
Posted by: THE-SHYMINER | March 19, 2009 at 09:19 AM
GO MINERS!!!
Posted by: Oscar | March 19, 2009 at 12:58 PM
NO DON'T SETTLE MINER FANS !!!!!!!!!
SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE NCAA'S (ONLY TEXAS TEAM TO WIN D1)
OR THE NIT.................
IF YOU START ACCEPTING THE CBI WE ARE DOOMED.
Posted by: jerry | March 19, 2009 at 02:22 PM
NOT REALLY JERRRYYYY!
UTAH PLAYED IN THE CBI LAST YEAR AND MADE THE NCAA TOURNY THIS YEAR. UTEP IS NOT THE ONLY TEAM THAT CONSIDERS ANY CHANCE TO PLAY COMPETITIVE BASKETBALL IN FRONT OF A NATIONAL TELEVISION AUDIENCE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR TEAM.
On another note, did anyone follow that heavily contested matche between UCONN and Tennessee Chatanooga.
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | March 19, 2009 at 03:07 PM