Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

[ericredaxe]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

I'm not sure how this would fly with the TV contracts… but for good atmosphere: Have seeds #1 through #8 host the opening round games… but tweak it a bit to potentially take away a little bit of the home ice advantage… require a larger than normal number of tickets held with right of first refusal for the visiting teams fans… say 1,500 or 25% of the arena (whichever is smaller). All games on Saturday night to make the travel easier for visiting fans. As someone who has never once done an overnight trip to the NCAA regional, I think I might be more easily convinced to do an overnight trip to see another teams arena for a Saturday evening game than to head to Toledo, Ohio for a 2PM Friday tilt.

That still leaves neutral sites for the quarterfinals, but they could go with 2 pre-determined sites that have a history of doing decent attendance. Again do it as a "double header" on a Saturday.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

Ultimately, I think the most successful route would be to make it easier to attend the games and spend less money with less disruption to regular work-life, as opposed to making it a destination to spend more time and money.

You're probably right except in certain niche areas. Probably better to do a high-quality HD feed to the participating teams' schools in an IMax type auditorium setting, if the schools have the technical quality.

RPITV does a great job televising and their announcers do a good job calling the game without being blatant "homers" and they have a great place to host a broadcast like that, but how many other schools would? There's something extra to be gained by watching the game on a large screen with a larger group of fans compared to everyone squinting at their hand-held mobiles....

 

[CLS]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

..

Ultimately, I think the most successful route would be to make it easier to attend the games and spend less money with less disruption to regular work-life, as opposed to making it a destination to spend more time and money.

Yes, that's a great point. Missing work days for a hockey game (especially if you're only traveling, not actually attending the game) is a big deal for many folks. Even if you have to fly or drive a long distance, you could travel Saturday morning, stay overnight Saturday at a fleabag and return on Sunday.

 

[UMICH]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

This plan would also mean that the NCAA Hockey tournament would have to to head to head with the BouncyBall Final Four weekend... It would eliminate the off week, which I believe helps people make Frozen Four plans...

I totally agree. As much as I detest Bouncy-ball who do you think would win in the Bouncy-ball Final Four versus Hockey Frozen Four? I hate to say it but that would not end well for College Hockey. We'd be relegated to ESPN 360 for the Frozen Four...

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

...With regard to the Alton Plan, I disagree with you on one point. If the current neutral venue Regional system doesn’t work, I don’t think a neutral venue second round system will work, either. The hard core hockey fans who will attend games even if their favorite team isn’t playing would get at most two games, depending on whether there are two second round sites or four, and the follower of a specific teams would only get one. In most cases it would still involve the inconvenience and expense of travel and lodging, albeit possibly for one less night...

Alton's plan is a hybrid; a compromise. To the extent that elements of the current system are maintained, current problems could indeed persist. But that doesn't mean we should give up on trying to make things better.

Regarding your specific point, I totally understand where you're coming from. Both of us will fit into the category of hard core hockey fans. To us, more games=more value=better format, selfishly speaking. Unfortunately, we are in the minority, and our "market share" is getting smaller. The majority wants to see there own team, and maybe a special game or two. To them, more games=unwanted games=unwanted added cost.

One last factor is just a mathematical reality. If you spread a tournament over two days, many fans will only attend on only one of those days. As an example, recall that some schools have offered split season tickets to accommodate that preference. Anyhow, if your event is limited to just one day, you'll almost certainly capture more than 50% of the single day people. Probably a lot more than 50%. So the crowd at the 1 day event will be > than either crowd at the two day event. Granted, this analysis doesn't apply to a sold out event. But that's regrettably irrelevant when it comes to our regionals.

This plan would also mean that the NCAA Hockey tournament would have to to head to head with the BouncyBall Final Four weekend... It would eliminate the off week, which I believe helps people make Frozen Four plans...

It could be set up that way, but that certainly isn't necessary. The season could start a week earlier or finish a week later. We could eliminate a bye week during the year. Also, the Men's Hoops Final Four doesn't play on Sunday. We could focus on that Sunday if dodging Men's Hoops is the top priority.

Another thing that must be said in reply is that this problem is in no way unique to Alton's plan. The Hoops tournament is an albatross during its entire run, affecting our conference tournaments and NCAA play all throughout. Only the Frozen Four is unaffected. This factor affects every conceivable proposal in one way or another. The question is how to limit the damage.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

The Hoops tournament is an albatross during its entire run, affecting our conference tournaments and NCAA play all throughout. Only the Frozen Four is unaffected. This factor affects every conceivable proposal in one way or another. The question is how to limit the damage.

I never pay any attention to men's college basketball during the regular season or during the conference tournaments, just don't care enough to bother. Most of the time, for me, men's basketball is boring, sloppy, unsatisfying. Yet I am captivated by the men's NCAA basketball tournament every year, run the office pool, watch many of the games. There's just something electric about it, for me and many others.

Conversely, I follow "my" men's college hockey team weekly and its league games throughout the season, through the finals of the conference tournament. Yet if "my" team isn't in the men's NCAA hockey tournament, while I'll read the stories, I might not even watch any of the games on television.

If these are my predilictions, imagine how much of a challenge we face with fans even less interested than I am.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

Well Fresh Fish, hockey purists aren't going to be too happy with that sentiment. For that matter, basketball purists will also be dissatisfied. But you know what? I find your comments both highly relevant and refreshingly candid. My guess is that you're far from alone in your views.

Your post, as much as anything, describes the very difficult challenge that our (neutral) regional sites face.

 

[CLS]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

...The majority wants to see there own team, and maybe a special game or two. To them, more games=unwanted games=unwanted added cost.

....

I wasn't really trying to compare with the current structure, only questioning whether fans would travel for only one game. But good point. Having the certainty of only one game makes planning easy. Also I'm assuming in both the east and the west there are fans who are in a sort of "sweet spot" of a two or three hour drive that traveling to only one game might become feasible; in fact there are probably many fans who routinely travel that far for home games. And as Stauber1 points out, a single game would mean that few fans would have to miss class or school to attend only one game, even if they have to travel.

To be clear, I agree that the “Alton Plan” is the best alternative, if indeed the NCAA is forced to make a change to the current regional structure. In my mind we’re no longer in the advocacy realm; we’re in the analysis realm. Many of the posts seem to think that there are no drawbacks – TV coverage will be the same, first round rink sizes will all be “Goldilocks” size, not to big, not too small, but “just right”. Regardless of your views, “Be careful what you wish for”, because whatever change might be made, there may be some things you don’t like.

Bowing out of this discussion, because I think we’re even past whatever analysis could take place, now we’re now starting to debate about the debate.

Regarding the conflict with the NCAA Basketball Tournament, technology may help out there. I think a lot of casual basketball fans have little to no interest in the first 35 minutes of the basketball game. The might find the last five minutes of a close game exciting, and even more than that, they care about how the result affects their bracket. If you have a smart phone, you probably can be at the hockey game, watch the final five minutes of basketball games, and update your bracket in real time. If you have the right app, you can probably do that in breaks in the hockey game, while everyone else is being subjected to the NCAA self-promotion videos on the Jumbotron. Yay technology!

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Campus Regional's coming back maybe?

...Also I'm assuming in both the east and the west there are fans who are in a sort of "sweet spot" of a two or three hour drive that traveling to only one game might become feasible; in fact there are probably many fans who routinely travel that far for home games.

Good insight.

Up front, I'm compelled to make one point. When it comes to the Frozen Four and the willingness or propensity to travel, there is a great divide between East and West. I remain incredulous that many people from New England think Buffalo and Pittsburgh are "Western Sites," and that being asked to travel to those places is impossibly burdensome.

But on the question of travel to the regionals, East and West seem to reunite. Maybe in the West, you need to nudge that up to four hours. For example, I've commuted to games in East Lansing. Still, as a general principle, I believe you're correct.

To be clear, I agree that the “Alton Plan” is the best alternative, if indeed the NCAA is forced to make a change to the current regional structure.

For my part, I certainly agree the current format has selling points. If the status quo continues, I'll carry on watching about half of the regional games on TV and be a happy camper.

In my mind we’re no longer in the advocacy realm; we’re in the analysis realm. Many of the posts seem to think that there are no drawbacks – TV coverage will be the same, first round rink sizes will all be “Goldilocks” size, not to big, not too small, but “just right”. Regardless of your views, “Be careful what you wish for”, because whatever change might be made, there may be some things you don’t like.

Very fair and very true.

Bowing out of this discussion, because I think we’re even past whatever analysis could take place, now we’re now starting to debate about the debate.

Yup. It's one of the hazards of being a long time poster. We've probably been part of what -- five conversations on the regionals? It does tend to wear a guy out. But the decision to put a regional on the Notre Dame campus is potentially a game changer. For that reason, working through it one more time was worth doing.