BB: 2013 Regionals (Mideast)

[EttaFan1]

Congratulations to Manchester for their regional title.  Hope they play well in Appleton. 

[Pat Coleman]

(I suppose, I don't know why not though because it seems like Whitewater does).

Diving into this a little late but my understanding is nobody else bid on the Midwest. Jim and I were having a little discussion about that and we thought that perhaps the new stadium being built in St. Paul for the St. Paul Saints would be a nice place to host a regional. Hopefully the MIAC or one of its member institutions will put in a bid for the regional, but the stadium isn't expected to open until 2015.

[forheavendial4999]

(I suppose, I don't know why not though because it seems like Whitewater does).

Diving into this a little late but my understanding is nobody else bid on the Midwest. Jim and I were having a little discussion about that and we thought that perhaps the new stadium being built in St. Paul for the St. Paul Saints would be a nice place to host a regional. Hopefully the MIAC or one of its member institutions will put in a bid for the regional, but the stadium isn't expected to open until 2015.

That wouldn't surprise me. I don't have a problem with the regional being at a consistent site if that's the best site (and by definition, only site = best site). If St. Paul did a good job supporting the event, promoting it, putting together strong corporate and community support to give the players what they deserve out of their experience there...then absolutely it would be great. Whitewater offers more flexibility but it's not like the committees are utilizing that anyway.

For the Mideast, I think the best sites have proven themselves to be Marietta and Rose-Hulman. And there's a certain symmetry there region-wise...Marietta being on the eastern end and RHIT on the western end. While I can see an argument for a northern regional to balance out, it doesn't seem like the Michigan rep goes to the Mideast very often these days anyway. Maybe another site will emerge to join that rotation, but lately it seems like those are the two best choices.

I think nationally it would have worked better this year if the South had been in Virginia since the Mideast wasn't in Marietta. If the Mideast had been in Marietta, you could have sent any of Bridgewater, Randolph-Macon or Methodist there, Huntingdon and Millsaps stay in Millington, Illinois Wesleyan goes with them, and then whatever else works...I don't know. Maybe they put Washington in, Thomas More maybe...you get the idea.