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Region basketball tourney moved to Robinson
Amid budget concerns and a low net income from this year's event, the Northern Region Council voted unanimously Monday to move the Northern Region basketball semifinals and finals to Robinson Secondary School beginning in 2008-09. The region basketball tournament had been held at George Mason University's Patriot Center since 1994.
"Financially, it makes a lot of sense to move it [to Robinson] considering where we are as a region," said Mike McGurk, Director of Student Activities at Robinson.
McGurk said the move was a one-year trial and the tournament could be held at the Patriot Center again in the future, but with the bleak financial outlook in the region for the coming years, it made sense to cut costs.
In 2008, the Northern Region brought in just $28,013.08 from the region basketball tournament, considerably lower than the $50,450.21 it made in 2007, and the lowest since the turn of the century. Total expenses for the region tournament in 2008 were $58,519.92, including $35,432.73 paid to George Mason University for use of its facility.
The move to Robinson would drastically lower expenses while increasing income for the region. In 2003, when the region tournament was held at Robinson due to snow, total expenses were just $26,021.37, while net income was $52,307.36 – a total that has been exceeded just once in the subsequent five years.
The biggest concern about moving the region semifinals and finals to Robinson is seating. While the Patriot Center can hold around 10,000 fans, Robinson's gym has a capacity of 5,288. But Robinson does host the state quarterfinals every year, so it has handled large crowds.
"It's going to be a one-year trial basis to see how it works here," McGurk said. "If it's overflow and we're kicking people out, obviously that will facilitate discussion about moving it back [to the Patriot Center]."
One way that McGurk believes the region can combat overcrowding is to stagger starting times – a tactic that wasn't possible at the Patriot Center. McGurk plans to have a final format put together by August, but he envisions the first and second rounds of next year's region tournament being played on a Monday and Wednesday night.
The girls semifinals will then be held at Robinson Friday, with the boys semifinals Saturday. The second boys semifinal will not start until at least an hour after the first, allowing time for fans from the first game to leave and fans for the second game to come in and take their seats. The region finals will be held the following Monday night at Robinson.
"Having been a player at Robinson in a packed house, it's like being at Duke in a 'Cameron Crazy' kind of smaller atmosphere," McGurk said. "It's a great basketball atmosphere. Sometimes you may lose that at the Patriot Center during games. So, I think it's a trade off at this point."
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