Shocks and Prairie Dunes to Host 2014 NCAA D-1 Men's Golf Championship

[1972Shocker]

Congratulations to the Wichita State Shockers, Prairie Dunes, Hutchinson and Wichita for being awarded the host school and course for the 2014 NCAA D-1 Men's Golf Championship.

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205723333&DB_OEM_ID=7500

:good:


Here is the Eagle article - sounds like it was a highly competitive bidding process.

http://www.kansas.com/2012/11/01/2553152/prairie-dunes-will-host-2014-ncaa.html

[_kai_]

This is huge for the athletic department. We'll hear shortly if our bids for NCAA tournament site will be given. I would imagine the Thunder sell-out helps us out a bit.

Back to golf though, this is just so great. All of our smaller sports are really taking off. Track, X-country, Tennis, Golf... they're doing a great job.

[1972Shocker]

This is huge for the athletic department. We'll hear shortly if our bids for NCAA tournament site will be given. I would imagine the Thunder sell-out helps us out a bit.

Not sure how much the Thunder attendance helps, and remember they don't open the upper bowl for Thunder games (or at least it was closed at the playoff game I attended last year). What might really help is that we had pretty decent (but not great) attendance for the 2011 NCAA Women's Tournament at IBA and the Shocks were given high grades as host team. The main reason I bought a couple of all-session passes to that event was to help with any future bids for the men's tournament. Turns out I got to see 3 pretty interesting games at a pretty reasonable price as well.

Back to golf though, this is just so great. All of our smaller sports are really taking off. Track, X-country, Tennis, Golf... they're doing a great job.

Would be nice to be hosting this year with men's team the Shocks have this year. One of the best teams the Shocks have fielded from top to bottom and they have a reasonable shot at making the NCAA Championship Tournament.

[WuDrWu]

@1972Shocker: , I think @_kai_: was refering to the OKC Thunder game here the other day, and that was packed. I could be mistaken.

[WuDrWu]

This is huge for the athletic department. We'll hear shortly if our bids for NCAA tournament site will be given. I would imagine the Thunder sell-out helps us out a bit.

Back to golf though, this is just so great. All of our smaller sports are really taking off. Track, X-country, Tennis, Golf... they're doing a great job.

This is fantastic news, and a BIG feather in the cap for all in the ICAA department, especially ADES. THAT is very well done.

Normally, I would expect the shaft for the tourney selection, especially after the outstanding golf news, but I wonder if maybe this is the start of something bigger?

Great job Dr. Sexton et al.

Does anyone know if there is even the SLIGHTEST interest in OKC playing 1 regular season game in Wichita? I am not saying it would be good or bad for the franchise, frankly I have no idea, but it would be kinda cool if that were to happen.

[The Mad Hatter]

What might really help is that we had pretty decent (but not great) attendance for the 2011 NCAA Women's Tournament at IBA and the Shocks were given high grades as host team. The main reason I bought a couple of all-session passes to that event was to help with any future bids for the men's tournament. Turns out I got to see 3 pretty interesting games at a pretty reasonable price as well.

Actually, depending on how you categorize it, our Women's tournament attendance could be called great. Wichita ranked #1 in attendance for all sites where the host school wasn't playing in the regional and was in the top half of all regionals in attendance. That should show that Wichita will show up for basketball regardless of whether there is a home team rooting interest, which should be good for this kind of bidding process where you can't guarantee which teams will be in the field.

[1972Shocker]

@1972Shocker , I think @_kai_ was refering to the OKC Thunder game here the other day, and that was packed. I could be mistaken.

Ok, I stand corrected. Yes, then that certainly can't hurt. Hard to believe we wouldn't sell out a Men's NCAA Tournament 1st and 2nd round set of games.

[_kai_]

@1972Shocker , I think @_kai_ was refering to the OKC Thunder game here the other day, and that was packed. I could be mistaken.

Indeed, the game at IBA against Dallas this past week or two. It was the largest crowd IBA has ever had for any event if I'm not mistaken.

This is fantastic news, and a BIG feather in the cap for all in the ICAA department, especially ADES. THAT is very well done.

Normally, I would expect the shaft for the tourney selection, especially after the outstanding golf news, but I wonder if maybe this is the start of something bigger?

Great job Dr. Sexton et al.

Does anyone know if there is even the SLIGHTEST interest in OKC playing 1 regular season game in Wichita? I am not saying it would be good or bad for the franchise, frankly I have no idea, but it would be kinda cool if that were to happen.

For interest I do not know, but they could definitely play Denver here. I know it's not exactly the same distance between Denver and OKC, but it's a pretty neutral site for both squads.

[1972Shocker]

Great job Dr. Sexton et al.

I concur, but no doubt Prairie Dunes CC deserves a lot of the credit. What a golf course?

Hopefully, we get decent weather for the tournament. In any case, the teams and players that will get to participate will know they have been tested and I am sure will love the exprerience of playing Prairie Dunes.

Does anyone know if the Shocks get an automatic invitation to the tournament as the host school are do they have to earn their way into the field just like everyone else?

[WuDrWu]

I don't know about the regionals but I am certain for the finals you have to earn your way in. It does seem to me this would be a good recruiting tool.

Hi there Ernie Els III, how would you like to come and play the course where the NCAA Championship will be held every week for the next 18 months?

Signed, G. Jones WSU

[1972Shocker]

Hi there Ernie Els III, how would you like to come and play the course where the NCAA Championship will be held every week for the next 18 months?

Signed, G. Jones WSU

Sounds good Coach Jones, but I didn't know the NCAA held a Championship every week.

Signed, The Big Easy 3 (that's cubed).


Edit: Sorry Doc. I just couldn't resist the opening. BTW, very good point about this being a great recruiting tool.

[tropicalshox]

A great course and host will equal a fantastic tournament. Congregations Shocker athletic department.

[1972Shocker]

A great course and host will equal a fantastic tournament. Congregations Shocker athletic department.

@tropicalshox, I have to say that, for me, this is an uplifting post. It is nice to know that I have company when it comes to typing one thing when I know what I actually intended to type. But that happens when your mind is already thinking about your next post or some other task as you type (i.e. perhaps a church function). Thanks for being human.

[shoxilla]

I will be there to see our SHOX tear it up!!!!

[shockmonster]

I'm kind of surprised that Flint Hills National isn't a contender for these kinds of events. Is this course not a in this category?