Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

[bronconick]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

There are a couple different options that the WCHA is exploring, including playing opposite the Big 10 at the Joe and the X. Other sites are being considered as well.

JLA is an absolutely asinine site for anyone not called the Big Ten. You're going to anchor your conference tournament every other year in a location with two schools within 300 miles and everyone else 8+ hours or a flight away? I'm not even certain Illich picks up the phone if you call.

[Caustic Undertow]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

I think the Target Center would be a good move for the NCHC, though going against the B1G straight-up might hurt it in competition for the casual hockey fan dollar. Western sends some fans to the Joe when they get there, so they'll be on the short end, but Miami doesn't travel well and neither have fan bases large enough to justify moving the NCHC championship away from its core constituency.

I'm generally in favor of the realignment that has happened (remember the alignment debates we used to have before this all went down?) but there is no question that Stack's lament is accurate. The loss of the Final Five is sad for everyone who loves college hockey. It was one of the crown jewels of college hockey. Whether you consider it a painful but necessary sacrifice or capital murder is a different story.

[aparch]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

Has the Pepsi Center ever been mentioned as in play seeing as how Denver was the architect of the abomination called the National Collegiate Hockey Conference? Maybe an alternation with the X and Pepsi Center.

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

There are a couple different options that the WCHA is exploring, including playing opposite the Big 10 at the Joe and the X. Other sites are being considered as well.

I like that Idea - I like it a lot... alternating Beavers and Gophers works for me ;-)

[Goon]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

The National has not hired a Director of Operations yet...

They were supposed to announce their picks around the Frozen Four. Oh well...

[Goon]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

I'd rather see the NCHC there every other yeat than the Target Center every year

Maybe they can get a rotation going between the two?

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

I'd rather see the NCHC there every other yeat than the Target Center every year

[Biddco]

I've heard the NCHC has been looking at the Target Center in the Twin Cities as a permanent host for their tourney. With Duluth, St. Cloud, North Dakota, and Omaha within driving distance this makes sense. Denver and CC always fly anyway and that leave Western Michigan and Miami. After attending the WCHA toruney at the Target Center while the X was being built I can say it's not the best place to watch a hockey game but it is a great area as a fan to enjoy themselves.

it would be interesting if this happens to compare attendance at the Big Ten Tourney vs. the NCHC tourney.

I have not heard of a site yet for the new WCHA tourney.


All I know is the Big Ten ruined the best college hockey tournament in the country in the WCHA Final Five. Every fan that I talked to this year complained about how they will miss it in two years including Minnesota and Wisconsin fans.

The National has not hired a Director of Operations yet. I wonder how that plays into getting their post season tournament figured out. I would guess they are making less progress on that than the WCHA. The Director should be hired shortly here...I think by the end of the month.

Something that I have noticed: so far all we have heard is that Target Center is interesting in hosting the NCHC tourney. Dont believe we have heard official interest from the NCHC. Perhaps because they are still hiring people in the front office.

[Stack]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

I've heard the NCHC has been looking at the Target Center in the Twin Cities as a permanent host for their tourney. With Duluth, St. Cloud, North Dakota, and Omaha within driving distance this makes sense. Denver and CC always fly anyway and that leave Western Michigan and Miami. After attending the WCHA toruney at the Target Center while the X was being built I can say it's not the best place to watch a hockey game but it is a great area as a fan to enjoy themselves.

it would be interesting if this happens to compare attendance at the Big Ten Tourney vs. the NCHC tourney.

I have not heard of a site yet for the new WCHA tourney.


All I know is the Big Ten ruined the best college hockey tournament in the country in the WCHA Final Five. Every fan that I talked to this year complained about how they will miss it in two years including Minnesota and Wisconsin fans.

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

'The National' should be playing in big markets, not small ones like the Twin Cities.

They should be booking MSG for their tournament.

[SanTropez]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

I was hoping they'd go to Siberia.

I heard Sullivan Arena... which is close to being in Siberia.

[SanTropez]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

There's no way the new WCHA would come close to filling either venue, FWIW.

True, the X was filled because of Gopher and Sioux fans.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

Did I miss something? Did the NCHC say they were gonna back off of the X? Unless they made an announcement I hadn't heard about, I've got to imagine they're more in play for the X in odd years than the WCHA

I was hoping they'd go to Siberia.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

Did I miss something? Did the NCHC say they were gonna back off of the X? Unless they made an announcement I hadn't heard about, I've got to imagine they're more in play for the X in odd years than the WCHA

[Caustic Undertow]

Re: Big Ten officially announces tournament sites

There's no way the new WCHA would come close to filling either venue, FWIW. However, they have the flexibility to look at places like Grand Rapids, Toledo, or Green Bay that wouldn't be realistic for old WCHA.