Ivy Madness Changes

Ivy League
21

How many years have you been waiting to use that line?

22

you certainly put the non in sequitur!

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23

If a neutral site is out of the question, and no one wants it in Hanover, how does having it at the regular season winner make any sense?

Will the league and their fans be okay with that format if the Dartmouth women rebuild their program and win 4-straight titles from 2030 to 2033 (like they did in the 80s). Or is the league counting on something like that never happening again?

This is a slap in the face to Dartmouth if they don’t host in 2028, which sounds unlikely of happening.

24

There are lots of logistical problems for fans if the games are held at the court of the regular season winner. At least when there is a reasonably accessible venue, tickets sell out in January, and many fans fly in for the game. That would be very difficult to plan with only a few days’ notice of the tournament site. Much as I like going to games at the Palestra, the neutral site idea seems to be the best alternative if the finances can be resolved.

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25

For those who don’t have a Philadelphia Inquirer subscription, I am attaching a link to Jonathan Tannenwald’s article on the move to the Palestra for the ILT in 2027. It quotes Robin Harris at length and it’s pretty clear the movement is toward a neutral site. Ivy League basketball tournaments will return to Palestra in 2027

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26

Thank you! Appreciate!

27

Seriously. Do you know how many fans would be at The Pru or Barclay’s for the Ivy tourney. A max of 3500 any session if it is a great match-up. 1800 for women’s final. This is not about venue when you speak neutral site, which I was told would not happen. It is about marketing the League in advance and virtually none of that happens. The only workable permanent site is Columbia because NYC is Ivy slumni ground zero. And it was not sold out for the recent men’s final there between Yale and Brown. What are we doing here. Just use the site of the regular season winners. Baseball does it. So do many other Ivy sports.

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28

Totally agree. Wouldn’t draw flies to a neutral site.

29

They can promote the ILT far better if there is a neutral site than at home site. But I’m just sharing what the Ivy League Commissioner said publicly. And it is in line with what the League always maintained was the purpose of the Tournament. Do I think the Pru or Barclay are good locations? No. The RAC, Carneseca or Bridgeport would be much better. The real problem with promotion at a neutral site is what makes the ILT unique and effective to drawing more interest in the regular season—4 teams are knocked out. If all 8 teams were in the tournament, it would be easier to promote because everyone would be there. I still think the ILT would do much better in a building bigger than 2500. So maybe the answer is to require all Ivy schools to build 5000 seat arenas that don’t already have one.

30

Wasn’t just about every Ivy League playoff game prior to the ILT (including Harvard-Yale at the Palestra) a sellout? All at neutral sites. (Actually just checked–5250 at the Palestra for Harvard-Yale, but it was on a couple of days notice)

31

I believe princeton- harvard at yale was a sellout. Small gym. Can’t see any kind of turnout at a pro arena.

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32

I don"believe the Penn- Princeton game at Lehigh (1996)sold out.

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33

Either the league is going to suddenly develop rabid fans who will fill neutral sites that are larger than 6 of the league’s 8 teams. (I wish that was true but I just don’t see it) or the league’s fans don’t care enough to travel to a site that is not determined a year in advance. Both cant be true! Hold the end of league thingy at the home site of the champ(s). That’s the fair way to do it and the most likely to fill gyms.

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34

Put it on a cruise ship and make it a vacation destination. Ivy Madness in the Bahamas! Or the Schuykyll.

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35

I was there at the ‘96 Playoff and the only seats we could get were under the basket.

36

5250 is pretty much a sellout these days, i dont count upper corners anymore with tv coverage

37

Agree and its fair to reg season champ

38

If it didn’t it was close. Place was packed.

39

How about this idea?.. it would ease many of the concerns expressed here.

Reward the school with the highest win total (Men and Women combined) for the following year. In this scenario, Princeton would have hosted this year (20 wins in the 24/25 season), and Harvard would host next year (20 wins in the 25/26 season).

  • Rewards winning during the regular season.
  • Avoids neutral sites.
  • Keeps the men and women at a single venue, which would help increase attendance.
  • Allows the league, the host school, and the fans to prepare well in advance.
40

No.

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