2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

[walrus655321]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

One ticket for the two semifinal games and the national championship game cost $300 for a seat in the lower bowl, while a seat in the upper bowl cost $210-$215.

According to the NCAA, ticket prices for the 2018 Frozen Four at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, Minn., were $290 a ticket in the lower level for three games, and $175 per ticket in the upper level.

I still have the confirmation email from my purchase for the 2015 Frozen Four. I bought two All-Session tickets (granted in the upper level, in a corner, probably the lowest price tier) for $331. At $210/ticket that would be $840 for a comparable purchase, only 4 years later, in a smaller market. That's just stupid.

 

[Montezuma]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

For information purposes, I paid $60 per ticket on Thursday on the street. For the championship game, we paid $45 per ticket on the street. Both days we were in the lower bowl but only watched the first semifinal and the championship games from our ticketed seats in the first period. At the first intermission we moved over to section 102 to be with the majority of the UMD fans.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I still have the confirmation email from my purchase for the 2015 Frozen Four. I bought two All-Session tickets (granted in the upper level, in a corner, probably the lowest price tier) for $331. At $210/ticket that would be $840 for a comparable purchase, only 4 years later, in a smaller market. That's just stupid.

If I'm understanding Slap Shot correctly, 2 All Session Passes in the Upper Corners would have been $420, not $840. But that's still a pretty healthy increase from $331.

For information purposes, I paid $60 per ticket on Thursday on the street. For the championship game, we paid $45 per ticket on the street. Both days we were in the lower bowl but only watched the first semifinal and the championship games from our ticketed seats in the first period. At the first intermission we moved over to section 102 to be with the majority of the UMD fans.

I spoke with a couple of fans who paid $40 per ticket on Thursday. In Club Level.

Scalpers were offering sellers a dinner choice: Enough cash to buy a sandwich and a small beverage in the arena. Or, you could eat your tickets. Just a matter of taste.

This was a very bad year to be caught with extra tickets.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Club level SUUUUUCKED this year. Bathroom lines were horrid.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Club level SUUUUUCKED this year. Bathroom lines were horrid.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Not doubting your word, but it worked out better for me. At the restrooms closest to Section 214, there was no such issue. Shrug.

Wait times for concessions were a little long. But the Beef-on-Weck & the Perry's Ice Cream were both worth the wait -- IMHO.

 

[SteveO]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Audience for the title game fell off a cliff on ESPN2. UMD's win over UMass got just 321,000 viewers. Lowest for a title game since 1995. Game should be on ESPN, but network had UFC prelims in that primetime slot this year. IMHO NCAA should dump ESPN and contract with NBCSports.

 

[palmettofriar]

Audience for the title game fell off a cliff on ESPN2. UMD's win over UMass got just 321,000 viewers. Lowest for a title game since 1995. Game should be on ESPN, but network had UFC prelims in that primetime slot this year. IMHO NCAA should dump ESPN and contract with NBCSports.[/QUOT

 

[The Rube]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Audience for the title game fell off a cliff on ESPN2. UMD's win over UMass got just 321,000 viewers. Lowest for a title game since 1995. Game should be on ESPN, but network had UFC prelims in that primetime slot this year. IMHO NCAA should dump ESPN and contract with NBCSports.

NCAA hockey is tied to bouncyball and football....no one wants to show college hockey.

 

[mookie1995]

Audience for the title game fell off a cliff on ESPN2. UMD's win over UMass got just 321,000 viewers. Lowest for a title game since 1995. Game should be on ESPN, but network had UFC prelims in that primetime slot this year. IMHO NCAA should dump ESPN and contract with NBCSports.[/QUOTE

best quote EVAHHHHHH

 

[chickod]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

IMHO NCAA should dump ESPN and contract with NBCSports.

Your post points out the problem exactly. Think about what you just said. "Lowest for a title game since 1995." Why do you think they chose UFC over college hockey? Duh...because MORE PEOPLE WATCH IT. We should be LUCKY it's on TV at all. Dump ESPN? You act like people are in line clamoring to show this. Lacrosse is more popular - remember the 8 overtime lacrosse game in 2009 that forced them to join the regionals "in progress?" If it weren't for ESPN, the games wouldn't be on AT ALL. What makes you think anyone else would WANT the contract?

Why is everyone in denial that this is a NICHE sport and practically nobody outside of the "hotbed' areas cares??????

 

[cetihcra]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Lacrosse is more popular - remember the 8 overtime lacrosse game in 2009 that forced them to join the regionals "in progress?"

Lax is equally niche, if not more so. I think the 2016 Championship game drew like 260k on ESPN? Of course, their Championship Weekend is ALWAYS held within driving distance of 80% of the teams, so....

r

 

[BC/HE]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Club level SUUUUUCKED this year. Bathroom lines were horrid.

I know what you are talking about. On the corner near 222 there was one restroom that only had room for three men. I moved around and found wide open ones in other areas with at least a dozen spots. Also went upstairs and found them almost empty.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I know what you are talking about. On the corner near 222 there was one restroom that only had room for three men. I moved around and found wide open ones in other areas with at least a dozen spots. Also went upstairs and found them almost empty.

BIngo. I didn't want to take the time to find another one because I figured if the one was bad, ALL of them were going to suck. Dumb on my part. The women's bathroom right next to it never had a line.

 

[SteveO]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Your post points out the problem exactly. Think about what you just said. "Lowest for a title game since 1995." Why do you think they chose UFC over college hockey? Duh...because MORE PEOPLE WATCH IT. We should be LUCKY it's on TV at all. Dump ESPN? You act like people are in line clamoring to show this. Lacrosse is more popular - remember the 8 overtime lacrosse game in 2009 that forced them to join the regionals "in progress?" If it weren't for ESPN, the games wouldn't be on AT ALL. What makes you think anyone else would WANT the contract?

Why is everyone in denial that this is a NICHE sport and practically nobody outside of the "hotbed' areas cares??????

Statements like the one in bold above will only continue to propagate a very negative outlook on marketing college hockey. ESPN doesn't care at all about hockey in general anymore and IIRC hasn't shown an NHL regular season game in roughly 15 years.

It was encouraging recently to see Bettman and company announce last year the NHL’s joint plans with the NHLPA to sponsor an NCAA feasibility study at five universities (University of Illinois and others). NHL hockey administrators appear to recognize that the NHL will gain immensely from the expansion of college hockey programs and they're putting money on it.

“We’ve seen firsthand what Penn State has done,” says Rob Zepp, special projects manager for the NHLPA. “We’re trying to identify markets that could replicate that success around the country. We’re not closed off to any regions. To continue moving into some nontraditional markets would be exciting". The NHL's partnership in transforming NCAA college hockey's exposure from a niche sport to a larger media footprint is a critical piece of that vision too. IMO it's not far from becoming reality in the near future and the stigma of college hockey being a "niche sport" will eventually fade with the help of the NHL.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I think NCAA hockey will be fine in the long run.

Home attendance has been relatively stagnant since the 1990s, but the reputation of college hockey as a whole (and alumni playing in the show) is greatly increasing, and the involvement of the NHL in funding feasibility studies to expand is worth noting. Youth registration is up considerably as well.

Slowly, but surely, I truly believe that we are growing, and will one day eclipse 500k for the title game. Maybe even outdraw a rerun of an MMA review show. Who knows.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

College hockey won't ever be a TV juggernaut in my lifetime, but it wasn't even available at all on national TV until the late 80's or so, and that was only the NC game.

This the Golden Age, my brothers. Every Regional game is out there, and most are on The World-Wide Leader, one way or the other.

I really don't care which outlet makes that happen, as long as it happens. The middle-day of that event (wall-to-wall college hockey) is my Super Bowl.

 

[4four4]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Statements like the one in bold above will only continue to propagate a very negative outlook on marketing college hockey. ESPN doesn't care at all about hockey in general anymore and IIRC hasn't shown an NHL regular season game in roughly 15 years.

It was encouraging recently to see Bettman and company announce last year the NHL’s joint plans with the NHLPA to sponsor an NCAA feasibility study at five universities (University of Illinois and others). NHL hockey administrators appear to recognize that the NHL will gain immensely from the expansion of college hockey programs and they're putting money on it.

“We’ve seen firsthand what Penn State has done,” says Rob Zepp, special projects manager for the NHLPA. “We’re trying to identify markets that could replicate that success around the country. We’re not closed off to any regions. To continue moving into some nontraditional markets would be exciting". The NHL's partnership in transforming NCAA college hockey's exposure from a niche sport to a larger media footprint is a critical piece of that vision too. IMO it's not far from becoming reality in the near future and the stigma of college hockey being a "niche sport" will eventually fade with the help of the NHL.

As of right now the NHL has more stability than at any other time in their league history it's why they are spot on with finding potential college towns who will support college hockey!

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

As of right now the NHL has more stability than at any other time in their league history it's why they are spot on with finding potential college towns who will support college hockey!

Average attendance hasn’t changed much at the college level in the last 25 years BUT we also have about 12 or so more programs than there were in the early 90s, and the smaller schools do seem to show some signs of growth potential (for crying out loud: BENTLEY got a new rink).

We aren’t anywhere special now, but I fully believe that we will grow our little niche in the long run.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Average attendance hasn’t changed much at the college level in the last 25 years .

Source?

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Source?

USCHO figures go back to 2002 or so. Some of the rest has to be filled in from information in media guides and the like (so it’s not perfect by any stretch).

Anyways, I have all this sitting in a google doc.