UDM should not host the Class A state basketball quarterfinals

**GPCharles** · March-23-16, 07:50 AM

They finally improved the ticketing, with advance sales and more ticket booths open. The ticket lines were down to 50-75 people instead of 150, but the parking was abysmal. Only two gates open, only one on McNichols, and only one person taking money at each gate. The backup was horrendous. Spectators were still coming in in the 2nd quarter.

If they can't efficiently handle an event of this size, move it.

**emu steve** · March-23-16, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

They finally improved the ticketing, with advance sales and more ticket booths open. The ticket lines were down to 50-75 people instead of 150, but the parking was abysmal. Only two gates open, only one on McNichols, and only one person taking money at each gate. The backup was horrendous. Spectators were still coming in in the 2nd quarter.

If they can't efficiently handle an event of this size, move it.

Interesting.

Isn't this mostly a 'one time' event where UDM hosted UofD Jesuit with Mr. Basketball?

UDM [[the college team) isn't used to having that large a crowd, with the possible exception of Oakland.

[[BTW, how large was the crowd?)

How large were the crowds for UofD high during the regular season? Didn't they play some games at Calihan?

**GPCharles** · March-23-16, 09:22 AM

UDM has hosted this event for years.

Turns out they eventually closed the parking lot and forced the people in line to park on the streets.

**emu steve** · March-23-16, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

UDM has hosted this event for years.

Turns out they eventually closed the parking lot and forced the people in line to park on the streets.

Understood, but the big thing was UofD Jesuit and their Mr. Basketball player.

This wasn't a typical MHSAA quarterfinal game between two 'no name' teams.

**313rd** · March-23-16, 09:36 AM

Some points from above discussion;

UDM/Oakland probably had close to 6,000, with a third of that being OU fans.

They hosted two games yesterday, not just one.

Doesn't MHSAA host the event and rents out Calihan. I believe that MHSAA also received the parking gate funds, these were MHSAA people not UDM people collecting parking.

Yes, overflow parking is always an issue on that campus, with no back up plan for larger events.

**emu steve** · March-23-16, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by 313rd

Some points from above discussion;

UDM/Oakland probably had close to 6,000, with a third of that being OU fans.

They hosted two games yesterday, not just one.

Doesn't MHSAA host the event and rents out Calihan. I believe that MHSAA also received the parking gate funds, these were MHSAA people not UDM people collecting parking.

Yes, overflow parking is always an issue on that campus, with no back up plan for larger events.

Not to be snarky, but EMU has an arena seating almost 9K and abundant parking.

It would be nice to move quarterfinal sites around. Last I checked, Ypsilanti is around 35 [[not 50 or 75) miles from downtown Detroit.

**GPCharles** · March-23-16, 09:54 AM

There were two games. I left after the UD/Ypsilanti game and there were [[i) a lot of people leaving and [[ii) a lot of people coming in for the 2nd game. Overall, I'm going to guess the place was 1/2 full during the UD/Ypsilanti game. Both ends [[upper level) were pretty sparse and there are a lot of seats up there. I checked their website and capacity is 8,295.

I do remember that back in 1969 [[ancient history) at least one of the quarterfinal games was at Crisler Arena - Detroit Austin v. Birmingham Brother Rice.

Don't get me wrong, I love Calihan as a venue for this event. However, I have gone for at least the last 10 years and it is always a mess, particularly after they turned part of the main parking lot into a soccer field. You wouldn't believe what ticket sales used to be like. I just think more advance planning could make this a much smoother operation.

**emu steve** · March-23-16, 10:13 AM

I always wonder what is the 'fairness' issue in these state h.s. tourney venues?

E.g., for the girls could the semis & finals be played up in Mt. Pleasant instead of E. Lansing? The arena should be large enough for girls, I think.

Could the quarters for the boys be played around the state at say WMU, CMU, EMU, UDM, Oakland, etc.? [[isn't 4 - 5K or even 7 or 8 for UDM and EMU, enough?).

When one is using university venues, I think it is best to try and move them around. MSU has a big advantage hosting the boys and girls semis/finals.

Since they have the boys semis/finals they should have the girls, too.

**Zads07** · March-23-16, 11:13 AM

As someone who covers high school sports, Steve that issue isn't with the venue, it's with the MHSAA staffing the venue. You might want to take it up with them.

As for your idea of moving them to colleges around the state, there's absolutely no way they do that because of the amount of seats in each venue.

**EastsideAl** · March-23-16, 12:24 PM

Calihan Hall is fine as a venue for the high school quarters. In fact, it's one of the best venues for actually watching a basketball game in the state. And it is much more easily reachable for Detroit area students, parents, etc. than any other comparable venue.

The problem, as stated above, is with the MHSAA's amateurish management and staffing of the event. MHSAA rents the building from UDM and staffs the event themselves. UDM's own home games are staffed by the University, and even back when their teams were better and they drew bigger crowds they didn't have this level of problems.

Of course, much of what happened in this case was also a one-time problem due to U of D High's participation and the increased interest in seeing Cassius Winston. It seems that the MHSAA's planning didn't anticipate that factor.

**GPCharles** · March-23-16, 12:44 PM

Al,

It's been that way for at least 10 years. This really isn't a one time problem. There has been a big-time future D1 player in the quarters almost every year I have been there. In prior years the ticket lines were an hour long, with no presale. Fortunately, the UDM ticket office was selling advance tickets on Monday all day and Tuesday until noon. They also opened more ticket booths.

Also, last night the games featured UD, Ypsilanti, North Farmington and Sterling Heights Stevenson, pretty much ringing the city. With two games, you never had the entire crowd in the arena at one time.

**emu steve** · March-23-16, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Zads07

As someone who covers high school sports, Steve that issue isn't with the venue, it's with the MHSAA staffing the venue. You might want to take it up with them.

As for your idea of moving them to colleges around the state, there's absolutely no way they do that because of the amount of seats in each venue.

My point with MSU hosting both the boys and girls semis/finals is the recruiting advantage it gives them.

Anytime a school like MSU, OSU, etc. host state tourneys it gives them an advantages that other D-I schools don't have.

I have NO problem with MSU hosting the boys semis/finals because of its location and size of its arena.

The girls could just as easily play at CMU.

In the case we are discussing, UDM has the advantage at the quarterfinals level.

Oakland's arena is a bit small for the quarters, but otherwise, WMU, CMU, etc. are what 5K sized and that's plenty big enough for quarter finals 'outstate'.

I would like to see EMU gets some of those southeast MI quarterfinals, although I realize it does make a longer drive for many parents.

**TTime** · March-23-16, 06:52 PM

Sorry to hear they didn't handle the parking situation appropriately. I have fond memories of watching those great Southwestern teams at Callihan back in the day and to me it makes the event more interesting to be packed rather than undersold at some huge arena. Also, as a side note does every issue in Metro Detroit always somehow come back to people complaining about parking?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-24-16, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by TTime

Sorry to hear they didn't handle the parking situation appropriately. I have fond memories of watching those great Southwestern teams at Callihan back in the day and to me it makes the event more interesting to be packed rather than undersold at some huge arena. Also, as a side note does every issue in Metro Detroit always somehow come back to people complaining about parking?

Sure seems that way....

**RO_Resident** · March-24-16, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

I always wonder what is the 'fairness' issue in these state h.s. tourney venues?

E.g., for the girls could the semis & finals be played up in Mt. Pleasant instead of E. Lansing? The arena should be large enough for girls, I think.

Could the quarters for the boys be played around the state at say WMU, CMU, EMU, UDM, Oakland, etc.? [[isn't 4 - 5K or even 7 or 8 for UDM and EMU, enough?).

When one is using university venues, I think it is best to try and move them around. MSU has a big advantage hosting the boys and girls semis/finals.

Since they have the boys semis/finals they should have the girls, too.

Having gone to a school in northern Michigan and participated in school and club sports [[soccer and swimming), travelling sucked, no matter the location. Conference games were typically 1.5 to 2.5 hours each way. It was not unusual to travel 4 hours for home-and-home games.

So, it really didn't matter if the districts were in WMU, CMU, et al., we were in for a long trip. In a school bus.

**emu steve** · March-24-16, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by RO_Resident

Having gone to a school in northern Michigan and participated in school and club sports [[soccer and swimming), travelling sucked, no matter the location. Conference games were typically 1.5 to 2.5 hours each way. It was not unusual to travel 4 hours for home-and-home games.

So, it really didn't matter if the districts were in WMU, CMU, et al., we were in for a long trip. In a school bus.

I can sympathize with you.

I'm talking of some folks traveling 40 miles [[say to Ypsilanti) instead of 20 - 25 miles [[to UDM) to attend a quarter finals in S.E. MI. so the games can move around different venues.

While folks in the U.P and northern part of the lower peninsula might consider 20, 30 or 40 miles 'just a short bus ride..."