The 11th Frame: Announcement finally coming Tuesday on deal involving USBC, South Point, Las Vegas Events, and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

http://11thframe.com/page/blog_id_5838

If it is what I think it is, this will work out great for me personally, as I'm considering a move back down there to be closer to family. It will definitely bring in the money, but also will allow the locals to save money as they won't need to worry about flight/transportation/hotel..

Plus locals discount at the buffets.

EDIT: I was at the tournament in 2009 when it was at Cashman Center, and I honestly didn't think it held that much compared to the Stadium the year afterward. I'm surprised at the numbers. no doubt that this has to do with location of the tournament versus the actual tournament. I wonder, if this is indeed what I think it is, if they build the event center anything like they built the Stadium (read: theater/IMAX-type seating), could this make the Stadium obsolete?

BL.

I think there is the distinct possibility that a Vegas deal could eventually kill entries in Reno.  Who would rather go to Reno?  And yes I know there are some who will go to both.  However, I would bet that those who had to choose between the two would opt for Vegas.

No doubt. Especially if they were coming in from a good distance. Getting into Reno's airport is tough; there just aren't as many options, and the town is so small that it just doesn't make it worth it. Vegas on the other hand, if you think about it, there are at least 2 nonstop flights to Vegas from every major city.

On the other side of that, there is a team that is going up the hill with us who say that they only bowl the USBC tournament when it is in Reno, because of how close it is. Seeing that work and family come into play, I can understand that, but they wouldn't take the 10 hour drive down to Vegas, let alone spend the $40 - $60 per flight to get there.

Personally, if funds weren't a problem if the tournament were within 4 hours drive or an hour and a half's flight, I'd do it (if it were in Vegas and I lived in Orange county, I'd drive it). If it were in the town I'm living in, it would be stupid to NOT bowl it (certain circumstances excepting). But for the lengthy traveler, there isn't an airline that doesn't have a nonstop to Vegas, let alone does not fly there at all.

BL.

I personally bowl every year and live in the West so Vegas is fine with me, but I am soooooo tired of Reno. Vegas is a better vacation destination and will be a bigger draw, but I fear that will only last for the first few cycles. My East Coast friends will not come to Reno all the time due to cost, its poor choice as a repeat venue, and just purely out of spite for not balancing the destinations. Vegas once or twice, yes... Every other year, no. Orlando was the long term key to revitalizing the tournament. Sadly, I can only assume that Orlando is dead.

Hi Jeff... So, tell me how you really feel....    That is the point I made, is it not?

Well stated Jeff. Orlando and those of us in the east and southeast can participate without maximum cost. Vegas and Reno mean maximum expenditures for us.

Of course, the powers that be don't care about us.

Of course. That has to be it.

This is kind of a lame excuse. Especially now as the USBC has taken the extra effort to go fresh oil for every squad. You control your own destiny now, and if you can't make money in brackets, it's simply you not scoring that causes it. I think it's hilarious how everyone begs for it to come east, and guess what, the entries will still be low, if not EVEN lower. I come from Alaska...and have to take "2 planes" , sometimes 3, and pay a good chunk to do it. I would say $2000 is reach for me to spend on this trip. I just got back yesterday and maybe spent $500 while I was there. Combine that with a $600 plane ticket and $100 for hotel suite (4 nights split amongst 3 guys), I barely spent over $1000. We spend the majority of our time around the bowling...whether it be sitting at the stadium watching or bowling side tournaments. If you go and dump your money into things that don't pay back, that's not USBC's fault. LOL.

This is a good point, and I'm sure that there are plenty of ways to cut costs and still make it out to the tournament. For example:

I have had to make short flights between Sacramento and Vegas for both business and personal reasons. Because of that, I've earned enough points with SWA to be rewarded with a free roundtrip flight to anywhere they fly. Rule of thumb for me is that when I get the free flight, I save it for long range flights (read: anywhere east of Denver. Unless any emergencies come up, that flight is my ticket to Buffalo for the tournament there.

That saves me nearly $800 for the flight alone, so let's chop that off of charlest's bill, making it $1200.

To win that $200-$400 in brackets, meant you had to have spent at least $200 to get into them alone. Yes, I know, "no deposit/no return", but really.. you could go for spending less.. Let's see about dropping that to, say, $50. and I'm being REALLY conservative. $1150.

How much are you spending on a room? Weekends had me at circus Circus for $60/night, and weekdays at $20! Let's try the weekday, for 3 days. $1090.

That leaves the rest of the trip.. over $1000, for food and... Gambling? Really? And that other 90% has to 'dig deep'? Really?

Wash/rinse/repeat for Vegas. And also realize that gambling isn't the only exciting things you can do, especially in Vegas. I could name 5 things to do between bowling in both areas that have nothing to do with gambling.

In fact, speaking of digging in deep, by that logic, it should be better when the tournaments are *NOT* in Vegas or Reno; that way, less money has to be spent gambling. That would make us Western guys not have to spend so much, no?

BL.

Look at the entries from Syracuse the last time it was there, i think it was the lowest entry count of the last 15 years.  I'm from the east coast, and yes going to the west is always a long and drawn out journey for just 2 days of bowling, but i've been going for 15 years, I love this game, and i'm going to go for as long as I can no matter where it's held.  That being said it would be nice to go to destination cities that are more family oriented ie: Orlando, i'd love to plan a family vacation not just a quick bowling trip which has been the norm going to reno so often.

Good point about the East.  Last time I looked, Baton Rouge is East of the Mississippi, and yet the entry count was even lower than in 2005.  Based on all the comments about Eastern locations, 2018 in Syracuse should be huge.  We shall see.