No seating. No parking.
Whatever possessed the NIAA to hold last week's 4A zone tournament at Reno High School? Was the NIAA trying to show loyalty to one of its oldest schools?
Clearly the school just doesn't have the facilities to hold big crowds any longer.
On both nights, several hundred fans were denied a chance to watch both games because there wasn't enough seating to hold everybody. I arrived at 4:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. game on Saturday, and already there was a line of around 150 fans, mainly from Manogue and Galena, waiting for the earlier game to get over so there would be enough space for them to get in.
I will admit it was great basketball and great atmosphere, though I was more comfortable sitting or standing in the miniscule press area than people in the stands, who I'm sure didn't appreciate sitting on top of each other.
I don't know how the NIAA determines who hosts the tournament, and frankly I really don't care. There are only two high schools that are ideal for hosting the 4A event - Spanish Springs and Carson.
Spanish Springs seats around 3,000, and has been used to host lower-level state playoff games. Carson's Morse Burley Gym is a tad smaller (between 2,500 and 2,600), but overflow fans can squeeze into the upper-level corridor when it gets too crowded.
I don't see why the NIAA doesn't just rotate between those two sites each year. As I remember, the crowd at Carson was outstanding, and Ron McNutt, Carson's athletic director, and his staff did a tremendous job of running the event.
There is a third school in the equation, too.
A regional tournament, at least the finals, should be played at Lawlor Events Center. Cary Groth, Nevada's new athletic director, has told me numerous times that she would love Nevada to host regional and state events. Certainly this is something that could at least be explored. Maybe UNR could work with Lawlor to lower its asking price for renting the facility for one night.
I recently chatted with Joe Kerr, general manager of Lawlor Events Center, and he said the university has picked up the cost of the rental of Lawlor in the past. The NIAA still has to pay for the cost of set-up and clean-up etc...
Heck, maybe you could throw the 3A finals in there, too. I'm sure those players would love the opportunity to play at Lawlor. For many it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Put four games in the building and the NIAA might even make some money.
It's too bad that the Reno Sparks Convention Center doesn't have a basketball floor.
In past years, the Oakland Coliseum Arena and Arco Arena in Sacramento have hosted section finals, regional semifinals and finals and state events. The Networks Associate Coliseum in Oakland has hosted North Coast Section baseball finals.
It's time for Lawlor Events Center and UNR to step up to the plate and do something positive for the community.