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Tulsafanzz said:

I’m completely on the other side of the fence on this. I’m thrilled that TU has a chance to play an NCAA tournament game in Tulsa! I know it’s a very long shot, but we have 3 1/2 years of hope ahead of us!

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Agree 100%

aTUfan said:

the union pays nothing

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Ok, it doesn't matter for the point, that NFL players like college players get free college Tho college players get more paid for if they're at an expensive school.

rusty-c said:

Glad to have the tournament back in the BOK, but hate that OSU is the host school. I know it's not our arena, but Tulsa is Tulsa and not a 70 mile drive down the turnpike. I know when it's in OKC OU has been the host at PayCom, but Norman is suburb.

On a side note, I had a blast a volunteer the last time. Don Tom and crew did an outstanding job of coordinating everything.

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I’m completely on the other side of the fence on this. I’m thrilled that TU has a chance to play an NCAA tournament game in Tulsa! I know it’s a very long shot, but we have 3 1/2 years of hope ahead of us!

drboobay said:

The timing is less concerning than the quality of opponents.

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The timing is probably the reason for the quality of opponents.

aTUfan said:

they do receive a free education, worth upwards to $250,000.00, if they choose to go to class

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Interestingly, NFL players receive tuition reimbursement if they go to college and for some period after they retire. This is paid for by the players union.

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UT-Arlington could be tough. They got to the WAC Championship game last year and got Diante Smith (All Southland) in the portal.

Austin Peay is picked 4th in the Atlantic Sun Conference with portal pickups of LJ Thomas from NC State and NAIA All-American Quan Lax.

Rhode Island got Sebastian Thomas All -Conference in the America East Conference last year and Nebraska transfer Jamarcus Lawrence.

Georgia State has Zarique Nutter from N Illinois and Darnell Evans , a D2 23 ppg player.

Detroit mercy- still looking to turn things around.

Looks like UT Arlington , Rhode island and Tulsa should be the strongest. Georgia State and Detroit the weakest, and Austin Peay the question mark.

noble cane said:

Ehh they are pseudo pro until they unionize and have a league minimum pay scale.. the pros get minimum $50k a game and full benefits after a period of service.. the schools are still bound by title ix as well.. nfl franchises dont have to pay equal salaries to womens teams..

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You don't have to have a union to be a professional. 80% of workers don't have a union. Your point about minimum and benefits are why they SHOULD have a union but it doesn't make them not professional, any more than a barista at a non-union Starbucks location is less of a professional than one at a unionized location. The XFL players didn't have a union.

TU always been host school in the past, correct? Why the change?

Babe the Blue Ox said:

Opening round NCAA games return to Tulsa in 2028. OSU will serve as the host school.

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Glad to have the tournament back in the BOK, but hate that OSU is the host school. I know it's not our arena, but Tulsa is Tulsa and not a 70 mile drive down the turnpike. I know when it's in OKC OU has been the host at PayCom, but Norman is suburb.

On a side note, I had a blast a volunteer the last time. Don Tom and crew did an outstanding job of coordinating everything.

Love the optimism! Top 10 in 28! Let's go.

I.I. said:

They will have to send us to another site since we can’t play at home. That’s always frustrating to be playing a long way from home and the tournament also in Tulsa.

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No kidding. It wasn't much fun going all the way to Albuquerque to play UTEP in their back yard several years ago when games were also going on at the Mabee Center.

Thanks… I have hope.

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I was surprised to see De La Torre left out seeing he has played pretty well in recent USMNT appearances. Busio returning makes sense - he looked pretty good in teh Serie A matches I've seen even though his team sucks.

chito_and_leon said:

Agree 1000%, but they're not psuedo pro, they are full on pro. Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, etc. Those are professional sports teams, full stop. The fact that you require your players to go to classes doesn't change the fact that they're professional athletes. I have to take legal classes not to get disbarred, that doesn't make me a student-lawyer...

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Ehh they are pseudo pro until they unionize and have a league minimum pay scale.. the pros get minimum $50k a game and full benefits after a period of service.. the schools are still bound by title ix as well.. nfl franchises dont have to pay equal salaries to womens teams..

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TUMU said:

We only won 56 games last season. Won 86 game's this season.

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I think it's because I went to a game last season. I just went to a Colorado Rockies game, so they should be much better next season.