I was not surprised that Siena College and UAlbany signed a contract to renew their basketball rivalry for another three years. The only surprising thing was that it took that long to get the deal done.

Let's face it. As far as local sports are concerned, the Saints' and the Great Danes' basketball series is the top attendance draw, bar none. When more than 13,000 seats are filled at Times Union Center, that speaks for itself. The only other sports event in our area that draws more people is the six-week Saratoga Race Course season, and that's like comparing apples to oranges. Horse racing isn't really a local sporting event, although we are fortunate enough to have the top horses, trainers and jockeys in the world in our backyard for a short time.

I'm glad to see that UAlbany will have a few more better seats to view the game. Certainly, since the game is a home contest for the Saints, Siena deserves to have the vast majority of the best seats, but it's nice to see that Great Danes' fans will now get a few of the prime viewing areas for this outstanding event.

I give both Siena athletic director John D'Argenio and UAlbany athletic director Lee McElroy credit for keeping this series going. It's the best one-day sports event in the Capital Region, and I hope both programs remain competitive enough to keep it that way.