OUR VIEW: Tournament plan doesn’t seem that bad to us

Talk about it

A proposal before the South Dakota High School Activities Association is calling for the unification of postseason basketball tournaments, which doesn’t seem like too bad an idea.

Of course, that’s just part of the plan. The other part is to place the tournaments in a permanent home — Sioux Falls.

Again, we can’t help but let our interest be piqued by the idea of the Mitchell High School boys and girls playing their games in the same city on the same weekend.

After seeing firsthand the rabid loyalty displayed by scores of Mitchell fans who traveled four hours to Rapid City last weekend, we would figure this proposal would at least generate some positive responses.

Evidently, not many are in favor of the idea. During a Monday meeting of the SDHSAA board of directors, all of those who spoke were against the idea. Representatives from Aberdeen, for instance, seemed especially against the plan, since it could mean the end to that town’s long relationship with the state Class B boys’ tournament.

The SDHSAA counters that it would be a financial boon, boosting attendance and the money that tends to be spent at such events.

Although we don’t ever see this proposal becoming reality, we really don’t see what all the fuss is about. Towns lose tournaments all the time.

Well, at least Mitchell did.

Kernel fans just as well be able to see more than one tournament at a time at a site that’s only an hour from Mitchell.

Tags: editorial board, opinion, tournament, editorials