Let's be honest. Southern will travel and JSU will travel and since it is in Houston I expect sTu and PV to be in attendance but keeping with the theme of being honest the Bama schools did not support the tournament when it was in Birmingham not to mention Pine Bluff, Valley or Alcorn. Hell Grambling didn't even show up when it was in Bozier City.
Also, remember each school is having to purchase $25,000 worth of tickets/passes so you may have been getting some grumbling from the ineligible schools having to purchase tickets/passes for naught or who were sending only one team.
This decision is about money...nothing more. If other schools in the conference would pull their weight attendance-wise this fancy dancing may not have been necessary.
We need to support the tournament whether we have schools in it or not but I KNOW that ain't gon' hap'm cap'm.
So, from a financial standpoint I can't blame the commish for trying to get the revenue.