Mike Flanagan knows a thing or two about the state basketball tournament experience in Wisconsin, and the Black Hawk girls coach isn't afraid to say he thinks the WIAA is making a big mistake.
The governing body of state high school athletics announced Thursday that its Board of Control had voted to accept WIAA Executive Director Dave Anderson's recommendation to move the boys and girls basketball tournaments to the Green Bay area as soon as 2013.
That would end a tradition of holding the events in Madison that dates to 1920.
Flanagan has been following the situation closely since the University of Wisconsin said last year that it couldn't guarantee the weekend dates the WIAA seeks in 2013 and 2014.
Anderson told the Wisconsin State Journal Thursday that the board has asked him to "clarify our understanding of (UW's) most recent proposal" - perhaps leaving open a small window of opportunity for the tournaments to remain in Madison. But as of now, the UW has the Kohl Center reserved for potential Wisconsin men's and women's hockey contests on the dates the WIAA seeks to use the building the next two years.
Shortly after hearing about Thursday's vote, Flanagan was shaking his head over the decision to accept a bid from the group that manages the Resch Center is Ashwaubenon - and his main objection to moving the tournaments has less to do with geography and more to do with "making dreams come true for kids."
"It's sad to see it go away from Madison just from that whole tradition standpoint," said Flanagan, who has guided Black Hawk to the last three state tournaments. "I don't know if it's going to feel the same for teams that get the chance (to play at state) and always envisioned it being in Madison.
"You think about the Badgers and the dreams that kids have of playing at the UW. It's a court they see a lot, whether it's attending a game or watching on television. It's just the recognizability, and it's going to lose something that way."
The WIAA's Anderson told the State Journal he is "not aware of options in '13 or '14 for playing the two tournaments in Madison."
The WIAA has said it has concerns about using either the Alliant Energy Center or the UW Field House because those venues no longer meet its tournament standards.
Black Hawk made its first state tourney appearance under Flanagan at the Alliant Energy Center in a year when there was a scheduling conflict at the Kohl Center. What he'd really like to see is Anderson and Co. take a second look at the UW Field House.
"My big thing, and I've said this for a long time, is I think the Field House is a great venue," Flanagan said. "There's a lot of history in that building and we've had the good fortune of having a chance to play on that floor in a tournament. I just think they've done a lot of upgrading to it.
"There's no question it's going to be a different experience at the Field House (compared to the Kohl Center). You're not going to be able to do some of the video highlights. The sound and light show is going to have to by the wayside. But you put fans in actual bleachers and close to the court. The Kohl Center can feel pretty empty, but (the Field House) would feel like a pretty full place."
The WIAA basketball tournaments generate close to $3 million annually for the WIAA. The economic impact on the Madison area is close to $9 million annually, the State Journal reported.
The Resch center seats 9,700 for basketball, which is considerably more than the Field House's current configuration. But Flanagan said he doesn't buy the argument that the Field House's smaller seating capacity would be a major issue.
"In talking with coaches who have checked into it with the WIAA, it's never been about capacity," Flanagan said. "I think they crunched the numbers and even if they got some marquee matchups, even with the upper deck not available, they could handle it."
As the Black Hawk players prepared for a spaghetti dinner at his house 24 hours before tonight's big Six Rivers East showdown at Barneveld, Flanagan said they'd be happy to play in the state tournament regardless of the host city.
Still, he wonders if the event will have the same feel if held outside the state's capital city.
"The big thing is about the history, about the tradition, about what the state tournament has meant and will that be diminished?" Flanagan said.
The governing body of state high school athletics announced Thursday that its Board of Control had voted to accept WIAA Executive Director Dave Anderson's recommendation to move the boys and girls basketball tournaments to the Green Bay area as soon as 2013.
That would end a tradition of holding the events in Madison that dates to 1920.
Flanagan has been following the situation closely since the University of Wisconsin said last year that it couldn't guarantee the weekend dates the WIAA seeks in 2013 and 2014.
Anderson told the Wisconsin State Journal Thursday that the board has asked him to "clarify our understanding of (UW's) most recent proposal" - perhaps leaving open a small window of opportunity for the tournaments to remain in Madison. But as of now, the UW has the Kohl Center reserved for potential Wisconsin men's and women's hockey contests on the dates the WIAA seeks to use the building the next two years.
Shortly after hearing about Thursday's vote, Flanagan was shaking his head over the decision to accept a bid from the group that manages the Resch Center is Ashwaubenon - and his main objection to moving the tournaments has less to do with geography and more to do with "making dreams come true for kids."
"It's sad to see it go away from Madison just from that whole tradition standpoint," said Flanagan, who has guided Black Hawk to the last three state tournaments. "I don't know if it's going to feel the same for teams that get the chance (to play at state) and always envisioned it being in Madison.
"You think about the Badgers and the dreams that kids have of playing at the UW. It's a court they see a lot, whether it's attending a game or watching on television. It's just the recognizability, and it's going to lose something that way."
The WIAA's Anderson told the State Journal he is "not aware of options in '13 or '14 for playing the two tournaments in Madison."
The WIAA has said it has concerns about using either the Alliant Energy Center or the UW Field House because those venues no longer meet its tournament standards.
Black Hawk made its first state tourney appearance under Flanagan at the Alliant Energy Center in a year when there was a scheduling conflict at the Kohl Center. What he'd really like to see is Anderson and Co. take a second look at the UW Field House.
"My big thing, and I've said this for a long time, is I think the Field House is a great venue," Flanagan said. "There's a lot of history in that building and we've had the good fortune of having a chance to play on that floor in a tournament. I just think they've done a lot of upgrading to it.
"There's no question it's going to be a different experience at the Field House (compared to the Kohl Center). You're not going to be able to do some of the video highlights. The sound and light show is going to have to by the wayside. But you put fans in actual bleachers and close to the court. The Kohl Center can feel pretty empty, but (the Field House) would feel like a pretty full place."
The WIAA basketball tournaments generate close to $3 million annually for the WIAA. The economic impact on the Madison area is close to $9 million annually, the State Journal reported.
The Resch center seats 9,700 for basketball, which is considerably more than the Field House's current configuration. But Flanagan said he doesn't buy the argument that the Field House's smaller seating capacity would be a major issue.
"In talking with coaches who have checked into it with the WIAA, it's never been about capacity," Flanagan said. "I think they crunched the numbers and even if they got some marquee matchups, even with the upper deck not available, they could handle it."
As the Black Hawk players prepared for a spaghetti dinner at his house 24 hours before tonight's big Six Rivers East showdown at Barneveld, Flanagan said they'd be happy to play in the state tournament regardless of the host city.
Still, he wonders if the event will have the same feel if held outside the state's capital city.
"The big thing is about the history, about the tradition, about what the state tournament has meant and will that be diminished?" Flanagan said.
