By Jim Stout
D3hoops.com
DANBURY, Conn. -- Most people wouldn't peg Ed Farrington as a warm and fuzzy sentimentalist. First and foremost, the Western Connecticut State athletic director is a serious administrator and businessperson.
But even Farrington had to admit being deeply touched by the gesture made by the College of St. Benedict women's basketball team. Following the NCAA Division III women's Final Four at Western last March, St. Benedict sent Farrington a framed, autographed picture of itself, basically to say thank you for a great time.
The picture now adorns the athletic director's O'Neill Center office. Visitors can not help but notice it as they enter.
"It's funny," said Farrington. "I thought the kids who came here from the four teams were the most enjoyable part of the tournament. They were great to meet and talk to and to watch. As soon as I received the picture from St. Benedict, I called their coach (Mike Durbin) to have him thank his entire team and tell them how much we enjoyed having them here."
Due in part to the positive impact visiting student/athletes had on Western's initial venture last March, the school and the city of Danbury will play host to the women's Division III championships for two more years.
There are a multitude of improvements to be made in the process, and a number of areas that need to be examined and addressed, both within the O'Neill Center and throughout the city.
One thing is certain, though. The 1999 tournament made an impression on Danbury and Danbury made an impression on the tournament -- and the NCAA.
With the exception of those most knowledgeable about Division III basketball, few people here expected the event to sport such richness and competitiveness. Few at the NCAA and around the country expected Western and its vast support group from the area to attract 4,000 people for the two dates.
Last season's national championship, which was won by Washington University, marked the first time the women's Final Four in Division III was held at a predetermined neutral site. The previous semifinal and final rounds were conducted at one of the competing institutions.
"I got the sense when it was all over that the people on the (NCAA) committee were extremely pleased to have found a site that the women's Division III tournament could call home," said Farrington.
"I think they came here with a tremendous amount of skepticism -- it wasn't as though there were any other choices -- and I had some questions about its viability from this end. But given that no one on either side had been through this before, it was fairly successful. And there's a lot of room to grow for 2000 and 2001."
"I don't think anyone felt you could have this event at a predetermined site for the first time, with no host team in it, and expect that everything would be perfect," said NCAA Division III women's basketball committee member Sue Lauder, the athletic director at Fitchburg State.
"The decision was made to go back there because people in the community made a tremendous effort to make it work, and were actively seeking feedback as to how they could improve it. That's the key thing. There's a lot of potential there and they want to make it better."
Preparations for the 2000 women's Final Four, scheduled for March 17-18 at the O'Neill Center, have been in progress for months. Given the potential for future successes -- as well as the desire to address last year's problems -- the Housatonic Valley Tourism Commission went to work immediately on the 2000 event.
"We wanted to get this going early last spring while everything was still fresh in people's minds," said Dick Murray, chairman of the HVTC.
"We met with all the big hoteliers in the area that would be part of the tournament again next year, and with the people at CityCenter Danbury, and I was in contact with Ed. We discussed all the things we could do from a logistical and hospitality standpoint that could make the experience more enjoyable for people."
One of the recurring complaints heard from visitors was the underestimation by the area of the event's importance; Not that millions of people from around the country were following it or that the basketball was of world class caliber, but something big was missing from an organizational standpoint.
There was no effort made by any of the local organizing committees to define the Final Four as the single most important event taking place that weekend. Visitors streamed in from Missouri (Washington), Minnesota (St. Benedict), Pennsylvania (Scranton) and Massachusetts (Salem State), only to find a city that was indifferent at best.
"There was a definite lack of awareness out there," said Murray. "Some of us who understood how big it was just took it granted that things would happen on their own. Others didn't really understand what this was all about. Bottom line was, this was a national championship, one that's just as big and important to those involved as any that people see on television. This was the biggest weekend of some people's lives, so I could understand the concern."
For the 2000 women's championships, the hotels involved with housing visitors will be better versed in the magnitude of the NCAA championships. They will be better staffed by area volunteers in terms of helping visitors secure mass transportation, and accessing the CityCenter dining district, area shopping and other points of interest.
More special events will be conducted within the hotels, especially the one chosen to be the official host location.
"I can see a difference in the attitude of the hotels already," said Murray. "It's a tough, cutthroat business to start with, but you can see they all want to work together for everyone's benefit."
From the basketball venue standpoint, Farrington said that future ticket sales and distribution will be handled by TicketMaster. Last season, the Western athletic department and Ogden Entertainment, which manages the building, undertook the complex ticket task.
As with most initial ventures, there were problems.
"The NCAA recommended that we do it ourselves the first time," said Farrington, "to have a more hands-on feel for what goes on. Even though we didn't anticipate some of the problems we had, it was good in the sense that we have a better feel for the process. I think we can use a lot of information we compiled from handling it ourselves to help us as we move through the season and try to sell it."
Ticket sales benefited greatly from the fact that Scranton was one of the four finalists. Not only is the school an easy two-hour drive west of here, coach Mike Strong's program attracts a large and enthusiastic fan base.
Though Scranton can't be expected to reach each the Final Four every year, New York University (65 miles to the south) would be the most likely candidate to dethrone the Royals from the East/Mid-Atlantic Sectionals. NYU won the 1997 national title while playing at home and sold out its 2,000-seat Coles Sports Center for the two nights.
If neither team makes it, Western will have to hope for stronger local sales and a better response from Division III people throughout the Northeast. The spectator interest from the immediate area was generally encouraging last season, considering the unfamiliarity of the event. There is ample room for growth in that area.
"I think the people who came were very surprised by the high level of basketball that was played," said Farrington. "I imagine there were some who didn't come who realized they had missed a pretty good weekend. Fortunately for them, they'll get another chance next March."
"I'm happy the NCAA has finally come up with a way to make the predetermined site work," said Nancy Fahey, the coach of Washington, who will be going for a record third consecutive national championship this winter.
"Of course you're going to have glitches the first time you try something. That's to be expected. But from what I can see, people there in Danbury want to make it better, and that's important. They're trying. You don't always get that. I'm sure whatever four teams go to Western Connecticut next season are going to be in for a great experience."
