Big Ten Conference Tournament

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

The X is in the middle of downtown St. Paul. The Twin Cities are a metro area with over 3 million people. The area around the X is filled with hotels, plenty of bars, and some of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities. The X is one of the best rinks in America in the most hockey crazed state in the country (bordering on a Canadian-like obsession for the sport). It truly is a wonderful location for a hockey tournament. And their local college hockey team is traditionally almost on par with the University of North Dakota.

Also in a couple years the light rail will go between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis and fans will really get to enjoy all of the wonderful restaurants and bars in the twin cities.

 

[SteveP]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

I've been to both Nationwide and the X, and while Nationwide is outstanding, the X is the best arena in the country. Columbus is not close enough to the reliable draws of the Michigan fans to warrant a conference tournament until Ohio State fans demonstrate that they will attend their team's own hockey games in decent numbers. They draw well for the UM and MSU matchups, sure, but the dedicated base is just not there. Without that base the quality of the arena is irrelevant; in contrast, the JLA is a dump, but it is within 90 minutes of both Michigan and Michigan State, and so it remains in the conversation.

I haven't been to the X, but I have been to Nationwide. Distance-wise, it's a relatively easy drive for all but Minnesota fans.
Three hours from Ann Arbor, 4 hours from E. Lansing, 6 hours from State College, 9 hours from Madison and 13 or so from the Twin Cities. That's a heck of lot closer than driving to Minny!

Not sure what OSU's lack of attendance has to do with a conference tournament, but I think fans would turn out at Nationwide. It makes more sense on a number of levels than JLA.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I haven't been to the X, but I have been to Nationwide. Distance-wise, it's a relatively easy drive for all but Minnesota fans.
Three hours from Ann Arbor, 4 hours from E. Lansing, 6 hours from State College, 9 hours from Madison and 13 or so from the Twin Cities. That's a heck of lot closer than driving to Minny!

Not sure what OSU's lack of attendance has to do with a conference tournament, but I think fans would turn out at Nationwide. It makes more sense on a number of levels than JLA.

I don't think we'll see a whole lot of traveling for this tourney. That's why I think support from the local market is important.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

I don't think we'll see a whole lot of traveling for this tourney. That's why I think support from the local market is important.

I didn't see the attendance numbers for the NCAA basketball regional hosted last weekend at Nationwide but the arena & city received rave reviews from the out of towners attending. The arena has filled well with Blue Jackets fans (before all the losing) and if you can get them aware and interested a Big Ten Tournament there you may get significant numbers.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I didn't see the attendance numbers for the NCAA basketball regional hosted last weekend at Nationwide but the arena & city received rave reviews from the out of towners attending.

There are A LOT more college basketball fans out there.

 

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

JLA makes way way WAY more sense than Nationwide

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

if you can get them aware and interested a Big Ten Tournament there you may get significant numbers.

I think that they should get "significant numbers" for OSU games first.

BTW, Columbus will never happen coz 90% of paying, ticket holding Big Ten hockey fans reside many hundreds of miles to the north and west.

 

[Almington]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

JLA makes way way WAY more sense than Nationwide

I don't see any reason to not try it in Columbus or Pittsburgh or Chicago at least once to see how it goes (assuming that the arena would even want it). They may surprise us and be considered successful.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I don't see any reason to not try it in Columbus or Pittsburgh or Chicago at least once to see how it goes (assuming that the arena would even want it). They may surprise us and be considered successful.

The arenas typically bid on these tournaments. I'm pretty sure Columbus and Pittsburgh know they won't draw well enough to make a bid competitive enough to win. Chicago has an outside chance, but I think St Paul, Detroit, and Milwaukee are more likely options.

 

[SCSU Euro]

I don't see any reason to not try it in Columbus or Pittsburgh or Chicago at least once to see how it goes (assuming that the arena would even want it). They may surprise us and be considered successful.

IF you get good numbers in Columbus or Pittsburgh, don't fall for that trick twice... Its fans from MN, MI and maybe WI trying to visit it once. They won't a second time. I don't think Chicago would work multiple times but its the only one that has a chance of the three

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

JLA makes way way WAY more sense than Nationwide

Hey, I LOVE Detroit & college hockey at the Joe and have no problem with it and I'm certain the Renaissance Center would be more than happy to be the host hotel like they do for the CCHA but like I said before, Columbus has a NICE NEW arena and all you could want right there with it. Honestly, I think they'll probably go with a rotation to venues closest to teams in the conference that have acceptable facilities for it. That's my guess and that's all it is - a guess.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Hey, I LOVE Detroit & college hockey at the Joe and have no problem with it and I'm certain the Renaissance Center would be more than happy to be the host hotel like they do for the CCHA but like I said before, Columbus has a NICE NEW arena and all you could want right there with it. Honestly, I think they'll probably go with a rotation to venues closest to teams in the conference that have acceptable facilities for it. That's my guess and that's all it is - a guess.

I think it will rotate between the X and JLA for a while, then end up at the X full time. But that is also just a guess.

 

[SCSU Euro]

Hey, I LOVE Detroit & college hockey at the Joe and have no problem with it and I'm certain the Renaissance Center would be more than happy to be the host hotel like they do for the CCHA but like I said before, Columbus has a NICE NEW arena and all you could want right there with it. Honestly, I think they'll probably go with a rotation to venues closest to teams in the conference that have acceptable facilities for it. That's my guess and that's all it is - a guess.

But Mich and MSU fans each travel better than OSU fans. Put them together its not close. More mitten-state residents would rather watch it in a shack in Detroit than at Nationwide.

I'm sure Columbus is a lovely city, but MI, MN, and WI fans don't care. You'd get more fans through the gate if it was in Duluth than Columbus

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

But Mich and MSU fans each travel better than OSU fans. Put them together its not close. More mitten-state residents would rather watch it in a shack in Detroit than at Nationwide.

I'm sure Columbus is a lovely city, but MI, MN, and WI fans don't care. You'd get more fans through the gate if it was in Duluth than Columbus

I might be willing to pay money to hear the Big Ten officials debate this out but I'm sure their bean counters and financial projection experts may have the key to the final decision. lol!

 

[Almington]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

IF you get good numbers in Columbus or Pittsburgh, don't fall for that trick twice... Its fans from MN, MI and maybe WI trying to visit it once. They won't a second time. I don't think Chicago would work multiple times but its the only one that has a chance of the three

One time won't really tell you anything unless the number are REALLY bad in comparison.

I'd rotate it: MSP (MN), DTW (MI), CMH (OSU), MKE (UW), DTW (MSU), PIT (PSU) to start. One location for each school. See how things go over the first 6 years, give each school a chance to host and have all fan bases experience the championship.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

Should replace one of the dtw with Chicago...

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

One time won't really tell you anything unless the number are REALLY bad in comparison.

I'd rotate it: MSP (MN), DTW (MI), CMH (OSU), MKE (UW), DTW (MSU), PIT (PSU) to start. One location for each school. See how things go over the first 6 years, give each school a chance to host and have all fan bases experience the championship.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

Thankfully. I don't want 3-4 years of dead attendance.

 

[Almington]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

Not. Gonna. Happen.

Thankfully. I don't want 3-4 years of dead attendance.

Why shouldn't each school get the opportunity to host (if they want to)? No one has any actual data on what attendance will be like anywhere for a Big Ten tournament, hold it in each location and get some actual attendance data.

 

[Almington]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

Should replace one of the dtw with Chicago...

Add a CHI to the end as a 7th option that if tied to the conference home office and not any specific school.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Big Ten Conference Tournament

One time won't really tell you anything unless the number are REALLY bad in comparison.

I'd rotate it: MSP (MN), DTW (MI), CMH (OSU), MKE (UW), DTW (MSU), PIT (PSU) to start. One location for each school. See how things go over the first 6 years, give each school a chance to host and have all fan bases experience the championship.

One time should be enough. Just add a sort of minimum requirement for attendance to re-host the tourney. If what people say is true (well-travelled fans will go once), then that first time should theoretically be the best attendance numbers for all intents and purposes.