Opinion: CSU, Colorado, Nebraska, Wichita State in basketball, let's get it going

Before he agrees to a new contract that would renew the college hoops series between Colorado and Colorado State University, Tad Boyle has some concerns that need to be addressed.

The Buffaloes head coach has wondered out loud recently if playing CSU is worth it to his program, which has aspirations of earning at least an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament at the end of the their rigorous Pac-12 schedule.

The Rams were 11-21 last season and are likely to face a difficult rebuilding season in 2018-19. Even if the Buffs hosted CSU next season and beat the Rams, it probably wouldn’t be that much of a resume booster. And if they lost for the third consecutive time to the CSU? That might be a black mark that could be hurtful come NCAA tournament selection time.

Boyle also wonders why local basketball fans have not filled up either the Coors Event Center or Moby Arena for the past two meeting between the two schools. “I'm extremely disappointed that the last two games have not been sold out on either side,” Boyle told the Boulder Daily Camera. “If we're not going to sell out CSU, why are we playing them?

These are legitimate concerns. And there remains a solution out there.

Late in 2015, the idea was presented to Boyle that the best way to build the CSU–CU rivalry and college hoops in Colorado would be for the two schools to work together to bring back the Mile High Classic https://milehighsports.com/its-time-to-revive-the-mile-high-classic/ holiday hoops tournament, circa 1989.

That year, while the CU football team was preparing for an Orange Bowl date with Notre Dame, the hoops team was meeting No. 24 North Carolina, UMass (coached by John Calipari) and CSU in a four-team, three-day tourney at old McNichols Sports Arena in Denver. CSU, coached by Boyd “Tiny” Grant, beat UMass and North Carolina to win the event. Ironically, the Rams and Buffs didn’t play each other in Denver.

Nearly 30 years later, it’s time for a similar event at the Pepsi Center. A new version would have to feature all four teams playing each other. Only this time, the two guests should be familiar faces to new CSU coach Niko Medved and Boyle and would make shorter trips.

Get on the phone to Tim Miles — Nebraska's current coach, former CSU coach and Medved’s old boss and friend — and to Wichita State’s coach Gregg Marshall — the school where Boyle made a name for himself as an assistant coach before moving on to coach at Northern Colorado and then CU. And remember, the Shockers came to Fort Collins in 2016.

Such a four-team event would be a sure-fire sellout.

When this idea was presented to Boyle in November of 2015, he pointed out that a third party would have to make such a tourney happens per NCAA rules. So be it. Can’t imagine it being that difficult to find a willing promoter and TV partner. Perhaps the fine folks who own the Pepsi Center and its full-time occupants? They like sellout crowds, right?

Boyle’s other concern was the obligation that could come with getting visiting teams to come to Denver. Playing at the Pepsi Center would be fun, but not fun enough to have to reciprocate and return to play the visitors on their home court a year later.

“I’d play KU at Pepsi Center, and then return a game in Sprint Center in Kansas City. That’s fair. But not Pepsi Center and Allen Fieldhouse,” Boyle said hypothetically in Mile High Sports.

Another fair concern.

Yet there doesn’t seem to be much of that type of opposition, or for these kinds of demands coming from teams that travel to play in similar events in other places on other neutral courts, does there? Why wouldn’t the Huskers and Shockers want to make the short trip for a tourney in Denver that would allow them to play two extra games for that season and make a little money?

Why would teams require a return trip for a tourney in Denver when it’s not required to play in a tourney in El Paso?

Assuming that hurdle can be overcome, the event should start out with those four in a tournament setting. It could grow in size to six and eight teams over the next few years.

For starters, Miles' Huskers have an enormous following in Colorado and the perennial powerful Shockers would most assuredly bring sell-out crowds, even during Broncos season. Playing three games against the Rams;Huskers, (who won 22 games last season and narrowly missed the NCAA tournament, and the Shockers would be the kind of resume builder Boyle is seeking.

Concerns answered.

It’s too late for anything like this to take place in December.But if the wheels were put in motion soon, we could have the new Mile High Classic in December in 2019, on the 30th anniversary of one of the best moments in CSU hoops history.

Then again, perhaps that’s not the best selling point to bring up to Boyle.

Listen to Mark at 11:30 a.m. Mondays with Brady Hull on “The Hull Show” and Thursday evenings on “Rockies Rundown” on AM 1310 KFKA Greeley.