The New WCHA (2013-14)

[Mav Fan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

In all honesty, are hotel rooms really going to be that big of an issue for this tourney? I honestly don't know the hotel situation in all of these towns, but if I look at Mankato specifically, there are in the range of 25 hotels (give or take a couple). If you figure that there are 100 rooms in each of those hotels and a 50% occupancy rate, you're still left with 1200 rooms that are available on any given weekend. That's a lot of rooms for out of town people coming in on a moment's notice. Again, I really think you're looking at MAYBE 200 people from each visiting school and MAYBE 200-300 people that go on a yearly basis from the non-qualifying teams. That's about 1000 people (200*4 visiting schools + 200 people). At 2 people to a room, you need 500 rooms available. I Kato that doesn't seem to be a problem. Like I said though, I fully admit I don't know what the situation is in other towns.

Have you ever tried to book a room in Mankato last minute, especially in February or March? It's almost impossible, even the dumps are usually full. Mankato plays host to a lot of the winter sports tournaments at all levels this time of year. Besides, its not just the fans that need hotel rooms, its the visiting teams. I'm not sure how many rooms a team rents when it is out of town, but take that number and multiply times 4 (assuming they stick with the current Final Five format). It's also not uncommon for the host school to put up their players to minimize distractions and encourage a team atmosphere. I think Mankato would make an excellent host city for a tournament, I just don't think they could pull it off at the last minute.

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Have you ever tried to book a room in Mankato last minute, especially in February or March? It's almost impossible, even the dumps are usually full. Mankato plays host to a lot of the winter sports tournaments at all levels this time of year. Besides, its not just the fans that need hotel rooms, its the visiting teams. I'm not sure how many rooms a team rents when it is out of town, but take that number and multiply times 4 (assuming they stick with the current Final Five format). It's also not uncommon for the host school to put up their players to minimize distractions and encourage a team atmosphere. I think Mankato would make an excellent host city for a tournament, I just don't think they could pull it off at the last minute.

Teams would need anywhere from 15-20 rooms each.

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I will agree Moose that a full building would be nice, but at what cost should that happen? How marketable is it for the WCHA to rotate amongst the league or let the league champ host? I can't imagine crowning the league champion in scenic Big Rapids, MI in front of a potential 2,500 people (realistically, 1,300) would be worth it to the league.

A lot of sponsorship dollars can be tied to a central venue, which can make it profitable even with a lack of attendance.

But if you have a lack of attendance, you're not going to bring in much sponsorship revenue.

[true2BSU]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Perhaps a neutral setting for the first year, then the following year that school hosts the final tournament? Tech wins in 14... they host the tournament in 15. That way everyone would know a year ahead of time where the tournament is... and if you are Alaska, it gives schools an opportunity to host as well as drum up support from their community for attendance issues. Just a thought.

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

As I said earlier, I don't see why you couldn't have every school block off rooms before the season, then release the rooms when it becomes clear that said school isn't going to host (say, when the school is mathematically eliminated from the regular season title).

Will that work in some of the smaller towns? I honestly don't know how many hotel rooms Bemidji has. [I'm only going to mention Bemidji because we all know I like to pick on Bemidji.] It hasn't been a problem for UAH to do this---we've had to do it the last two years for the men's basketball tournament---but that's been both fewer rooms (smaller teams/contingents) and a bigger city. I'm asking because I just don't know. We put our hoops teams up in the Westin, but we've only had that for a couple of years. For hockey, we'd use the downtown hotels that are right by the rink.

And in hindsight, that "extra week off" might have killed any momentum BSU had once they reached the Frozen Four. Note, by the time the Beavers stepped on the ice in DC, they were playing just their 3rd game in almost 4 weeks (CHA Championship game 3/14/09, Midwest Regionals 3/28 & 29/09, Frozen Four 4/9/09).

But that week off is the only way UAH had a puncher's chance either time, given that we were coming from behind in both conference tournaments. In Talbie I Trust.

GFM <-- still maintains that last year's team could have won 12-16 games with the Bot in net instead of the freshmen we had.

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

And, for kicks, here's the seating capacities of all the New WCHA member schools:
University of Alaska Anchorage - Sullivan Arena - 6,251
University of Alaska Fairbanks - Carlson Center - 4,595
Bemidji State University - Sanford Center - 4,700
Minnesota State University, Mankato - Verizon Wireless Center - 5,280
Michigan Tech University - John J. MacInnes Ice Arena - 4,200
Northern Michigan University - Berry Events Center - 4,300
Lake Superior State University - Taffy Abel Arena - 4,000
Ferris State University - Dumby Barn Robert L. Ewigleben Ice Arena - 2,493
Bowling Green State University - BGSU Ice Arena - 5,000
And for posterity, University of Alabama, Huntsville - Von Braun Center - 6,602


With rinks like this, the league CANNOT draw more than 5,000 people to a theoretical regular season Champ hosted Championship playoff game.

I didn't realize that we had a bigger metro area and a bigger barn than everyone else. Can we please come out and play? We'll let you ride our bike and will fix your old one. [Tool schools, y'all.]

I know that UAH used to draw crowds of 4,000+ on a regular basis. Back in that timeframe, we drew maybe 1,000 for non-UAH games in our two CHA tournaments. I'll admit that I didn't go to non-UAH games either time. Fast forward to now, where we're doing well to put 2,000 in the seats. The arena looks empty. The only way it doesn't feel that way is if we force people into the lower bowl, which we've tried and failed to do. [Thanks, VBC.]

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Perhaps a neutral setting for the first year, then the following year that school hosts the final tournament? Tech wins in 14... they host the tournament in 15. That way everyone would know a year ahead of time where the tournament is... and if you are Alaska, it gives schools an opportunity to host as well as drum up support from their community for attendance issues. Just a thought.

I like that. I also like Tech starting off with the McNaughton Cup starting at its home.

GFM

[Flashy Man]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I like that. I also like Tech starting off with the McNaughton Cup starting at its home.

GFM

The MacNaughton is awarded for the regular season champion, as far as I know the Broadmoor will still be awarded for playoffs.

[giwan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

The MacNaughton is awarded for the regular season champion, as far as I know the Broadmoor will still be awarded for playoffs.

That being said, the Broadmoor is owned by the WCHA or by CC? The nWCHA will need to create a new trophy? Or just pull one out of the Calumet Armory?

[Goon]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

That being said, the Broadmoor is owned by the WCHA or by CC? The nWCHA will need to create a new trophy? Or just pull one out of the Calumet Armory?

C.C. said that the Broadmoor was staying with the WCHA.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I really like the idea of the tourney winner getting it the next year, puts a lot more on the line, but be careful what you wish for... It makes a team that finishes 3-5 but has home ice a real big advantage, some may say unfairly bc it was last year's team with different players that earned it. I think its a great idea but if a team pulls a three-peat and they weren't the top seed for each of those last two seasons, I see rumblings...

[giwan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I really like the idea of the tourney winner getting it the next year, puts a lot more on the line, but be careful what you wish for... It makes a team that finishes 3-5 but has home ice a real big advantage, some may say unfairly bc it was last year's team with different players that earned it. I think its a great idea but if a team pulls a three-peat and they weren't the top seed for each of those last two seasons, I see rumblings...

Aren't we missing the concept of this? We've just gone around in a circle from home Bo3 series where you will have home fans showing up a tournament setting. Worse is last years winner gets the tournament. Now what if last years winner just sucks and is out in the first series who will be showing up to this tournament? You won't need to worry about hotel rooms because no one will be there. Your going to sell advertising? Sponsorship? To who? A smaller rink, with most likely no cable TV coverage. Hopefully good internet viewing to sell ad time there.

You can always sell sponsorship to an "event" not it's location. Location concerns are only for local sponsorship. Who shows up to NHL games? How many out of town people? FEW It's home ticket sales and TV coverage and for this league it NEEDS to be internet coverage. Find out how ESPN3 and the NCAA show it and move to that type of system.

By the way what game Wings at Blues

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Aren't we missing the concept of this? We've just gone around in a circle from home Bo3 series where you will have home fans showing up a tournament setting. Worse is last years winner gets the tournament. Now what if last years winner just sucks and is out in the first series who will be showing up to this tournament? You won't need to worry about hotel rooms because no one will be there. Your going to sell advertising? Sponsorship? To who? A smaller rink, with most likely no cable TV coverage. Hopefully good internet viewing to sell ad time there.

You can always sell sponsorship to an "event" not it's location. Location concerns are only for local sponsorship. Who shows up to NHL games? How many out of town people? FEW It's home ticket sales and TV coverage and for this league it NEEDS to be internet coverage. Find out how ESPN3 and the NCAA show it and move to that type of system.

By the way what game Wings at Blues

One of the best games this year imho.

As far as the playoffs, there is no free lunch here and I am glad i'm not making this decision. From here though, if you're doing a final five type, 5 game playoff, there's a lot of risk of losing money if you are not careful, but with a three game tourney you might not lose so much and maybe you could stand to hold it at a neutral site. I think you have to be very careful about using up all those weeks in playoffs if it is all at a campus site, (among other things).

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I think it's been pretty well accepted that a final five type play-in game isn't going to draw well, nor is pushing the Championship game to Sunday.

I would want to go Hockey East style and eliminate the lowest team(s), one weekend of playoffs (1v8, 2v7,...) and a semi-final / final weekend. I'd like to see the third place game kept because it is one more PWR game.

If a Bo3 is for all rounds, I still would want the lowest teams eliminated to not draw the playoffs out. Quarter-finals, semi-finals, final.

As for "why make the 9th and 10th place teams home?"
Well, they're on the road anyway, so I just saved them travel costs. Don't like it? Don't suck next season.

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

The MacNaughton is awarded for the regular season champion, as far as I know the Broadmoor will still be awarded for playoffs.

Thanks for the correction. By the way, we have the McLeod Cup if anyone's interested!

GFM