Why CMS should replace conference basketball tourneys with a city championship | Opinion
Last week, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and VTO Sports, which hosts local combines and camps for student-athletes, put on a middle school city championship.
It’s time to do one for the high schools, too.
The middle school event didn’t include all of the CMS schools, but a high school version could easily include all the schools and create a memorable experience for the student-athletes.
How to do it?
For the boys’ and girls’ events, split the teams into three brackets, set up by performance and a selection committee. Each team in each bracket gets two or three games, and there are three bracket winners.
This format guarantees a few things, and all of them are good: The lower-seeded teams which may play just one game next week in conference tournaments and end their seasons would get two additional games.
They would also play in a bracket with a real chance to win the championship and likely be competitive in all three games. That would be a big deal to schools which are always on the wrong end of lopsided scores.
It also guarantees a break up of the monotony brought on by conference tournaments.
Since January, most conference teams have only played each other, and a lot of times, especially recently, conference tournaments are almost foregone conclusions as far as championship game matchups go.
The excitement a high school championship series could create would be palpable, and it could a fundraiser for CMS schools.
And imagine if, say, the Charlotte Hornets partnered with CMS the way the Carolina Panthers have become involved with girls’ flag football. A final series at Spectrum Center would be pretty cool.
But no matter where’s it’s played, kids could get city championship gear, rings, trophies, etc, which would become big sources of pride and something everyone would look forward to.
Right now, conference tournaments don’t create much excitement until championship Friday. In fact, at least one area conference is not holding first-round games this year. Why? Attendance for these games have been poor, and — my guess — the costs of opening gyms, hiring personnel and police is a big cost negative.
Years ago, CMS used to host its league championships at neutral sites like UNC Charlotte and Bojangles Coliseum. Those events drew thousands.
A city championship would draw just as many, if not more.
It’s time.
Example Charlotte city championship bracket
Talking Preps co-host Gary Richmond, a long time champion of the city championship format, created an example of what a girls’ bracket might look like this year. All teams would get at least two games and mot would get three, and there would be a champion in each bracket. Brackets are based on won-loss records as of Feb. 12.
Gold Bracket
No. 1 North Meck (20-2) vs. No. 8 Charlotte Catholic (15-9)
No. 2 Butler (20-2) vs. No. 7 Ardrey Kell (15-8)
No. 3 Mallard Creek (20-3) vs. No. 6 West Charlotte (15-6)
No. 4 South Meck (20-3) vs. No. 5 Hough (17-6)
Silver Bracket
No. 1 Rocky River (15-7), bye
No. 2 Myers Park (11-12) vs. No. 7 Chambers (6-16)
No. 3 Palisades (10-13) vs. No. 6 East Mecklenburg (7-16)
No. 4 Providence (8-14) vs. No. 5 Olympic (8-15)
Bronze Bracket
No. 1 Berry (6-14), bye
No. 2 Hopewell (5-16) vs. No. 7 Independence (1-21)
No. 3 Harding (3-13) vs. No. 6 Garinger (3-18)
No. 4 Ballantyne Ridge (4-10) vs. No. 5 West Meck (3-17)