The footprint of the MEAC is probably too large to have a successful multi-year championship game though. Hell, the footprint of the MEAC is too large, PERIOD.
You hold a game in NC, nobody from Florida is coming. You hold a game in Florida, nobody north of SC is coming. Hold it in Virginia, Nobody south of NC is coming. You can't win. Let the championship be SSU (I know, never happen) and Del State in Hampton. Do you hear the crickets chirping?
Let it be pretty much anybody but us and the crickets will chirp, unless FAMU or Cookman is in it and it's in Florida.
We're not really a conference built for a champeenship game.
Good point, a big reason why the MEAC tournament isn't that big of a draw.
I hate to break it to you, but there are only 10 Division I conferences (out of 32) that have a higher average attendance for their conference basketball tournaments than the MEAC...and these figures don't include the 2014 tournaments.
All Division I Conferences
Conference Tournament
Sessions Attendance Average
1. Big Ten # .......................................................................................... 6...107,737...17,956
2. Southeastern ................................................................................. 6... 86,270... 14,378
3. Big 12 # ............................................................................................ 5... 94,894... 18,979
4. Big East ............................................................................................ 8... 160,456... 20,057
5. Atlantic Coast ................................................................................ 6... 117,120... 19,520
6. Mountain West # .........................................................................4... 50,499... 12,625
7. Pac-12 # ........................................................................................... 6... 53,629... 8,938
8. Missouri Valley .............................................................................. 5... 62,283... 12,457
9. Atlantic 10 # ................................................................................... 8... 41,565... 5,196
10. Conference USA ........................................................................... 6... 65,069... 10,845
11. Western Athletic #....................................................................... 4... 7,482... 1,871
12. West Coast # .................................................................................. 5... 22,304... 4,461
13. Colonial ............................................................................................6... 47,833... 7,972
14. Horizon ............................................................................................ 7... 22,053... 3,150
15. Sun Belt............................................................................................ 4... 16,109... 4,027
16. Mid-American ............................................................................... 8... 30,549... 3,819
17. Summit # ......................................................................................... 4... 22,423... 5,606
18. Big Sky .............................................................................................. 4... 14,856... 3,714
19. Ohio Valley ..................................................................................... 4... 14,942... 3,736
20. Southern ......................................................................................... 6... 33,304... 5,551
21. Ivy ....................................................................................................... No Postseason Conference Tournament
22. Southwestern................................................................................ 7... 36,613... 5,230
23. Metro Atlantic ............................................................................... 5... 11,025... 2,205
24. Big West ........................................................................................... 3... 16,652... 5,551
25. Atlantic Sun ................................................................................... 4... 8,191... 2,048
26. Patriot ............................................................................................... 7... 15,302... 2,186
27. Mid-Eastern # ................................................................................ 5... 30,722... 6,14428. America East .................................................................................. 5.. 12,868... 2,574
29. Southland ....................................................................................... 4... 8,161... 2,040
30. Big South # ..................................................................................... 6... 10,190... 1,698
31. Northeast ........................................................................................ 7... 10,506... 1,501
32. Great West # .................................................................................. 3... 2,469... 823
Independent # ..............................................................................