Sun Belt Conference fans will travel further and pay more when the
postseason basketball tournaments move from Hot springs to New Orleans for the
2013-2014 season.
The Sun Belt announced the move yesterday, walking away from the final
year of its contract with Hot Springs. The 2013 tournament will be the final
one played at Summit Arena in the Spa City.
Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson called it a “great
geographical fit for our membership.”
But the fact is that it’s only really a better geographical fit for
himself (his office is in New Orleans) and three schools (Louisiana-Lafayette,
South Alabama and Troy). Texas State comes in about the same. This makes up the
10 schools expected to be a part of the Sun Belt next year.
On average, Sun Belt fans will drive 30 miles further. Fans of six of
the 10 schools will drive at least 98 miles more (each way) to reach New
Orleans.
Once they arrive in New Orleans they can expect to pay more. New
Orleans’ average hotel rate of $154 ranks among tops in the nation. And that
doesn’t include the $25 to $50 per night parking charge many French Quarter
area hotels tack on to your bill. Want to catch a taxi from the Quarter to
Lakefront Arena? That will cost you upwards of $20 each way.
You can find a cheaper hotel out by the airport. But you’re really
nowhere near Lakefront Arena and the things most folks associate with visiting New Orleans. Spend a night out at Bourbon Street and need a cab back to your airport hotel and that will cost you about $28.
The best thing about the Sun Belt Tournament in Hot Springs was the
closeness of everything. You would walk down the street and see groups of fans,
bands or cheerleaders walking. You’d see the buses from each of the schools
parked at the restaurants. There was a lot of interaction going on. That made
it fun. And that’s not going to be the case when its spread out across New
Orleans.
