ethomasp31
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Neutral site games are not as fun for high school basketball.
One thing that happened as a consequence of non-section football in 6A there is a lot less energy and excitement for the “section final” round.
It used to be get out of your section and go to state was a huge accomplishment.
Now it isn’t really seen by casual people until final 4 at Us bank because there’s isn’t really a culminating event like a section final. In my opinion, the lack of sections in 6A football has hurt many programs and the sport generally. It has really helped a couple of teams though at the expense of the majority of the teams. That is obviously just my opinion. The team that is my team has been helped by it is the road to the state tourney has gotten easier as a result of no section play.
I hope they don’t do that to basketball.
I see your point and agree. Some sections in basketball have had the section semifinals and finals in neutral sites. Section 1 has all of the semifinals for all classes on a Saturday at the two venues in Rochester (the arena and auditorium). It makes for a fun day. But after watching the games last Tuesday and again last night at Prior Lake, there was a lot more energy in Prior Lake, even though there were probably more people in Rochester watching Austin/Northfield and JM/Lakeville North. Part of that is because the Arena in Rochester is such an awful place to watch a basketball game, even compared to the old auditorium. The interesting thing is that next season sections 1AAA and 1AAAA are having the high seed hosting in the first two rounds and then they will have the finals in the Civic Arena in Rochester.