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Empty Regionals?

Numbers said:
The real problem is that the NCAA doesn't think it's a problem because they don't care about the fans or the athletes, they only care about $$. And, right now, the system in place gets them their $$.

As far as 3 weekends - no. Just no.

As far as #1 seeds host the regionals - 'great idea', but there are too many possibilities where there are insufficient locker rooms and ice time for 4 teams.

My own pet peeve about the process is that the reason that on campus sites are forbidden is that Mariucci, Yost and the Ralph end up packed every time. Somehow, that's 'not fair', but it is fair in the east where, for example, Providence has twice advanced to the FF in a regional in their home town, with all the support, but since it wasn't 'on campus', that makes it different. How, exactly?

Or, a year where UND is host at Fargo.....that's a home rink. It's an hour down the road in easy traffic. The place will be packed with Hawk (Sioux) fans. How is that actually different than hosting at the Ralph? It's not.

If they opened the matter back up to on campus sites, it would be better.

But, still not great. When the attendance is about 2500-3000, that's a sign something is wrong.
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If I remember correctly, on those years, Providence was the lower seed as well. So it’s not OK for a higher seed to get a home ice advantage but it is ok for a lower seed to? It is kind of weird.
 
Numbers said:
The real problem is that the NCAA doesn't think it's a problem because they don't care about the fans or the athletes, they only care about $$. And, right now, the system in place gets them their $$.

As far as 3 weekends - no. Just no.

As far as #1 seeds host the regionals - 'great idea', but there are too many possibilities where there are insufficient locker rooms and ice time for 4 teams.

My own pet peeve about the process is that the reason that on campus sites are forbidden is that Mariucci, Yost and the Ralph end up packed every time. Somehow, that's 'not fair', but it is fair in the east where, for example, Providence has twice advanced to the FF in a regional in their home town, with all the support, but since it wasn't 'on campus', that makes it different. How, exactly?

Or, a year where UND is host at Fargo.....that's a home rink. It's an hour down the road in easy traffic. The place will be packed with Hawk (Sioux) fans. How is that actually different than hosting at the Ralph? It's not.

If they opened the matter back up to on campus sites, it would be better.

But, still not great. When the attendance is about 2500-3000, that's a sign something is wrong.
Click to expand...

Why is a 3 weekend in a row NCAA tourney an issue?.........

I've always thought the bye week between Regionals and FF is odd. I get it not wanting to go up against Hoops Final Four and all.
 
Paul Goddard said:
Why is a 3 weekend in a row NCAA tourney an issue?.........

I've always thought the bye week between Regionals and FF is odd. I get it not wanting to go up against Hoops Final Four and all.
Click to expand...

The bye week is really only 1/2 a week. Semi finals on Thursday, when some regionals ended on Sunday. But the real idea to me is that for 16 teams, 3 weekends is just too much. The teams are used to playing twice every weekend. That's the way it should be.
 
I've mentioned this a few times but they should be looking at something similar to college baseball. College baseball doesn't know the hosts until tournament time because it's based on merit. You could probably do that in hockey IF you know going in which schools are willing to host. That's something you would need to iron out before the season starts so you have a pool of hosts to choose from and then you pick based on the PWR from there. So just as an example, if a school like Union ever earned a #1 seed again but did not sign off on being able/willing to host then they miss out on hosting. Not perfect/ideal but there is no perfect system here.

If you tell me that it's too much of a headache for 4 schools to each host a 4 team regional, I would absolutely love to see an opening round on campus. You could simply have the top 8 in the PWR host either an opening round game or series. So 1v16, 2v15 etc. That would get you down to 8 teams. At that point could you then have two regional sites? Selfishly I do like the neutral regionals because I have been to Worcester, Providence and Manchester. All easy drives for me. I don't want to see them eliminated entirely even though having all tournament games on campus before the FF would lead to the best atmosphere. One thing is clear, there is no easy solution here no matter who thinks they have one.
 
Numbers said:
The bye week is really only 1/2 a week. Semi finals on Thursday, when some regionals ended on Sunday. But the real idea to me is that for 16 teams, 3 weekends is just too much. The teams are used to playing twice every weekend. That's the way it should be.
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I'm gonna throw a HUUUGE Baby boomer/Gen X grenade on the whole potential On-Campus 3 games in 3 weekends scenario.....

Go back to total/aggregate goals (Team A would win Game 1; 3-0 but lose Game 2; 4-3 or vice-versa but advance)best of 2 series like they did prior to 1988/89(?) LOL!

And now I'll light up a stogie and wait.

Like someone else said, never will there be a perfect scenario for attendance issues.
 
Paul Goddard said:
Why is a 3 weekend in a row NCAA tourney an issue?.........

I've always thought the bye week between Regionals and FF is odd. I get it not wanting to go up against Hoops Final Four and all.
Click to expand...

Especially since you can avoid the Hoops. Semis are on Thursday for hockey, which doesn't interfere at all. Then you can go with a Saturday afternoon hockey final, or a Sunday afternoon/evening, and you have no time conflicts between the two.
 
purpleinnebraska said:
Especially since you can avoid the Hoops. Semis are on Thursday for hockey, which doesn't interfere at all. Then you can go with a Saturday afternoon hockey final, or a Sunday afternoon/evening, and you have no time conflicts between the two.
Click to expand...

I always wondered whether hockey should actually lean into and try and vamp off the publicity that basketball gets, and whether the NCAA could try and collaboratively market a "Championship Week" branded event for the major winter sports. I think it would be cool if the NCAA could have a Thursday through Monday event where you could fit in the final fours of M&W Hoops and M&W Ice Hockey where there would be cross-marketing and minimal overlap of game times. I think you could pull all four off in the same city--there would be plenty of candidates.

Maybe this could filter down to the hockey regionals being part of the "Elite 8" basketball weekend. Although I am a fan of regionals being held at the top seed's rink as well.

It's clear to me that something other than the neutral site regional system needs to be attempted. I remember going to the Grand Rapids regional in 2007 when Michigan State and Notre Dame were in that regional and being surprised by the relatively low turnout then. It drove home a realization that college hockey is a niche sport with a smaller audience, at least compared to basketball. It's post-season set-up should accept that reality as well and not mirror a basketball format.
 
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DavidNardolillo said:
I always wondered whether hockey should actually lean into and try and vamp off the publicity that basketball gets, and whether the NCAA could try and collaboratively market a "Championship Week" branded event for the major winter sports. I think it would be cool if the NCAA could have a Thursday through Monday event where you could fit in the final fours of M&W Hoops and M&W Ice Hockey where there would be cross-marketing and minimal overlap of game times. I think you could pull all four off in the same city--there would be plenty of candidates.

Maybe this could filter down to the hockey regionals being part of the "Elite 8" basketball weekend. Although I am a fan of regionals being held at the top seed's rink as well.

It's clear to me that something other than the neutral site regional system needs to be attempted. I remember going to the Grand Rapids regional in 2007 when Michigan State and Notre Dame were in that regional and being surprised by the relatively low turnout then. It drove home a realization that college hockey is a niche sport with a smaller audience, at least compared to basketball. It's post-season set-up should accept that reality as well and not mirror a basketball format.
Click to expand...

Problem is that nobody is interested in college hockey. We are a very very tiny subculture of the general sports viewing population.
 
DavidNardolillo said:
You are correct, but I think trying to avoid the basketball schedule hasn't helped either. Can't get much worse.
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Maybe but I’d be worried that having it all in one city would deter those few who actually want to just go see the hockey - hotels harder to get / more expensive, flights more full etc etc
 
The Sicatoka said:
I think, as does purpleinNE, Mankato and Q in their home rinks would beat those neutral site numbers. If a school, for revenue or fans, would want to declare an "alternate" (larger) home rink for NCAA playoff games, make the provision in the rule. That provision solves the ASU "practice rink seating" problem.

My plan? If you finish the regular season in the top eight of PWR, you get home ice in a best of three. The eight winners are reseeded and the best four PWR (regular season only) get home ice again for best of three. Last four go Frozen Four.
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Why would the ASU 5000 capacity hockey arena size be an issue if Mankato at 5200 or Q at 3400 isn't an issue?
 
DavidNardolillo said:
You are correct, but I think trying to avoid the basketball schedule hasn't helped either. Can't get much worse.
Click to expand...

I always though Barry Melrose negotiated the week-long layoff so that it would not interfere with him watching the basketball FF. That way he can still fly to some location unrelated to college hockey (St.Louis, Tampa, Vegas, Anaheim) and still provide commentary on a sport he knows nothing about and cares nothing about.
 
Every time this comes up, I see people posting ways to solve the attendance problem in ways that just blatantly open up a Pandora’s box of other problems, but with all the unearned confidence of someone saying “hold my beer”.

Higher seed host was fine in the 80s when they used to seed the tournament geographically. When no one had to care about TV logistics. Before the Frozen Four was more profitable and schools had less of a financial incentive to have the opening rounds be “neutral”.

We’re 30, 40 years beyond that point. I love the intensity of a home playoff, but it’s not going to happen just because fans think it’d be cool.
 
Maybe it is just simply true that the only way a change comes to the regional system is if the current system because so negative for anyone west of the NY/PA line to bid, that the committee has no place to put the regionals. (However, they always would have Fargo with North Dakota as host, bidding).

If it really doesn't make money for the city, school, and arena, then it will stop. Otherwise, this is what we are going to have going forward.
 
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