Lincoln: NCAA Basketball Tournament Bid

[Greg S]

Lincoln/UNL have submitted a bid to host the NCAA in 2027/2028:

[Cermak]

They are probably a long shot to get a bid. Mainly because of the airport and the metro’s smallish population. If anything I could see them hosting it maybe once.

[Greg S]

They are probably a long shot to get a bid. Mainly because of the airport and the metro’s smallish population. If anything I could see them hosting it maybe once.

Looking at current cycle, 2023-2026I don't see it as a long shot. Greenville, SC, Greensboro, NC, Albany, NY and Spokane, WA are all hosting or hosted. Obviously Lincoln wouldn't get the tournament as much as market like KC, but the NCAA does seem to place it in one smaller market per year.

Coincidently, I was a student at UNL the last time Lincoln hosted, 1988. Saw KU play at Devaney in the first round. It was the first step for Danny and the Miracles on their way to the national championship.

Greg

[nebugeater]

They are probably a long shot to get a bid. Mainly because of the airport and the metro’s smallish population. If anything I could see them hosting it maybe once.

Looking at current cycle, 2023-2026I don't see it as a long shot. Greenville, SC, Greensboro, NC, Albany, NY and Spokane, WA are all hosting or hosted. Obviously Lincoln wouldn't get the tournament as much as market like KC, but the NCAA does seem to place it in one smaller market per year.

Coincidently, I was a student at UNL the last time Lincoln hosted, 1988. Saw KU play at Devaney in the first round. It was the first step for Danny and the Miracles on their way to the national championship.

Greg

I was there, too, for all the games In Lincoln. I may have posted this here before, but what I remember about the KU win over Murray State in the first round was how the crowd shifted who they were pulling for during the game. It started out with the majority of the Lincoln crowd pulling for Murry State. MS had the lead at times and into the second half. Sometime in the second half, the fans went from pulling for MS to pulling for KU. I always attributed that to starting out wanting the upset. When it looked possible, the Lincoln crowd shifted to pulling for their Conference team and decided that an Update was not as good as seeing Kansas advance. I think KU ended up with a 3 or 4-point win, but the game was never really put away. I know it was one of the strangest sporting events I have been at, with the fans shifting allegiances.

[Bob from Omaha]

I think Lincoln has a great shot at this but more importantly Lincoln should bid for other championships. From what I read PBA is a great venue for NU basketball. The Haymarket/Railyard area looks amazing and downtown Lincoln hits the hot buttons as well.

[CBJason]

Do the play in games get rotated to different cities every year or are they always held in Dayton? I would think those would be a good starting point for Lincoln to get into the game.

[Bob from Omaha]

Do the play in games get rotated to different cities every year or are they always held in Dayton? I would think those would be a good starting point for Lincoln to get into the game.

Dayton has been the host for First Four games since its inception in 2001.

[Greg S]

They are probably a long shot to get a bid. Mainly because of the airport and the metro’s smallish population. If anything I could see them hosting it maybe once.

Looking at current cycle, 2023-2026I don't see it as a long shot. Greenville, SC, Greensboro, NC, Albany, NY and Spokane, WA are all hosting or hosted. Obviously Lincoln wouldn't get the tournament as much as market like KC, but the NCAA does seem to place it in one smaller market per year.

Coincidently, I was a student at UNL the last time Lincoln hosted, 1988. Saw KU play at Devaney in the first round. It was the first step for Danny and the Miracles on their way to the national championship.

Greg

I was there, too, for all the games In Lincoln. I may have posted this here before, but what I remember about the KU win over Murray State in the first round was how the crowd shifted who they were pulling for during the game. It started out with the majority of the Lincoln crowd pulling for Murry State. MS had the lead at times and into the second half. Sometime in the second half, the fans went from pulling for MS to pulling for KU. I always attributed that to starting out wanting the upset. When it looked possible, the Lincoln crowd shifted to pulling for their Conference team and decided that an Update was not as good as seeing Kansas advance. I think KU ended up with a 3 or 4-point win, but the game was never really put away. I know it was one of the strangest sporting events I have been at, with the fans shifting allegiances.

I walked down from Abel to go to the game, my 2nd of 2 years in the dorms. Yep that's exactly how it was. I was rooting for KU the whole way. My Dad was from Kansas so I rooted for them. I was kind of raised a KU fan (except when they play Nebraska). My oldest son is a freshman there now and all in on KU.

Greg

[MadJack]

Lincoln's arena would be fine for this event but they seem short on hotel rooms especially full-service hotel rooms. Also their airport hardly has any flight choices. The fun area around the arena would be a big selling point, however.

[Linkin5]

Lincoln's arena would be fine for this event but they seem short on hotel rooms especially full-service hotel rooms. Also their airport hardly has any flight choices. The fun area around the arena would be a big selling point, however.

Are they short on the required rooms any longer? There have been a ton of added hotel rooms in Lincoln the last 15 years.