Columbia Game

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It would be nice if Barclay's ran a tourney similar to the Big Five in Philly. Two or three double headers throughout the year with City area teams playing each other, would be fun and probably would draw well.

Probably we wouldn't go for it as it would take some scheduling finessing. But on the other hand, this year we already have Wagner, Fordham, Columbia and Seton Hall on our schedule.

Just a thought.

Seton Hall is in the Big East, so they would be out. But a tournament with St Johns, Fordham, Manhattan, Iona, and one other team playing a double headers at a neutral site would probably draw very well.

Why five teams?

 

[redmen1969]

It would be nice if Barclay's ran a tourney similar to the Big Five in Philly. Two or three double headers throughout the year with City area teams playing each other, would be fun and probably would draw well.

Probably we wouldn't go for it as it would take some scheduling finessing. But on the other hand, this year we already have Wagner, Fordham, Columbia and Seton Hall on our schedule.

Just a thought.

Seton Hall is in the Big East, so they would be out. But a tournament with St Johns, Fordham, Manhattan, Iona, and one other team playing a double headers at a neutral site would probably draw very well.

Why five teams?

Pick a number. Five is from Philly. Use whatever number makes sense to determine "bragging rights". Fordham, Manhattan and Iona makes sense ...Wagner and Columbia, maybe or maybe not.

If it were a round-robin type of thing, why not include Seton Hall? One of the two Big East games would count.

 

[Class of 72]

It would be nice if Barclay's ran a tourney similar to the Big Five in Philly. Two or three double headers throughout the year with City area teams playing each other, would be fun and probably would draw well.

Probably we wouldn't go for it as it would take some scheduling finessing. But on the other hand, this year we already have Wagner, Fordham, Columbia and Seton Hall on our schedule.

Just a thought.

Seton Hall is in the Big East, so they would be out. But a tournament with St Johns, Fordham, Manhattan, Iona, and one other team playing a double headers at a neutral site would probably draw very well.

Unfortunately, none of the above schools have the loyal following of the Big Five schools when they play at the Palestra.

 

[fuchsia]

But there was nothing finer than doubleheaders of Fordham-Manhattan and STJ-NYU at the old Garden on 49th St. in the fifties and sixties.

 

[GardenCity62]

The college double headers of the fifties and sixties were great but sadly are a thing of the past. There is absolutely no demand. Recent holiday festival double headers drew about eight thousand with four local teams. Schools with 75,000 students and over 250,000 alum average 2,000 ticket sales. This year did a little better because MSG forced SJU vs Syr ticket buyers to purchase holiday festival tickets. Maybe the Lapchick tournament with 4 locals could be brought back or if the new Nassau Coliseum opens in Hofstra's backyard with 12,000 seats SJU, Hof, Stoney Brook and a fourth team could draw. A crowd of 2,000 for Manhattan or Iona is consider big. If Fordham draws 2,500 it's big. MSG is bringing more and more Dukes, Kan., Ariz. every year. They have no interest in local teams because there is no interest in local teams.

 

[beast of the east]

The college double headers of the fifties and sixties were great but sadly are a thing of the past. There is absolutely no demand. Recent holiday festival double headers drew about eight thousand with four local teams. Schools with 75,000 students and over 250,000 alum average 2,000 ticket sales. This year did a little better because MSG forced SJU vs Syr ticket buyers to purchase holiday festival tickets. Maybe the Lapchick tournament with 4 locals could be brought back or if the new Nassau Coliseum opens in Hofstra's backyard with 12,000 seats SJU, Hof, Stoney Brook and a fourth team could draw. A crowd of 2,000 for Manhattan or Iona is consider big. If Fordham draws 2,500 it's big. MSG is bringing more and more Dukes, Kan., Ariz. every year. They have no interest in local teams because there is no interest in local teams.

In basketball, like boxing and tennis, to generate strong fan interest you need a 1 and 1a competing. Without that, the buzz is so much more subdued. Ali needed his Frazier, Borg his Connors, or any combination of the above. When Manhattan was strong, St. John's-Manhattan was a hot ticket and provided exciting moments (sadly that was in the 70s). Fordham w Digger Phelps had it's run also, Rutgers with Phil Sellers. Of course that was decades ago, but to fill the Garden with partisan fans you need strong teams and strong local rivalries for the holiday festival.