Finally someone with a point, other than essentially saying "well why would they.". You have a good point, I will counter by saying that no school within driving distance of OKC and Dallas care about the tournament nearly as much as KSU and KU. It's why football works down there and basketball works in KC. I also think that it is entirely possible that just as many curious Mizzou fans in the KC area would still attend games. I think that all of these people who think the conference would just leave KC have never been to the tournament in OKC and Dallas and know just how different it is. I think many on here just assume that attendance and the experience is similar in OKC and Dallas and it isn't at all.
The tournament clearly makes the most fiscal sense in Kansas City. As a person who has been to the tournament in every host city and every venue, including Kemper during the Big8 tourny, I agree that no City comes even CLOSE to providing the experience that KCMO provides. Especially with the new P&L/Sprint Center format. Attendance and $$$ are obviously going to be maximized in KCMO. I live/work downtown KCMO. I want this tourny to stay here very badly. I think the City will take a sizeable hit if this tourny moves south. (this is also why I'm dumbfounded that I haven't heard Sly James (mayor), Jay Nixon (Governor and KC native) or any other powerful KC politician/businessman speak out publicly against reallignment).
But, I do believe that Conference decision makers will make a
political decision, rather than one grounded in simple dollars and cents.
Again, tournament location is decided by a simple majority vote. When KCMO was voted as the tournament location through 2014, CU, NU and MU were all voting members. At the next vote, what happens if MU joins NU and CU? There are 2 very suitable venues in OKC and Dallas and, if a majority of the power exists south of Kansas, I would expect the political decision to move the tournament into the geographic footprint of the Conference.
I just don't understand why you have any reason to believe that the Power Brokers in this conference will make a rational decision that isn't self-serving. If the Texas and Oklahoma schools have more power, they will move the tournament to Texas or Oklahoma. I don't see why this is so hard to contemplate.
If Missouri stays, the status quo continues on and there is less need to make a political "shake up" type of statement.