MGoLesher

November 17th, 2014 at 1:51 PM ^

IIRC, Detroit has submitted bids to host a Final Four in the last couple of years and the NCAA did not even make them a finalist. That suprises me because I think Detroit has done a superb job with the national stage the last decade or so, and like you said, Michigan and MSU are both at a high level with a great chance to be in the Final Four in the next few years. 

Gordon

November 17th, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^

Two reasons why Detroit hasn't been a finalist:

- The NCAA wants to rotate Final Four sites around the country.  They just announced five Final Four sites, all in different areas.

- For HQ reasons and others, the NCAA has a long-term agreement with Indianapolis to play Final Fours at Lucas Oil Stadium every 7-8 years or so.  This drastically decreases Detroit's chances, after the first point is considered.

mabeaton

November 17th, 2014 at 1:51 PM ^

Bankruptcy is probably the main thing.  Now that the process is over and there is some semblance leadership at City Hall, you might see them go after the final.  But, the Wings stadium will surely be a big draw for those two rounds.  

Wolverine Devotee

November 17th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^

*Second and Third rounds.

/awaits neg bomb

Really, this is nice to see the NCAA Tournament back in MI. I hope The Palace gets to host again. That was fun and it's literally 10 minutes away from me. I mean, that's where my HS graduation was at. 

Hopefully the new Detroit arena will host a Frozen Four. The last time a Frozen Four was in Detroit was in the 1990s. 

LSAClassOf2000

November 17th, 2014 at 2:08 PM ^

This could be the bitter man inside me who has to contemplate a 50 minute drive to see anything - hoops or otherwise - at the Palace, but for me, the major issue with The Palace is that it is in the outer reaches of what would be consider Metro Detroit by most people, so not exactly centrally located for anyone around here who wants to see the Pistons (or indeed whoever is playing the Pistons), much less for an event like the NCAA Tournament. Actually having such an event in the city of Detroit makes it much more accessible for folks in the area as well as for people coming into to see it. 

AHM16

November 17th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^

As I was reading it I really began to wonder whether or not hosting basketball events is a way for Red Wings brass to prove to Pistons ownership to get the Pistons downtown where they belong. Maybe Im way off but all this chatter of moving the Pistons to downtown will eventually result in it 

21-194-13

November 17th, 2014 at 3:18 PM ^

I think the Pistons will eventually move downtown. Not sure how long it's gonna take(my guess is sometime between 2020-2025), but Gores will end up flipping the team for profit. Gilbert could sell the Cavs before that, allowing him to buy the Pistons. I've even heard some rumors that Tom Wilson(who now works for Ilitch) could come into play.

BTW-The new arena will have an underground practice rink(see above) so it will be a lot easier to have both teams playing there.

jmdblue

November 17th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^

basketball game.  It meant getting home around midnight.  and Troy's a northern 'burb.  Folks in Detroit, the Points or, god forbid, downriver are looking at well over an hour.  On the upside, they've done a great job catering to the throngs coming from Holly and Ortonville.

flashOverride

November 17th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^

I'm not a metro Detroit native. Many years ago I referred to Auburn Hills as "the suburbs" to a college friend from Grosse Pointe Woods and she scoffed incredulously. Apparently rural area starts around 12 Mile and anything north of Square Lake is just desolate wilderness. 

Blue Since B.C.

November 17th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^

Agreed.  I'm all for Wolverine Devotee having a convenient way to get there, but for the 99% of people that are going out of their way for the regionals, the Palace offers little to nothing in the way of "game-day" experience.

It's fun to show out-of-towners downtown Detroit and change their view of the city.  Once the Wings stadium is open it'll just be that much better on gamedays in the D.  Can't wait.

21-194-13

November 17th, 2014 at 3:26 PM ^

New Detroit arena will be in the mix to host many events

• On the importance of hosting the Big Ten hockey tournament in 2015 and again in 2017: "We are Hockeytown. Our legacy is important in the world of hockey. To get (the Big Ten tournament) off the ground, you need to be in big-time hockey cities, college hockey cities, big-time professional hockey cities, amateur, it's all here. We're sort of the center of that universe. It was a real exciting for us to get this, especially coming out of the blocks."

• On sharing it with St. Paul, MInn., where the inaugural tournament was held last year: "The preference is always to have it yourself, if you could. We're talking to the Big Ten about 2018, because the four years will be up. The new facility will be open, the whole (arena) district will be open, and the city will be dramatically different. It's dramatically different than two years ago, when we were first awarded this tournament. It's much more exciting here, much more vibrant. As a lot of the college kids come here -- and this tournament will grow and grow and grow -- everyone is going to see this as a fun opportunity and part of the college experience, and our city is going to have much more to offer."

• On the possibility of hosting other NCAA tournaments, such as wrestling and the college hockey Frozen Four: "All kinds of NCAA events."

stephenrjking

November 17th, 2014 at 7:47 PM ^

That will come. The big obstacle to the state of Michigan (which has seven D-1 hockey teams) hosting a Frozen Four has always been the lack of an appropriate facility. Some philistines howled about Ford Field hosting it, but it was a well-done event with only a grandstand setup flaw harming the view, and it was the only way that the FF was going to come to Michigan with the Joe being the dump that it is. Now, Detroit is back in play for the big events.

The Frozen Four has not been in Minneapolis in decades; it has visited St. Paul occasionally, but not as often as you'd think. The Xcel Energy center is still probably the nicest hockey arena in the country, but occasions of it hosting the Frozen Four are actually quite rare, particularly when you consider how huge the college hockey fanbase is in this part of the country.

 

GoWings2008

November 17th, 2014 at 2:00 PM ^

Superbowl not that long ago, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, playoff baseball the past several years...what am I missing?  Detroit has done its part and done it well...