2013 Regional sites announced

[quiddlet]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

Capacities per Wikipedia:

Dunkin' Donuts Arena - 11,940
Van Andel Arena - 10,834
Verizon Wireless Arena - 9,852
Huntington Center - 7,839

That brings a smile to the face... maybe these venues will seem a bit less empty than some of the recent 2010, 2011 arenas that have been close to 14,000+

Hopefully this means the NCAA has smartened up a bit.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

Agree with the 3 hour estimate. That's why I've been saying that Western fans are probably looking at 4 or 5 games, rather than 6. Basically it depends on where you spend Saturday.

If you have a rooting interest in the Saturday/Sunday Regional, you probably leave the Friday/Saturday city after the Friday games. Total Games = 5.

Otherwise you probably take in the whole Friday/Saturday tournament, then head to the other city for Sunday's title game. Total Games = 4. But 2 Regional Finals would be very tempting.

Those who follow one team, and only one team, probably aren't connecting with what I'm saying. But if you're a fan of college hockey as a sport, I'm guessing you see the value here.

[bigmrg74]

Two hours between GR and Toledo is a stretch even by the driving habits of Michiganders (Michigan: Where the Speed Limits Indicate a Minimum Speed). It will be closer to 3.

That would be more accurate. Even with it being all interstate, it would be pretty **** hard to get from Toledo to GR in under 3.

[mmb5]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

Two hours between GR and Toledo is a stretch even by the driving habits of Michiganders (Michigan: Where the Speed Limits Indicate a Minimum Speed). It will be closer to 3.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

With a two hour drive, seeing all six games is indeed plausible. For the Toledo/Grand Rapids pairing, 5 of 6 games is probably the best case scenario. Still, that's a nice opportunity.

[DLG]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

With Providence and Manchester within 2 hours it might be possible to attend both regionals

[ClOuD 9]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

Tsongas has a capacity of 6,500 for hockey. Is that not enough?

They generally go for 8k-12k seat facilities. Also, they have been trying to prioritize neutral venues, which the Tsongas is not. With so many bigger, neutral facilities bidding in the East I don't think it is likely they would pick a small, non-neutral venue. Truth be told, Portland would probably get picked before Tsongas even though it is a pigsty.

[kdilks]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

That sucks for us out in Minnesota.

Not for those of us in Minnesota that are originally from the Ann Arbor area .

[MavHockey14]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hock...100511aaa.html

Northeast: Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH (hosted by New Hampshire)
East: Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI (hosted by Brown)
Midwest: Huntington Center, Toledo, OH (hosted by Bowling Green)
West: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI (hosted by Michigan)

That sucks for us out in Minnesota.

[kdiff77]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

I believe Providence stopped bidding until the Dunk was finished and the others bid right up to this year.....NCAA not the bad guys here, just timing for Providence.

Gotcha! Well, hopefully Providence continues to make (and win) future bids! I can pretty much guarantee that most, if not all, fans will have a much more enjoyable experience here than they would in Bridgeport or Worcester.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

Everything in the eastern time zone. Figures.

Yes, OH & MI are both in the Eastern Time Zone, and are a pretty long drive from the Upper Midwest. But having the two Western sites fairly close together offers a potential advantage: Attending games at both sites would be reasonably doable. One example would be to attend a pair of semis on Friday, and regional finals on both Saturday and Sunday. Pretty nice three day weekend, especially for those travelling from afar.

Obviously one's particular rooting interest(s) could result in a more complicated itinerary. But the point is that these selections create an opportunity to see more of the tournament in person. That luxury is usually available only in the New England/New York area...

[satyking]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

I believe Providence stopped bidding until the Dunk was finished and the others bid right up to this year.....NCAA not the bad guys here, just timing for Providence.....hope the new leaders in Providence follow the same plans Cianci set up in the past and allow outdoor bars and walking in the area around the Dunk with a drink in hand......worked well in the past

As a Brown fan, I'm absolutely THRILLED about the regionals coming to Providence, and it seems like most of the posters here are in favor as well. Providence is a great little city, and if you absolutely need to be in a big city, you can get to Boston for $15.50 round trip on the commuter rail. The Dunk is a terrific facility now that it's been refurbished (I haven't actually been to a hockey game there since they redid it, but I attended Providence-Syracuse basketball a couple seasons ago, before it was complete, and I was very impressed).

In all seriousness, why in the WORLD has it taken so long for the NCAA to get out of Bridgeport and Worcester, two hell-holes, in favor of a really nice city with plenty to do and that is just as accessible as the other two? It defies logic, though money probably came into play in the past.

Hopefully this can generate some interest in the local community. When the NCAA basketball tournament comes here, the city is buzzing and vibrant for the whole week. Personally, I can't WAIT for this weekend! If only Brown could somehow be involved...

[Alton]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

why not the joe?

Joe Louis Arena has made it clear that they have no interest in hosting an event with neither alcohol sales nor in-arena alcohol advertising. They hosted 2 regionals in the early 1990s and decided that it was more trouble than it was worth to them.

[mookie1995]

Interesting. Michigan "wised up" on knowing that they weren't getting Yost bids anymore and can probably turn Van Andel into home ice against anyone else not in the state of Michigan, where it'd be neutralish and avoid having to play BC in Providence, NH in Manchester etc.

why not the joe? providence holds 14500. van andel only 10500. sure, if um doesn't make it you're screwed.. but i'd go ahead and bet the mortgage now that michigan will make the ncaa's in 2010

[Gainzo]

Re: 2013 Regional sites announced

While it technically meets for the standards for capacity, in practice Tsongas would be too small.

Tsongas has a capacity of 6,500 for hockey. Is that not enough?