Where else that isn't a home court (since the A-10 thankfully isn't putting an entire tournament at a home site like Hagan/Cintas/Liacouras anymore!) that doesn't already have a men's or other women's tourney already signed out there makes better sense?  It's better to me than playing in the Show Place Arena in Baltimore (at the time typically used for equestrian and rodeo), UMass-Lowell's hockey arena (practically nobody wanted to go to Massachusetts in early March with both trip length and weather), or any other places I can recall the A-10 trying outside of home sites.  Regarding the atmosphere, it's pretty much been the way it was last year wherever the A-10 women's tournament has been unless it's been on a home floor for the later rounds.  If VCU and Richmond can both advance far, I can see a better atmosphere also than what we've had.

If you see anything better as an option, I'd love to read it.  Unfortunately, I don't think there are any.

I agree with you that a lot of the decision was likely financial.  I'm just not seeing a clear better alternative regardless.  I only could find relative equals.

Personally, I think the CEC would be way too big of a venue for the event.  Like you said, you only need 4k-5k seats, and I think you'd be hearing crickets in the spacious CEC.  Obviously Pittsburgh would be great for the Dukes, but there's no good spot in Pittsburgh for my liking.  Plus Duquesne was already thrown a bone with the men's tourney for a year which was likely taken into account.

I'm not big on going to other campuses either.  Perhaps if it was in the footprint of the A10 I could see it, but I can't imagine folks wanting to go to a game at a spot like a Drexel, Georgetown, or Wright State any more than the Richmond Coliseum or the environment being any better at those spots, especially with the inner-city rivalries.  With the current state of wbb, I can't imagine folks going too far out of the A-10's footprint to a place like Buffalo or Norfolk, and Youngstown is an underwhelming city for a tourney.

What does that leave?  NYC (will be overshadowed by men's tournies), other spots in Philly (underwhelming or too big for me), Providence (Dunkin Donuts Center is too big for me, everything else is questionable imo), Columbus (Nationwide and Value City too big for me, everything else also underwhelming), Boston (Matthews Arena isn't any better to me, and TD Garden's too big), Atlantic City (slightly better venue but not quite in anyone's region), Cincy (Cincy Gardens I guess would work with US Bank and Fifth Third both too big for me, though it favors Dayton and is a pain to get to for the rest of the A10), Erie (Erie Insurance Arena is probably slightly better but more outside the footprint, and I'd prefer Richmond over Erie as cities). 

I have no problem with the Richmond Arena.  The host city needs to have some A10 connection.

And it isn't anyone's home court. 

More importantly in A10 womens news Miranda Drummond transferred from SBU.  They lost Crowley to Providence and a player who was very good.

Having supported and followed 8 WBB teams nationally (5 of them mid-major including Duquesne)-  I can say with some objectivity that, unlike the BCS, mid-major conferences tend to struggle to find the perfect 'fit' (location and venue) for their conference championships.  Some conferences (i.e. the Summit League and Mountain West) have found excellent places that attract cross sectional fan support.  The A-10 is still struggling.  ​There does not appear to be sufficient cross sectional fan support (reasonable representation from multiple teams), to hold the Tourney at a neutral site.   Currently, the Richmond Arena is simply too large for the A10.  They had to block off one entire side in an attempt to minimize how empty the Arena was- and it didn't work.  Lowell, Mass was a disaster a few years ago. Until or unless attendance @ A10 WBB games grows, I suggest letting the school with the highest average home attendance and/or the school with the most improved home attendance host the Tourney.  Yes, the home team gets the advantage, but 1) more folks will be in the arena and 2) it might incent other teams to better promote their product.