About time!! Big Ten basketball tournaments coming to Minneapolis in 2023 and 2024

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

College basketball's best players and teams will be back in Minneapolis soon after the success of the NCAA Women's Final Four.

The Big Ten basketball tournament will be played at the Target Center for women next season and for men and women in 2024, the league announced Wednesday.

Minneapolis made its mark in big-time hoops again this year with one of the most anticipated Final Fours for women in years, which ended with South Carolina defeating Connecticut in the NCAA title game on April 4 at Target Center.

The Big Ten hopes to recapture some of that same enthusiasm when Target Center hosts back-to-back conference women's tournaments March 1-5 next season and March 6-10 in 2024.

Big Ten basketball tournaments coming to Minneapolis in 2023 and 2024

Target Center will host the 2023 women's tourney and the men's and women's tourney in 2024, the Big Ten announced Wednesday.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[leib0039]

I was fine with them going back and forth from Indy/Chi, but when they started going to NY and all over I was really hoping for this! Man how fun would it be to have a really good team going into all 3 of these tournaments! Can one dream of Battle, Garcia and the crew leading a run at the Target Center?!?!?

 

[Unregistered User]

Just in time to win it!

Fantastic!

[yes, I posted the same comment in both threads]

 

[Ope3]

From reading the ESPN article, seems like the opportunity opened up because Indy is already hosting the NCAA 1st & 2nd Rds in 2024, and did not want to double up with the Big 10 as they did this year.

I'm skeptical that Minneapolis/Target Center will draw huge crowds, but hopefully the novelty will prove me wrong. I suppose the Friday Night Quarters and Saturday Semis will be full regardless, especially if either Iowa, Minnesota or Wisconsin is playing.

 

[Holy Man]

From reading the ESPN article, seems like the opportunity opened up because Indy is already hosting the NCAA 1st & 2nd Rds in 2024, and did not want to double up with the Big 10 as they did this year.

I'm skeptical that Minneapolis/Target Center will draw huge crowds, but hopefully the novelty will prove me wrong. I suppose the Friday Night Quarters and Saturday Semis will be full regardless, especially if either Iowa, Minnesota or Wisconsin is playing.

Sad but true, but with the trajectory of the Gophers, maybe the draw will be more attractive.

 

[Ope3]

Offhand I can think of 3 times the Gophers have played at Target Center, all Ws:

1993 NIT - Florida
1993 NIT - Oklahoma
1997 NonConf - Villanova

Any others that I am missing (not including secret scrimmages)?

 

[Holy Man]

Offhand I can think of 3 times the Gophers have played at Target Center, all Ws:

1993 NIT - Florida
1993 NIT - Oklahoma
1997 NonConf - Villanova

Any others that I am missing (not including secret scrimmages)?

Complete dominance of the venue. Wasn't the NIT at the Met Center?

 

[golden10]

Offhand I can think of 3 times the Gophers have played at Target Center, all Ws:

1993 NIT - Florida
1993 NIT - Oklahoma
1997 NonConf - Villanova

Any others that I am missing (not including secret scrimmages)?

They played West Virginia there in the non-conf in 96-97 season. Also a win!

 

[Ope3]

Complete dominance of the venue. Wasn't the NIT at the Met Center?

After they beat the Sooners the Quarterfinal was at the Met in 1993, they beat USC. Target Center must have also been booked.

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

Offhand I can think of 3 times the Gophers have played at Target Center, all Ws:

1993 NIT - Florida
1993 NIT - Oklahoma
1997 NonConf - Villanova

Any others that I am missing (not including secret scrimmages)?

1997 was West Virginia
1998 was Villanova

 

[Ope3]

1997 was West Virginia
1998 was Villanova

I'm sure the Villanova game was 1997 (as part of the 1997-98 season), Season Opener following the Final 4.

Sports Reference has it as 11/14/1997, but lists Willams Arena incorrectly.

1997-98 Minnesota Golden Gophers Men 's Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 1997-98 Minnesota Golden Gophers Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

I'm sure the Villanova game was 1997 (as part of the 1997-98 season), Season Opener following the Final 4.

Sports Reference has it as 11/14/1997, but lists Willams Arena incorrectly.

1997-98 Minnesota Golden Gophers Men 's Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 1997-98 Minnesota Golden Gophers Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

Right. I was thinking of the seasons as we refer to them.

West Virginia was in 1996 then, but it was the magical lost 1997 season we all refer to.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

This is great. Those wednesday tickets will be an easy one to get.

 

[60's Guy]

This is great. Those wednesday tickets will be an easy one to get.

You are on the mens board, here. Minnesota won't be playing there on Wednesday.

 

[Ope3]

You are on the mens board, here. Minnesota won't be playing there on Wednesday.

I would feel better about that proclamation if the Gophers had been able to avoid Weakling Wednesday more than twice ('17 & '19) in the eight Big 10 Tournaments since it went to 5 days. '05 was the only other event Minnesota enjoyed sitting out Day 1.

 

[60's Guy]

I would feel better about that proclamation if the Gophers had been able to avoid Weakling Wednesday more than twice ('17 & '19) in the eight Big 10 Tournaments since it went to 5 days. '05 was the only other event Minnesota enjoyed sitting out Day 1.

Gotta stay healthy and eligible. We have not been able to do that, which is why we have played on Wednesday. We are due for a new cycle!

 

[SelectionSunday]

 

[cncmin]

About time! Long overdue, but better late than never.

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

Clem of course called playing at Target a road game.

 

[SelectionSunday]

 

[Holy Man]

Would not surprise me if they tried, but I think logistically it would be very difficult to get them both in the same venue completely. In Indy and Chicago, the men's only takes the arena all day on Thursday and Friday. Impossible to double up on those days. I do think you would get major pushback from from all session purchasers if they were coerced into buying tickets for the other tournament. Practically, who has the kind of time to get to that many games in a week?

 

[Ope3]

I think there is zero chance of that happening. Logistically near impossible and does not work well for TV which pays the bills.

 

[SelectionSunday]

I think there is zero chance of that happening. Logistically near impossible and does not work well for TV which pays the bills.

Agree. I just can’t put anything (goofy) past Commissioner Warren.

 

[WilliamsArenaGuy]

Fascinating concept.

Make up a scenario that you admit has no chance of happening. Then use that scenario to complain about "wokeness" in the entity who didn't even bring up the scenario in the first place.

 

[tjgopher]

I don't understand the bizarre premise. How would combining the tourneys be considered "woke." I actually think that would be considered the opposite of "woke."