viva las vegas.

I must be nuts. And gullible. I was talking to someone at one of the Summit League schools this week who planted the seed that the tournament should be held in Las Vegas. Said person threw this notion at me because it's public knowledge around the program that I'm relocating there in a few months (if things fall into place). I'm not sure if my obsessive nature about wild-hair ideas is also public knowledge, but thanks to a flip comment about Sin City hosting the Summit League Basketball Championships has got my wheels turning.

In the interest of full disclosure, I know nothing--NOTHING--about staging such an event much less producing a bid for it. But now, I'm doing some pithy research into it.

The casual observer may argue it's foolish for numerous reasons:
* No Summit League schools are even located in Las Vegas (the nearest is Southern Utah University).
* Las Vegas is a huge tourist town...the Summit League would get lost among the lights.
* It would be a 'dangerous' location to send all your student-athletes who may become tempted by the surroundings.

Valid points, but each is refutable.
* For starters, the league already has precedence for hosting the tournament in a non-Summit League town (Ft. Wayne).
* The thought that Vegas would deter fans is backwards. There's lots of downtime at a tournament. It would be a great vacation package for all those cold-weather Summit League fans.
* College kids face distractions every day. And those hotels and casinos on The Strip don't want their business. They want your business, Mr. and Ms. Grown-up!

It's an idea that's worth examining, I think, because the League traditionally loses money on the tournament. Tulsa has been a fortuitous host city for the obvious reason: Oral Roberts University fans. While Vegas presents no definitive home court, I think more fans would be apt to make the trip to Vegas instead of, say, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Perhaps I'm just having a Walter Mitty moment about this, but it never hurts to ask questions. Sometimes, people even listen to crazy ideas.