March Madness - Likely Destinations

[G- RUnit]

Denver first but Sacramento second on my wish list

Des Moines last

If Albany doesn’t happen guessing Orlando easiest flights and hotels and then Denver.
Birmingham through Atlanta is not terrible. Don’t know Hotel Situation there.
Sacramento and Des Moines would be tough IMHO.

Isn’t Greensboro just as viable if we somehow get 6/7? Nobody really mentioning it?

 

[AreYouNUTS]

If Albany doesn’t happen guessing Orlando easiest flights and hotels and then Denver.
Birmingham through Atlanta is not terrible. Don’t know Hotel Situation there.
Sacramento and Des Moines would be tough IMHO.

Isn’t Greensboro just as viable if we somehow get 6/7? Nobody really mentioning it?

100% Greensboro is VERY viable. Plenty of flights into the region and alumni to the north (up to NJ) and south (into Florida) can drive fairly easily.

This is all just guesswork - bottom line - BUT a very important aspect is WHEN we play.
Are we stuck playing Thurs/Sat? EARLY games on Thurs/Sat? Or are we playing Fri/Sun? Early or late?

 

[Scangg]

If Albany doesn’t happen guessing Orlando easiest flights and hotels and then Denver.
Birmingham through Atlanta is not terrible. Don’t know Hotel Situation there.
Sacramento and Des Moines would be tough IMHO.

Isn’t Greensboro just as viable if we somehow get 6/7? Nobody really mentioning it?

It all depends on where you are coming from. Sacramento is easy cheap and fast to get to from San Diego

 

[fatsam98]

This is all just guesswork - bottom line - BUT a very important aspect is WHEN we play.
Are we stuck playing Thurs/Sat? EARLY games on Thurs/Sat? Or are we playing Fri/Sun? Early or late?

On that note, here's when each site will be hosting it's 1st/2nd round games:

Thursday/Saturday:

• Birmingham
• Orlando
• Des Moines
• Sacramento

Friday/Sunday:

• Albany
• Greensboro
• Columbus
• Denver

 

[JavaDunk18]

Birmingham hotels, lots, already found one near some good eats. Planning on Flying to Atlanta but back from Birmingham Maybe stop at "Sac O Suds" on drive to Birmingham .- it's in Georgia actually & opposite direction
Orlando is the easiest of all, obviously
Denver is an easy flight, have one booked on points
Switched my RDU flight to Sacramento (flight credits), as still not ruling out Greensboro drive, or can get last minute cheaper flight to RDU..

 

[RU#1fan]

Birmingham isn't bad. Tons of flights to Atlanta and 2 hour car ride.

I am Bargaining for 8/9 and being in a pod with Alabama or Houston

As a 8 or 9 seed you are 2 wins away from being a 1 seed

This. Did that for our Birmingham Bowl game. Easy drive.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

This. Did that for our Birmingham Bowl game. Easy drive.

Same and yes. Very easy.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

If Albany doesn’t happen guessing Orlando easiest flights and hotels and then Denver.
Birmingham through Atlanta is not terrible. Don’t know Hotel Situation there.
Sacramento and Des Moines would be tough IMHO.

Isn’t Greensboro just as viable if we somehow get 6/7? Nobody really mentioning it?

6 or 11

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

This may need to be recycled

With a win I see us in Des Moines/Sacremento Denver pack

With a loss and in 64 or win in Dayton we are looking at other 5 locations.

Right?

 

[fatsam98]

I'll take a fresh look after today. Way too many moving parts, but generally speaking I think we have a better chance of being closer to home as an 11 seed vs as a 10 seed

 

[MoreCowbellRU]

If we wind up in Orlando I'll be in the state already. Would be awesome.

 

[MCKnight]

11 gets paired with 6 then a 3, so looking at the 3 seeds… determines where we will Be. likely Marquette in Columbus, Tennessee in Greensboro. Then the big 12 teams in Denver or does moins

 

[bac2therac]

UConn is trending to 3 seed so Albany is in play

 

[fatsam98]

I've seen Gonzaga as a 3 in Albany too because Denver/Sacramento get taken by Texas/Baylor/UCLA/Arizona

 

[Scangg]

Please no Des Moines. Why are they even a host?

 

[AreYouNUTS]

UConn is trending to 3 seed so Albany is in play

Please, please, PLEASE get us to Albany!! Only destination I think I'd be able to attend this year AND I can get my dad to go there as well!

 

[fatsam98]

Here's my latest thinking on geography.

Assuming we're an 11 seed (whether in Dayton or not), which appears to be the general consensus this morning, we'll be in an opening weekend pod with a 6 seed, a 3 seed, and a 14 seed. The geography will be dictated by whoever that 3 seed is. The 8 sites are assigned to the top 16 seeds, preferential treatment given to the higher seeds until each site is 'used' twice.

Reasonably Likely

• Albany (w/ UConn)
• Greensboro (w/ Tennessee or Kansas State)
• Columbus (w/ Marquette or Xavier or Kansas State)

Unlikely

• Orlando (will likely fall to two 4 seeds -- none of the top 16 seeds are geographically near Orlando)
• Sacramento (in theory could happen if Gonzaga is a 3 seed and they give Sacramento to UCLA and Arizona goes to Denver, leaving Sacramento for the Zags)
• Denver (most brackets have two of Arizona/Texas/Baylor going there, all current 2 seeds). But could fall to a 3 seed if they put the Texas schools in Des Moines instead
• Des Moines (possibly with Marquette or even Gonzaga depending on how the final seed list pans out). But Kansas is a lock for Des Moines and likely one of Texas or Baylor.

Definitely Not Happening

• Birmingham (1 seeds Houston and Alabama will be there)

If we end up as a 10 seed then Sacramento/Denver/Des Moines become very likely.

If something weird happens with bid thieves and we somehow fall to a 12 seed, Orlando and Albany and to a lesser extent Greensboro are likely.

Lastly, not to look too far ahead, but the first weekend sites are NOT linked to specific regions ahead of Selection Sunday. So for example if we end up in Albany it could be in the West Region. Or dream scenario we get Albany and it's in the East Region.