Coming to Our Nation's Capital in 2017: The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament

A big announcement came today in the world of Big Ten shooty hoops, as conference commissioner Jim Delaney revealed earlier today that the 2017 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will be held in Washington, DC. it is one that has made fans of the following schools happy:

• Penn State
• Rutgers
• Maryland
• That's it

One quick search on Twitter will reveal countless complaints from those who believe that the very sanctity of the Big Ten conference is being threatened by these East Coasters. While their initial frustration is understandable given that the tournament has always rotated strictly between Chicago and Indianapolis, it should be noted that the Washington DC Metro Area comprises of countless alums representing the major Big Ten programs (Maryland included). I can tell you first-hand as a resident of this area, that it is not uncommon for me to see Penn State, Ohio State, or Michigan license plates/bumper stickers/people rocking such apparel when I'm out running errands. In fact, the DC Metro Area has one of the largest concentrations of PSU alums outside of Pittsburgh or Philly. I can guarantee you that attendance will not only NOT decline, but it will in fact, be right up there with Chicago and surpass that of Indianapolis. Don't believe me? Read Kevin Trahan's well-done post at the mothership, then get back to me.

In the meantime, Cari and I will get a head start on planning the festivities for this joyous occasion...