No post Fourth of July fireworks from me.
Not today.
Oh, sure, I've fired more than a few bottle rockets toward Conference USA leadership in the past. I've even aimed a roamin' candle and lobbed an M-80 or two at the league.
Yep, I can be a firecracker.
But today I have nothing but praise for C-USA. That's because the league has come up with an outstanding idea for accomplishing something I didn't think was possible.
Conference USA actually has a bona fide plan for increasing women's basketball attendance.
I couldn't be more surprised if a cherry bomb suddenly exploded behind the recliner I was napping in.
But it's true.
At first, I was skeptical. When the league sent out a press release saying the NCAA had given C-USA a grant to fund efforts to increase attendance in women's hoops, I chuckled contemptuously.
Yeah, sure.
Now, just exactly how does the league hope to accomplish that?
According to the release, Conference USA has created a package to enhance women's basketball, which includes additional television broadcasts as well as scheduling and performance incentives.
Since I had no idea what the exact ramifications of that package were, I consulted Marshall women's basketball head coach Royce Chadwick.
"The league is going to have double-header television games with men's and women's teams," said Chadwick. "Let's say Conference USA was going to televise a Marshall men's game.
"Well, the production truck and the crew are going to be in place at the Henderson Center. So, why not televise a Marshall women's game as well, as the first game of a double-header?
"Like I said, the production truck already will be there. It's cost efficient."
I was stunned and amazed. What a great concept. It makes both sense and cents.
Imagine Memphis or Alabama-Birmingham coming to Huntington for a televised men's game on a Saturday night. Why not televise a Herd women's game as the preliminary?
Lots of fans that normally wouldn't attend a women's game will come early to beat the traffic and settle in their seats. Who knows? Maybe they will like what they see and return.
And just think of the marketing possibilities ... both ticket-wise and concessions.
Kudos to C-USA. Now, that is inspired brain-storming. And while they're at it ...
"I'd love to see the league change the conference tournament format," said Chadwick. "It would be so great to have both the men's and women's tournaments during the same week in the same city."
I must admit that is one thing the Mid-American Conference did well.
"It worked having everything in the Gund Arena," said Chadwick of the facility based in Cleveland, Ohio. "That way Marshall fans could support both us and the men's team.
"Take a guy like Bart Andrews (a loyal MU fan). He would love to go to Marshall games in both tournaments, but that's impossible when we're playing in Orlando (Fla.) and the men are in Memphis."
The tournaments aren't played the same week, either. Last season the women played the week after the men. Next season the women play the previous week.
"I'd really like to see them change that," said Chadwick.
Me, too.
You didn't think I was going to miss a chance to lob at least one cherry bomb, did you?
Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.
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