When the WIAC men’s and women’s conference basketball tournaments began three years ago, UW-Eau Claire men’s head coach Terry Gibbons was skeptical.

One conference championship and two NCAA tournament appearances later, Gibbons sees the benefits of the annual event, not just for the players, but for the fans as well.

However, he isn’t sure about the feasibility of moving the tournament to a central location.

WIAC commissioner Gary Karner said this week that the conference will begin to investigate holding at least the conference’s tournament final fours to a neutral location, hoping to turn the tourney into a statewide event.

“It’s all, ‘Will people travel?'” said Karner, who noted no changes would take place before 2004. “Will Eau Claire fans travel to Madison (or another city) to see their teams and other teams play?”

Tim Petermann, the sports information director for the university, said that the university hierarchy hasn’t seriously considered the central location scenario, but his initial reaction isn’t positive.

“I don’t know how well that would go over,” Petermann said, noting that the women’s game drew a smaller crowd than hoped for on Monday.

“It would really need to be publicized to get people down to a central site,” he said.

Karner stressed that the plan is in the initial stages of investigation. As the research continues, the conference will try to find a location that would be able to house such an event.

He mentioned the La Crosse Center or some suitable stadium in Madison as possible locations.

If the idea of moving the final fours to a central location is approved, ultimately by the chancellors of the WIAC schools, the conference governance will allow cities to bid to hold the event.

If the central-site idea becomes a reality, it Karner hopes the tournament will become an event that draws student and community fans to celbrate WIAC basketball.

But Gibbons said he isn’t so sure Eau Claire fans, maybe the most dedicated in the confernce, would be willing to endure the travel to see their team play.

Two years ago the team played in Buena Vista, Iowa for a chance to go to the final four. Some hard-core fans from Eau Claire and the Blugolds oppents UW-Stevens Point made the trek but the attendance was only around 600.

From a competition standpoint, Gibbons has reservations about the central location idea as well. He said there needs to be an incentive for teams to perform well during the regular season.

He suggested that the No. 1 seed host the final four, but Karner said that none of the WIAC schools have a large enough venue to hold the event.