NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

[aparch]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Remember that the NCAA got out of the ticket selling business in hockey - the venues market (and price) the tickets.

But doesn't the NCAA set the guidelines for minimum and maximum ticket prices?

[Priceless]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

But doesn't the NCAA set the guidelines for minimum and maximum ticket prices?

No idea.

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

How's this format:

Friday in Worcester:
RS1: Denver vs RIT 4pm
RS2: Cornell vs UNH 7pm

Saturday in Worcester:
RS3: Boston College vs Alaska 1pm
RS4: North Dakota vs Yale 4pm

Sunday in Worcester:
RF1: RIT vs UNH 1pm
RF2: BC/UAF vs UND/Yale 4pm

Friday in St Paul:
RS1: Miami vs UAH 5pm
RS2: Bemidji vs Michigan 8pm

Saturday in St Paul:
RS3: Wisconsin vs Vermont 2pm
RS4: St Cloud vs NMU 5pm

Sunday in St Paul:
RF1: Miami/UAH vs BSU/UM 3pm
RF2: Wisconsin vs St Cloud 6pm

Yes, I was thinking more along the lines of a 3-day regional, obviously that creates a scenario where the "Day 1" teams gain an advantage over the "Day 2" teams -- presumably you'd put the #1/#2 seeds on the first day to give them an "advantage" for finishing higher, which isn't entirely fair BUT it eliminates the problem with 4 games in one day, OT's, etc.

Again, not "perfect," but much more attractive from a fan perspective...I second that the prices need to be lowered for the current format as well, would certainly help...but I think going back to 2 sites is really the way to go, however they can work it. The current "product" just isn't cutting it.

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Remember that the NCAA got out of the ticket selling business in hockey - the venues market (and price) the tickets.

Per the NCAA Division 1 championship handbook page 24, the NCAA sets the prices (this year a range of $75-90) and mandates they be sold only in all session packages until after the teams are placed in their regional sites. I'm not sure, but I don't believe any site was near the $75 dollar floor, and Fort Wayne was substantially higher.

[gdart_s]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Has it ever been proposed to have the 1 seeds host the regionals? You completely eliminate travel costs for 4 teams, are more likely to have fanbases interested in paying for tickets, and eliminate issues of 2, 3, and 4 seeds having home ice advantage.

Could make life harder for TV, but they don't do the best job anyway. May end up in some smaller venues, but if the big ones aren't selling out anyway.

[Priceless]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Yes, I was thinking more along the lines of a 3-day regional, obviously that creates a scenario where the "Day 1" teams gain an advantage over the "Day 2" teams (presumably you'd put the #1/#2 seeds on the first day to give them an "advantage" for finishing higher), but it eliminates the problem with 4 games in one day, OT's, etc.

Again, not "perfect," but much more attractive from a fan perspective...I second that the prices need to be lowered for the current format as well, would certainly help...but I think going back to 2 sites is really the way to go, however they can work it. The current "product" just isn't cutting it.

You could either have the 1-4 seeds play Friday, or break it into pods so the #1 and #2 brackets play Friday and #3 and #4 brackets play Sunday. That way you don't have games between teams that have had a day off vs a team that played the day before...but if the NCAA/teams decide to build that advantage in, so be it. It's easy to do either way.

Per the NCAA Division 1 championship handbook page 24, the NCAA sets the prices (this year a range of $75-90) and mandates they be sold only in all session packages until after the teams are placed in their regional sites.

The prices are way too high for only three games. And I looked at Worcester and saw a $47.50 price for one day. Not worth it.

[Puck Swami]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

The pricing seems appropriate to me. Denver regular season games run almost $30 per game, and that's what the regional tickets cost....

[gfmorris]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

The pricing seems appropriate to me. Denver regular season games run almost $30 per game, and that's what the regional tickets cost....

UAH regular season games run more like $10.

GFM <-- insert Alabama hockey joke here, and see if I care.

[Priceless]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Has it ever been proposed to have the 1 seeds host the regionals? You completely eliminate travel costs for 4 teams, are more likely to have fanbases interested in paying for tickets, and eliminate issues of 2, 3, and 4 seeds having home ice advantage.

Could make life harder for TV, but they don't do the best job anyway. May end up in some smaller venues, but if the big ones aren't selling out anyway.

There are two big problems with this...

The NCAA wants to get closer to regional events, not campus sites. That's why the NCAA went to the regional format in 1992.

What if a #1 seed only has an 800 seat arena? Are they going to host somewhere else, only have 800 fans or (like playoff football) have the advantage of hosting yanked in favor of a larger/better complex?

[Priceless]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

The pricing seems appropriate to me. Denver regular season games run almost $30 per game, and that's what the regional tickets cost....

We've been over this before. Here on the east coast there a lot more options, therefore the prices are lower. Both eastern regionals are being hosted in arenas where AHL teams play. For the same $180 a father and son would drop on three college games, they can go to about 15 AHL games. Not hard to figure which one looks better.

[ND Hockey]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Has it ever been proposed to have the 1 seeds host the regionals? You completely eliminate travel costs for 4 teams, are more likely to have fanbases interested in paying for tickets, and eliminate issues of 2, 3, and 4 seeds having home ice advantage.

Could make life harder for TV, but they don't do the best job anyway. May end up in some smaller venues, but if the big ones aren't selling out anyway.

The main problem with this is forcing venues to clear yet another weekend in addition to the two they have to keep available for conference tournaments. Ohio State doesn't even bother booking their home ice for the CCHA playoffs. Imagine the NCAA having to play a regional in OSU Ice Arena.

[bronconick]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

The pricing seems appropriate to me. Denver regular season games run almost $30 per game, and that's what the regional tickets cost....

Which is fine if you're hosting regionals on home ice, and I imagine Denver is near the top as far as ticket prices go.

The idea of a neutral site is that you're going to get a chunk from the schools, and the rest filled in by local fans. Those fans aren't going to shell out $30 per game, or +$90 for the weekend. The fans of the other 40-odd schools that pay less than $30 per game for the season are also more likely to balk at the price.

I mean, hell, the Detroit Red Wings run specials during their games offering 4 tickets for $44. Granted, they're undoubtedly up near the rafters, but maybe some of these sites need to consider more graduated pricing to lure some more local interest and attedence. Lord knows Grand Rapids last year would have had more of an atmosphere if they had sold a couple thousand of the upper deck tickets for $10 a game.

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

The pricing seems appropriate to me. Denver regular season games run almost $30 per game, and that's what the regional tickets cost....

Compared to what some pay for regular season tickets and if YOUR team is in a particular regional the price may be appropriate, but in the greater context I'm not sure it is. Notre Dame single game tickets are $12-14 a game, and half that for kids under 12 and people over either 55 or 60. With a season ticket discount it is even cheaper. Fans saw the prices for tickets to the Fort Wayne regional, $87 for all session and 46 for a single day starting after the field was announced and decided in large part to say no thanks, especially as it became more and more apparent their team was staying home. In today's economic climate -- and especially in the land of 15%-20% unemployment -- small crowds were to be expected. I believe these tickets were somewhat overpriced.

[ck1969]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

We've been over this before. Here on the east coast there a lot more options, therefore the prices are lower. Both eastern regionals are being hosted in arenas where AHL teams play. For the same $180 a father and son would drop on three college games, they can go to about 15 AHL games. Not hard to figure which one looks better.

Excellent point. Not to mention the hot dogs, soda ,beer, etc etc etc. Turns more into a $300 weekend. And if you don't have a dog in the hunt, that's a ton of cash for 3 games.

[thebrain]

Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?

Would it help if they cleared the building after the first game so you can sell single game tickets rather than buying both games in the semis?