The Towel Rack: Ten Reasons to Come to Huntsville for CUSA Basketball Next Season
For those who wonder if you should come to Huntsville for the CUSA Tournament next time, the answer is, "Yes!" Really, apply this to any opportunity to travel with the Tops! It's always worth it.
Western Kentucky Men’s Basketball just sealed the deal, winning the Conference USA Tournament Championship in Huntsville, Alabama over UTEP. While I’m sure it was great to watch it on TV, I guarantee you we had the better time in person. We have compiled a list of “why you missed it” and are making the argument that you should go next year.
David and Matt have been to nearly ten conference tournaments each. And both would argue that it’s always worth it to be there. There’s so much you miss by just watching the game only. You miss the pep rallies, the access to the players, the getting a way from everyday life, the food and drinks, and the gameday experience. We would argue there’s nothing like traveling with the Tops. From random road trips to South Al women’s basketball, to going to Murfreesboro, to bowl games, to conference tournament, and to the NCAA Tournament, there’s no question there is a great reward for taking the time, effort, and money and just doing it and making it happen.
So without further ado, if you kindly wouldn’t mind, let us make our case for why you should travel to see WKU, and keep in mind, this could apply really to any trip out of Bowling Green to see Western Kentucky play whatever sport.
The Countdown
#10 Huntsville’s downtown area is beautifully landscaped and clean.
It has been a pleasure to walk around in day or at night in the parks and downtown streets. A growing city with small town appeal.
Huntsville, Alabama Information
Huntsville is the most populous and fastest growing city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 215,006 at the 2020 census, was estimated to be 221,933 in 2022, and 235,000 population in the Rocket City in the 2023 estimate. It is the county seat of Madison County with portions extending into Limestone County and Morgan County. It is located in the Appalachian region of Northern Alabama. The Huntsville metropolitan area's population was 514,465 in 2022, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the state after the Birmingham metropolitan area.
Huntsville was founded within the Mississippi Territory in 1805 and became an incorporated town in 1811. When Alabama was admitted as a state in 1819, Huntsville was designated for a year as the first capital, before the state capitol was moved to more central settlements. The city developed across nearby hills north of the Tennessee River, adding textile mills in the late nineteenth century. (Info from WIKI)
#9 The People of the City and Propst Arena
The People in Huntsville and at Propst Arena have been very nice and helpful. Whether it is finding seats, food, or a local restaurant, it is always with a smile, hello, or welcome. Generally when you travel, you will meet awesome people if you allow yourself to be decent to them first.
#8 The Bands and Cheerleaders
Whether its playing a fight song, getting the crowd fired up, or cheering their players, the bands and cheerleaders always play important roles, though sometimes quite colorful. Then your have the interactions from across the arena with bands trying to “one up the other” or cheerleaders seeing how long they can hold up another person. Whether it’s the bands singing “Talking Out the Side of Yo Neck!” or the cheerleaders having a competition to see who can hold their cheerleader in the air for the longest, you just don’t see a lot of that when you watch it on TV. Would you have known La Tech’s band was hilarious without being at the tournament and seeing it? They were awesome.
#7 The Food
Huntsville and Alabama have many great food choices. Certainly some of the best Bar-B-Que in the country with many varieties. You can find your favorite, something famous, or something unique. Many other cuisines are available too in the area.
#6 The Mascots
Everyone loves a good mascot. From the Unique like “Big Red”, Cowboys, Dogs, Cats, Horses, and Birds. CUSA has some good ones.
#5 The Fans
Aww! How cute are some of these photos? And then that bottom row…my goodness! You never know who or what you’ll see, but one of the best parts about getting out and away from a home game is really getting to know people. You have an immediate bond with those people.
#4 Access to the Players
Sure, the men’s team now fist bumps after the game, and that does give some people a chance to interact with the team. However, do you get to have real conversations with them? Do you get to take pictures? Do you get to see much of their “off-camera” demeanor? At conference tournament, if you’re around at all outside of game time, you’ll probably get to see coaches, players, and admin just hanging out.
A perfect example would be when David and Matt were sitting at press row and Sam Houston’s Head Coach Chris Mudge sat down next to us and was willing to have a conversation. We heard some of a story of what Rick Insell said happened with another coach that came into their locker room.
After the championship game, we were allowed to walk around on the court, and that was yet another opportunity to really get to know the players. These opportunities don’t really come very often at Diddle Arena. They happen way more often on the road.
#3 The Players Themselves
The personalities of all of the players are fascinating to watch. You really don’t get all of that on TV. Sure, you get some of it, but being in person allows you to see who looks up into the crowd and waves, who turns around and smiles when somebody says something funny, who really enjoys being a Topper. These are all things you may not see when you’re really seeing the on-court personality.
Of course, every player seems to care and play when he’s in the game. What about when he or she is not in? What more can you learn/what more entertainment can you get out of seeing players’ personalities off camera? Some of these people have bright futures, simply because of their awesome personalities. Sometimes you get way more of a feel for who a person is by observing them in person.
#2 The Agony of Defeat
#1 The Thrill of Victory
Western Kentucky Men’s Basketball did it! Now, how many reading this didn’t make it and wish they did? I bet there’s a healthy percentage. Some couldn’t make it because of reasonable excuses. Yet some didn’t go because they didn’t think it would actually happen, think they’re some kind of curse if they show up, or they just didn’t feel like dealing with the “hassle” of “going all the way down to Alabama”.
I’m not guilt tripping the people who legitimately couldn’t pull it off. But in today’s society, we sure make a lot of excuses. People just don’t get out and do things like they used to. Well, I would encourage you: It’s still an awesome experience to get out and go do something exciting or different. If you have a passion for WKU, or maybe you have been kind of on the fence about investing time or money into WKU moving forward, what better time is there than the present to get back on board with the Tops, make a last second purchase, and get our hind ends to Indianapolis to cheer on the Tops Friday afternoon?
If you’re looking for March Madness coverage, look no further than The Towel Rack! We will live tweet, we will have pregame and postgame articles, and we will put out content like no one else in preparation for WKU’s NCAA Tournament run. Tune in to thetowelrackwku on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, check in on our podcast, theredoutpodcast, which is on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For all of your information on the Tops, there’s no one that’s going to bring you all of the info and give it to you unfiltered and honest.
GO TOPS! BEAT MARQUETTE!