The Front Row with MARK NELKE March 17, 2011

First of all, it is awesome the Gonzaga University gets to host games on the first weekend of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Girls basketball has been big in the Inland Northwest for years, and the Bulldog women have helped that interest by becoming one of the better teams in the country in recent years — including a Sweet 16 appearance last year.

And it’s nice for the local fans to be able to see their Zag women play at home.

However, it’s probably not fair to Iowa, which is the No. 6 seed but has to play No. 11 seed Gonzaga on Gonzaga’s home court in the first round Saturday. And it’s probably not fair to No. 3 UCLA which, if it beats No. 14 Montana on Saturday, could have to win a road game at Gonzaga on Monday night to advance to the Sweet 16.

“We’re the underdog going in there, even though we have the higher seed,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder told the Des Moines Register. “It’s a tough matchup, especially on their home court. We’re the only sixth seed that has to play someone on their home court. It’s unfortunate.”

BUT THE women’s tournament isn’t always about fair — it’s also about gate, and I get that. Having Gonzaga around means the games at GU this weekend and at the Spokane Arena next weekend for the Spokane Regional will be well-attended.

The powerhouses of the women’s game — UConn, Tennessee and Stanford — play first- and second-round games, and sometimes the regional, on their home court. But they are also usually one of the top seeds, not a No. 11 with a good chance to “upset” a higher seed in a home game.

When the NCAA men’s tourney comes to Spokane, the games sell out long before anyone knows who is coming to town.

Stanford’s women, who are the No. 1 seed in the Spokane Regional, and opens this weekend on its home court, might have to beat Gonzaga in Spokane for a second time this season just to get to the Women’s Final Four.

Could be worse. Notre Dame, a No. 2 seed, plays No. 15 Utah on the Utes’ home court Saturday.

THE MEN got away from teams being allowed to play NCAA tourney games at home oh, about a quarter century ago.

I remember being at a game between No. 3 seed North Carolina and No. 14 Utah back in 1986. It wasn’t in Salt Lake City, but it wasn’t far from there — just up the road in Ogden.

The pro-Utah crowd kept the Utes in the game for awhile. Then, with the ball at the left elbow, Brad Daugherty of North Carolina took like two steps toward the basket and threw down a one-handed dunk with a vengeance. The crowd gasped, and the Tar Heels had little trouble after that, as I recall.

And as for the men’s tournament, I am very glad all the games will now be on TV somewhere. You might have to jockey back between KREM-2, TNT (cable channel 31), TBS (44) or TruTV (68), but at least they’re out there. Beats the old way where, unless you wanted to fork out $59, CBS would tell you which games you’d see in your region, even if you wanted to see a different game.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.