A-Sun to schedule hoops doubleheaders

ESTERO — Searching for a rise in attendance and enthusiasm and a lowering of travel time and expenses, presidents of the member schools of the Atlantic Sun Conference voted Thursday afternoon while meeting in Orlando to schedule doubleheaders of men’s and women’s basketball for all Saturday games.

The new structure will tip-off for the 2007-2008 season, the first for Florida Gulf Coast University in Division I’s A-Sun.

“I think the general consensus was, ‘It’s time for us to try this. Let’s see if this impacts the crowds, if it impacts the media coverage, if it impacts the spirit on campus because (students and fans) can come and see both teams at one time,’” said A-Sun associate commissioner Ted Gumbart, noting the format had been discussed for years.

“We just thought it was time to give this a try. When it was discussed, the support was near-unanimous.”

FGCU athletic director Carl McAloose, who met his A-Sun contemporaries in the conference’s Macon, Ga., headquarters last week, is all for the doubleheader setup.

“I love it, personally,” McAloose said. “I would like doubleheaders every night. Being selfish, I would like to go and see both our teams play at the same place.

“It’s just easier on everybody that works it — (the) sports information director, training and sports staffs. Instead of spending two nights at a place, you spend one night.

“I think it’s easier on the fans, too.”

The men will continue to play single A-Sun games on Thursday nights and the women on Mondays. The host school for Saturday doubleheaders will determine tip times, subject to A-Sun review to ensure traveling teams don’t absorb “hardships.” The preferred method is a 30-minute break between games.

A-Sun presidents also followed the recommendation of member athletic directors to have joint dates and venues for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, also beginning with the 2007-2008 season.

That’s the way they were done when McAloose was the commissioner of Division II’s Great Lakes Valley Conference (1996-2000) and assistant commissioner of Division I’s Big South Conference (1992-96).

“I like that a lot so you can really make that an event,” McAloose said. “Right now, they are separate, so you have to pick and choose where you will be. This way all your fans can go up on a bus or whatever and stay for the weekend.

“With both at the same site, you can put on one fantastic event. That way, you can create an environment for the student-athletes that is second to none — put your focus all on that one weekend and make it something special for the kids, the fans, everyone involved.”

As in most Division I conferences, the women’s teams of the A-Sun have conducted their tournaments a week after the men and will do so next season. Because of the contracts with ESPN to televise A-Sun men’s tournament games, Gumbart said the women likely will be moved up a week in 2007-2008.

A bidding process will continue to determine the A-Sun Tournament host.

“If we do them together, we don’t have to worry about splitting radio crews, we don’t have to worry about splitting cheerleaders, we don’t have to worry about splitting our bands or the support of our fans and boosters. We can all be there,” Gumbart said.

“From the host standpoint, it makes it a bigger event if you’re trying to sell a sponsorship or engage community support for the event. The more economic impact you have, the better it is for that host city.

“From a participant’s and fan’s point of view, economic impact and for the media to cover all of it at once, we think it’s something that has a lot of positives.”

McAloose is not alone in his hopes for all A-Sun basketball games to become men’s-women’s doubleheaders. Gumbart said conference officials will closely monitor the Saturday doubleheaders while considering just such a scenario.

“I think we’ll do (Saturday doubleheaders) for a year and then maybe follow it up with a second year,” Gumbart said. “We try to get our schedules out two years at a time, so I think that makes absolute sense.

“Let’s do this and the next step would be — if it’s successful — look at maybe doing them all. But get some feedback after the first year or two.”

For now, McAloose, Gumbart and others are just thrilled to be taking the first doubleheader step, starting with Saturdays.

“There is a good feeling that it’s not just something we’re going to try, but everybody’s in support of it and wants to make it succeed,” Gumbart said.

“It’s something we’re looking forward to doing.”