The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

This is very true. I've always thought the nWCHA F5 should be in MSP or Chicago for that reason.

For being a huge hockey hotbed, the MSP is desperately lacking a 6000-8000 seat arena (at least that I can think of). That would be a perfect size for the WCHA tournament, and there is a gap in high school hockey sectional locations now that the Hippodrome is officially shutdown for hockey. I believe that all of the high school rinks are too small, and Mariucci and the Xcel are too big.

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

For being a huge hockey hotbed, the MSP is desperately lacking a 6000-8000 seat arena (at least that I can think of). That would be a perfect size for the WCHA tournament, and there is a gap in high school hockey sectional locations now that the Hippodrome is officially shutdown for hockey. I believe that all of the high school rinks are too small, and Mariucci and the Xcel are too big.

If only Ridder were a little bigger. The location, quality of the facility, and atmosphere are great. You could go WCHA men's and women's in the same weekend.

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

My favorite for the tourney was the Resch Center in Green Bay. It's the right sized arena, and has a central location, plenty of hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping nearby. But the arena has extended their contract to host the WIAA Girls Basketball Tourney the same weekend through 2020, so that's no longer an option.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

My favorite for the tourney was the Resch Center in Green Bay. It's the right sized arena, and has a central location, plenty of hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping nearby. But the arena has extended their contract to host the WIAA Girls Basketball Tourney the same weekend through 2020, so that's no longer an option.

I think many would agree that the Resch Center would be about as good as the WCHA could do. Its unfortunate that basketball exists.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

I was about to say no way the nWCHA would hold its tourney on a Bi6 campus, but I totally neglected to consider the women's aspect of the WCHA and their connections as well. IMO, Ritter is waaay too small at only 3400 seats. If you're going to put it on their campus then you might as well use Mariucci (10,000). That's about the smallest "big rink" you're going to find in the MSP area.

It won't be possible to host the men's and women's tourney the same weekend because the women's season wraps two weeks earlier than the men. (The women's Frozen Four is the same weekend as the WCHA men's tourney.)

Maybe we could invite the Gophers men's team to play an "across the ice" 3v3 exhibition game between periods of the championship game to help boost ticket sales?

Ryan J

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Do we really think that we need 8,000 seats? Last year's tournament attendance: MSU-BGSU 2,700; FSU-UAA 4,494; FSU-MSU 3,968. It really helped that the closest school to the venue played twice, but we're not going to get that every year, not with the UP schools and the UA schools being 60% of the conference and not within an easy car ride of the venue. Don't get me wrong, needing the Mariucci every year for the tournament would be a great thing, but for those us of from farther-away places, we're not very likely to go just because our team got there. (I mean, I would, but I'm crazy.)

GFM

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

There were more people in the big ten tailgate parking lot watching that game than there were in the arena.

[Seawolf Fan]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Do we really think that we need 8,000 seats? Last year's tournament attendance: MSU-BGSU 2,700; FSU-UAA 4,494; FSU-MSU 3,968. It really helped that the closest school to the venue played twice, but we're not going to get that every year, not with the UP schools and the UA schools being 60% of the conference and not within an easy car ride of the venue. Don't get me wrong, needing the Mariucci every year for the tournament would be a great thing, but for those us of from farther-away places, we're not very likely to go just because our team got there. (I mean, I would, but I'm crazy.)

GFM

Agreed!
6,000 seats would appear to be ample.

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

So the solution is to get Duluth back into the WCHA, trade BG for them and then hold the tournament there.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

So the solution is to get Duluth back into the WCHA, trade BG for them and then hold the tournament there.

Or start a movement to outlaw basketball in WI?

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Or start a movement to outlaw basketball in WI?

No, just start movement to "make things fair" by having the girls tournament in the same building as the boys to get them out of the resch center!

[John J. MacInnes]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

So the solution is to get Duluth back into the WCHA, trade BG for them and then hold the tournament there.

I know this was being facetious, so I won't have to point out again that BG is the only full D-1 school in the WCHA and thus provides the only way that the league retains a seat at the D-1 level for rules and regulations. With only D-2 and D-3 members, the league would be at the mercy of the other D-1 leagues in that regard.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

I know this was being facetious, so I won't have to point out again that BG is the only full D-1 school in the WCHA and thus provides the only way that the league retains a seat at the D-1 level for rules and regulations. With only D-2 and D-3 members, the league would be at the mercy of the other D-1 leagues in that regard.

On another note, the league no longer has any D-3 members...CC left.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

I know this was being facetious, so I won't have to point out again that BG is the only full D-1 school in the WCHA and thus provides the only way that the league retains a seat at the D-1 level for rules and regulations. With only D-2 and D-3 members, the league would be at the mercy of the other D-1 leagues in that regard.

So, add another D1 school. Isn't Robert Morris D1 in everything? (Yes, I know that this would make travel even worse)

[mmf]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Looks like America One Sports has their 2014-15 WCHA season pass available for $150. The details say it expires 3/8/15, but I didn’t sign up so I’m not sure if there are any “not available yet” type error messages later in the process.

I am hoping for some sort of early bird discount so I’ll hold off for a while and see if there is any announcement from the WCHA. I bought America One last year and watched a lot of games (or parts thereof). From Fairbanks I can watch conference games starting about 3:00 in the afternoon, right up until our 7:00 start times. Love the time zones changes, but it’s tough on the beer budget.