By Zachary Baru
UNCASVILLE - Day 2 of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament highlights the true advantage of having a premier venue such as the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Attracting big name schools such as Boston College, Texas Tech, Northwestern and South Alabama, the 9,323-seat Mohegan Sun Arena provides the setting one would expect for a tournament to be broadcast over national airwaves. Day 2 of the tournament will see two games broadcast nationally live on ESPN2, with the other two Sunday games streaming live on ESPN3.
For ESPN, this is the type of venue their viewers want to watch a game being played in. For the Hall of Fame, this is yet another chance to showcase their brand nationally, and even globally.
A Basketball Hall of Fame logo can be found everywhere the eye can see. On center court, under the baskets, on the benches, and on the scorer's table. The arena is filled with Hall of Fame logos appearing constantly on the LED ribbon boards in front the balcony. Even the center-hung scoreboard displays Hall of Fame logos and commercials throughout the game.
The tournament is win-win for both the Hall and ESPN, which broadcasts all eight games throughout the weekend between ESPN2 and ESPN3.
The tough part for the Hall of Fame, however, is filling the seats for the later games, and for Sunday's early game as well. But throughout the resort at Mohegan Sun, fans can be seen everywhere, from the hotel, to restaurants, to the gaming floor, wearing Tip-Off-related merchandise.
Players, players' families, coaches, media, and fans fill the resort wherever you can look, turning Mohegan Sun into a basketball fan's paradise for Saturday and Sunday. For the Hall of Fame, Mohegan Sun truly serves as a great venue providing the hospitality and atmosphere needed all weekend long.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and can be reached at zachbaru@gmail.com. Zach also writes for Sports Business Boston.
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