An Open Letter to Big South Conference Administrators and Coaches: Part II

An Open Letter to Big South Conference Administrators and Coaches: Part II

The Big South Conference is more than athletics.  The Conference is woven into the very region it serves, bringing jobs and revenue to its member universities as well as their local communities.  Students are provided both lifelong education and (in some cases) wealth through NIL opportunities.  As the governing body for athletics, it is the responsibility of the Big South to maximize revenue sources for its member institutions as well as its athletes.  This means more butts in seats or more eyeballs on ESPN+ fueling commercial sales.  These series of articles are written from the perspective of a Big South fan that would like to better support the Conference.  Click here to view Part I of this series.

Problem 3 – Poorly Attended Wednesday “Play-in” Game in the Big South Tournament: Currently, the Big South Conference Basketball Tournament opens on a Wednesday with two 8- vs. 9-seed games for the Men’s and Women’s brackets, respectively.  This game is poorly attended as it falls on a weekday between two unsuccessful teams.  The lack of fans has become a source of mockery by Big South media. 

Additionally, these 8-9 play-in games extend the tournament by an additional day.  The length of the Big South Basketball Tournament was rumored to be a deciding factor for the Bojangles’ Coliseum do decline to host the Tournament in future years, as it falls in the middle of the Charlotte Checkers AHL season.  This led to the Tournament relocating to Johnson City, TN, outside the Big South footprint and further diminishing fan attendance. 

Compounding this issue is that the 8- vs. 9-seed play-in game is functionally meaningless.  In the 40-year history of the Big South Tournament, no 8 or 9 seed has ever been the champions.  In fact, only once has a 6 or lower seed been the champion.  In 2013, the Big South was broken into divisions.  That year, the 5North-seed (functionally the 9 or 10 seed) would ultimately win the championship.  In the history of the Big South tournament, the chances of a team below the 5^th seed winning the Tournament is below 3% (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Big South Men’s Tournament Champions by seed (1986-2025)

Prior to the start of NIL in 2021 when athletics costs were comparably less, including these play-in games might have made sense.  But with member universities facing increasing costs in the face of declining revenue via enrollment and grant funding, every dollar matters to both the universities and the Conference itself.  Certainly, the play-in games are coming at a financial loss. 

Solution 3 (Easy): The Big South should eliminate the 8- vs. 9-seed play-in game.  This would shorten the Big South Basketball Tournament by 1 day.  There are multiple advantages to this approach:

1. A shorter tournament would lower costs, increase venue viability, and potentially return the Tournament to the Big South footprint.

2. This would eliminate the poor optics of an empty arena in a remote location between underperforming teams in a game that will be functionally irrelevant. 

3. This would increase the importance of the regular season, driving viewership and attendance.  In the 2023-2024 season, the Longwood Lancers beat the High Point Panthers in the final week of the season.  This bumped them from a 9-seed to a 5-seed.  Meanwhile, the UNCA Bulldogs lost 2 of their final 3 games that year and dropped down to the 9-seed.  Imagine the intrigue if the outcome that year meant the difference between the season ending and earning a bid to the Big South Tournament.  

4. This would increase freedom to the 9-seed team.  Often, this coaching staff will be on the hot seat. This will offer them and their respective universities an additional week to get ahead of the coaching carousel.  Many of the players from the 9-seed will also be seeking other opportunities in the transfer portal.  Giving them this extra week increases their chances of landing with another team.  Furthermore, it would reduce their chance of injury in a net-negative game.    

Big South Conference Historical Context: 100% of Big South teams have not always been included in the Basketball Tournament.  In the 40-year history of the Big South Basketball Tournament, 12 of those years had teams eliminated prior to the start of the tournament.  In 1995, 2004-2006, only 8 of the 9 teams in the conference were included in the tournament.  A single team was eliminated in 2012 and 2021, when only 10 of the 11 teams were included in the tournament.  And in 6 years (1994, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2011), two teams were not included in the Tournament. 

Precedent in Other Conferences: The ACC does not include the bottom 3 teams in their conference tournament, allowing 15 of 18 teams to play.  The ASUN conference is likely a better analog as a 1-bid conference, and only 10 of their 12 teams make it into the tournament.  Similarly, the American East only includes 8 of their 9 teams in the conference. 

I have spoken to many Big South fans that are impacted by these issues.  And I know many fans that would like to open their wallet wider for the Big South if given the opportunity.  I will continue this series throughout the season to shine a light on ways the Big South Conference could better support their member institutions and athletes through increased revenue opportunities.