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The NCAA has money. Lots of money. And I think this is a total diagrace.

Two basketball games ended very late last night. The San Diego St / New Mexico St game ended almost 11pm and the Louisville / Manhatten game ended almost at 1am.

And what did the NCAA force both losing teams to do (Manhatten & New Mexico St). They made them go to the airport after losing their games and fly home (flights took off at 1:30 am and 3:40am). Both teams wanted to stay overnight and leave in the morning but the NCAA told them that they had to fly out after the game.

Come on man!!! You have a team playing it's heart out, totally exhausted and wanted to rest and fly out in the morning and you tell these kids they need to leave right after their loss. The NCAA should be ashamed of themselves.

Not many commercial flights at 3:40am! Do all the teams charter? Tough life.

I thought the NCAA used non-union labor based on the thread title.

The NCAA pays all travel expenses for teams in the tournament. They set up the travel arrangements. It's just rediculous they couldn't let the teams stay at a hotel and fly in the morning. Basically this is like Big Brother or American Idol where you have to pack a bag and be ready for an immediate eviction. Steve Fisher actually called the NCAA at 1am to complain. Said it's totally unfair. Trying to find a link to what he said.

Here is a story. Once again SHAMEFUL!!!! DISGRACE!!!
http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/2 ... ight-ncaa/" target="_blank

I guess it's a good thing Coach Fisher doesn't coach hockey or baseball at Bowling Green, and have to endure those overnight BUS rides on a routine basis!

Hey Factman, you may know this answer. Last year BGSU got a new bus that the hockey team was using. It had beds and a kitchen on the bus. Is that bus only used for the hockey team or does other athletic teams use that bus.

As far as I know, only hockey uses it. I know that baseball used a regular bus (Lakefront) for their spring trip and the 20 hr trip home. Nice bus, but no sleeping accommodations.

gmartin wrote:Hey Factman, you may know this answer. Last year BGSU got a new bus that the hockey team was using. It had beds and a kitchen on the bus. Is that bus only used for the hockey team or does other athletic teams use that bus.

Just to clarify:
The hockey team has a contract to use that bus (just like they contract with Lakefront for the other teams). It was not purchased for the team. Apparently these types of busses are used by the minor league hockey teams quite a bit now, so the company is making more of them for other teams to use that have extensive travel requirements like our hockey team has in the WCHA.

gmartin wrote:Here is a story. Once again SHAMEFUL!!!! DISGRACE!!!
http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/2 ... ight-ncaa/" target="_blank

What's the problem?

Plane landed at 5:48 AM. Grab the gear, you're on the bus by 6:30 AM at the latest. Hour ride back to campus, means it's 7:30 AM. Plenty of time to make an 8:00 AM class on Friday morning.

The NCAA looking out for the STUDENT-athlete.

transfer2BGSU wrote:

gmartin wrote:Here is a story. Once again SHAMEFUL!!!! DISGRACE!!!
http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/2 ... ight-ncaa/" target="_blank

What's the problem?

Plane landed at 5:48 AM. Grab the gear, you're on the bus by 6:30 AM at the latest. Hour ride back to campus, means it's 7:30 AM. Plenty of time to make an 8:00 AM class on Friday morning.

The NCAA looking out for the STUDENT-athlete.

NCAA basketball players have classes?

gmartin wrote:The NCAA has money. Lots of money. And I think this is a total diagrace.

Two basketball games ended very late last night. The San Diego St / New Mexico St game ended almost 11pm and the Louisville / Manhatten game ended almost at 1am.

And what did the NCAA force both losing teams to do (Manhatten & New Mexico St). They made them go to the airport after losing their games and fly home (flights took off at 1:30 am and 3:40am). Both teams wanted to stay overnight and leave in the morning but the NCAA told them that they had to fly out after the game.

Come on man!!! You have a team playing it's heart out, totally exhausted and wanted to rest and fly out in the morning and you tell these kids they need to leave right after their loss. The NCAA should be ashamed of themselves.

factman wrote:I guess it's a good thing Coach Fisher doesn't coach hockey or baseball at Bowling Green, and have to endure those overnight BUS rides on a routine basis!

gmartin is right. It's one thing to have an overnight bus ride home after a road game. I'd venture to guess nearly every BGSU team has traveled through the night to get home at some point this season, and many of BG's teams do it all the time. However, this is the freakin NCAA Tournament we're talking about, not the spring trip to Florida or a weekend series at Murray State. It's supposed to be a reward for these kids, and they're not allowed to stay overnight after playing a late-night game? That's just not right.

I'm going to feel like taking a shower after I do this, but I'm actually going to defend the NCAA.

Their job is to run the tournament efficiently. So, for a Thurs/Saturday sub-regional they book rooms for eight teams on Tues/Wed and four teams on Thurs/Fri. All teams are instructed to come to the game prepared to go home if they lose, or go back to the hotel if they win. That's the way I'd do it too.

In addition to the simplicity of doing this and not giving teams options, it also prevents potential problems by getting teams/bands out of town after their game.

Fisher is a baby.

It's one thing if your game ends at 4pm or 8pm but to tip off a game at 10:30 and end at nearly one and then do a press game conference and then say time to board the plane AT 3 AM seems rediculous. The team has earned the right to play in the tournament. I would let them stay the entire course of the weekend. And don't say it will cost too much money. The NCAA can afford it. This isn't a regular season game. This is the NCAA Championship Tournament. Let's the athletes enjoy it.