An open letter to MU: Lodging wanted

News Tribune Sports Commentary

To: The University of Missouri athletic department

From: A concerned basketball fan

Re: Accommodations for Feb. 19, 2016

I don't know if you fine people at the University of Missouri have already received some correspondence in this matter, but I was wanting to inquire about the availability of your athletic facilities on the evening of Friday, Feb. 19.

Perhaps it hasn't come to your attention yet, but there's a boys basketball game scheduled for that evening between the Helias Crusaders and Father Tolton Trailblazers. The game was originally set to be a home contest for the Trailblazers, but due to concerns about an overwhelmingly large number of fans attending the contest, it has already been moved to Columbia College.

How does this affect you? Let me explain.

I fear that Columbia College, which boasts quite a fine venue, might still be lacking in terms of what will be necessary for this contest. For evidence, look no further than what happened here Wednesday evening in the championship game of the Great 8 Classic held at Fleming Fieldhouse on the campus of Jefferson City High School.

The Crusaders and Trailblazers locked horns in a fantastically entertaining game that was totally fitting for a championship contest, with Tolton eventually claiming a 54-51 victory on a last-second 3-pointer by the ridiculously talented Michael Porter Jr.

The quality of play and superb efforts put forth by the players on both teams, instead of satisfying everyone's appetites for a yearly matchup between the teams, may have done just the opposite. I think the demand for tickets for Act II between the squads will far exceed what Southwell Gymnasium at Columbia College can provide.

During Wednesday's game, a large number of fans who did not arrive early enough (the correct time being at least an hour and a half before the announced start time) waited around outside in hopes of eventually gaining admittance (and should be either applauded for their perseverance or questioned about their sanity for sticking around on a night where temperatures plunged into the 20s).

In order to avoid a similar occurrence, and perhaps some cases of hypothermia on what could be an even colder evening in the middle of February, this is where you come in.

I have checked the schedules for your men's and women's basketball teams and the wrestling team, and in a bit of good fortune, it appears all will be on road trips or experiencing a gap between contests. If possible, would you be able to find a way to open your hearts (and facilities) to some passionate fan bases?

The choice of venue, of course, is entirely up to you. Mizzou Arena would be an excellent option, but if you are worried about competitive balance being an issue - Tolton will already have played there once, as the Trailblazers are slated to play Vianney on Jan. 23 in the MFA Oil-Break Time Shootout, while Helias won't have played there since winning the Class 4 third-place game March 22, 2014 - then the Hearnes Center would be a more than acceptable replacement.

I hope this request arrives in a timely enough fashion that you can work toward making this a reality. Thanks for your consideration in this matter.

Yours in basketball,

Tony Hawley,

Jefferson City News Tribune