frozen four attendance

[DLG]

It appears there are far more seats available for this years games that in recent memory and surely a lot more than the last time
Tampa was the host. These are available directly from the arena ( mostly balcony) and then are hundreds of tickets on the ticket exchange run by the
NCAA and checking local sites such as craigslist there are also many tickets. Some have commented that it is too soon to have gone back to Tampa

I wonder if in light of this situation if the NCAA has increased the allotment to the individual schools. These are tickets that usually
sell out quickly. It would also be nice if the NCAA let the teams bring more than 25 band members
What else has anyone heard about the potential attendance?

 

[Bonin21]

Re: frozen four attendance

I made $500 profit thanks to Eichel last year. I might have to eat two tickets this year at this rate.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: frozen four attendance

I made $500 profit thanks to Eichel last year. I might have to eat two tickets this year at this rate.

Wasn't just Eichel or BU's presence last year. It was equally difficult and expensive for BU fans to get tickets, and the crowd was not overwhelmingly BU fans. UND and PC both traveled extremely well in addition to casual fans. Was the market this soft in 2012 as well?

 

[Bonin21]

Re: frozen four attendance

Wasn't just Eichel or BU's presence last year. It was equally difficult and expensive for BU fans to get tickets, and the crowd was not overwhelmingly BU fans. UND and PC both traveled extremely well in addition to casual fans. Was the market this soft in 2012 as well?

Last year was the first year I sold tickets, so not sure. There sure seem to be a ton of tickets still available from the arena, which is a bad sign.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: frozen four attendance

Wasn't just Eichel or BU's presence last year. It was equally difficult and expensive for BU fans to get tickets, and the crowd was not overwhelmingly BU fans. UND and PC both traveled extremely well in addition to casual fans. Was the market this soft in 2012 as well?

I recall hearing that they did not sellout in Tampa in 2012. I think about 1,000-1,500 tickets remained available, but reported attendance was still over 18,000 for both days. The bigger issue is that there is a known college hockey fan base that has not increased over the years. After that you have the fans of the four teams and the local fans. Sometimes there are few local fans, like Columbus in 2005 and sometimes there are a lot, like Boston last year. Having it is Tampa again so soon likely has softened the local fan base. I also just learned that BC still has tickets from their allotment available. It may be a combination of Frozen Four burnout, the location and/or more BC fans buying tickets earlier so that they wouldn't get shutout. Last year in Boston there was strong local fan interest, since the Frozen Four hadn't been in Boston in 11 years and with BU and PC making for the first time in 6 and 30 years respectively there was far more demand from their fan bases than available tickets. I think this year is closer to what it will be like going forward than last year. According to the NCAA's own attendance figures the Frozen Four has not sold out since St. Paul in 2011.

Sean

 

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: frozen four attendance

Was the market this soft in 2012 as well?

If I remember correctly, Yes. There just is no secondary market for tickets in cities outside of the college hockey footprint (Northeast, Upper Mid-West, Colorado). It's difficult enough, although not impossible, in cities within the footprint that aren't the traditional "college hockey markets" (i.e. Buffalo, Columbus, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, D. C.). When you go out further like Tampa, Cincinnati, and Anaheim it's a lost cause. Those of us that go nearly every year are going to plan it ahead and go. The casual FF fans that will go if its convenient certainly won't. Walk-up traffic is virtually nill. I am surprised the initial sales were as weak as they appear to have been. Although far away, Tampa is a great destination and in many cases not all that expensive to get to (relatively speaking). in 2012, the fact that it was on Easter weekend was a suspected excuse, but that is not the case this time.

 

[Tater]

Re: frozen four attendance

hundreds of tickets on the ticket exchange run by the
NCAA

There are many sellers selling 6 tickets in a row in the straight-away sides of the lower bowl. Some even have entire rows of 18 tickets. I noticed this happened last year as well in Boston. How did these people get ahold of all these tickets? Isn't the max 4 tickets in the priority process?

 

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: frozen four attendance

There are many sellers selling 6 tickets in a row in the straight-away sides of the lower bowl. Some even have entire rows of 18 tickets. I noticed this happened last year as well in Boston. How did these people get ahold of all these tickets? Isn't the max 4 tickets in the priority process?

Not everyone's max was 4. This season, the higher priorities got a higher max. I'm at the highest priority, but I can't remember how many that max was (I only needed 4).
They could also be amongst the "Friends of NCAA" that get allotted some of the best seats in the arena but rarely actually sit in them.

 

[bhadden]

Re: frozen four attendance

Was the market this soft in 2012 as well?

Yes! I went to Tampa in 2012 and I got one ticket from USCHO by meeting the guy before the game and buying him a beer. I also had someone mail me 4 tickets. I got to keep 1 and was to sell the other 3 on the street and mail them the money. I stood on a corner before the game and could not find anyone to buy. Scalpers weren't buying because they had so many to get rid of. I finally just found another scalper and asked what they'd give me. They offered me $10 per set. I mailed the guy $30. I guess it's better than nothing.

And yes, hearing it was in Tampa again, I booked a vacation regardless which teams made it, so that I can watch good hockey for low cost.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: frozen four attendance

Not everyone's max was 4. This season, the higher priorities got a higher max. I'm at the highest priority, but I can't remember how many that max was (I only needed 4).
They could also be amongst the "Friends of NCAA" that get allotted some of the best seats in the arena but rarely actually sit in them.

This year I believe that the highest priority levels were able to buy 8 tickets (my max was 8 and I'm two below the top priority level). Last year I was only allowed to buy 4 tickets.

Sean

 

[HCSmooth]

Re: frozen four attendance

I am at I think the 2nd highest priority. I only ever get 4 so I can't say what my limit was. I had to sell my tickets through the exchange, though. In all of the years of having tickets I think this is the 1st time for that. But, a family wedding takes priority no matter what anyway. Probably still could have made a pretty good profit on the tickets, and I assume the purchaser of 2 of the 4 will do just that. But, I was happy to get our money back and give someone a chance to sit in good seats without gouging them.

I personally didn't make it to the last Frozen Four in Tampa, but my siblings went. I was surprised at how expensive the flights always were, even months out, to Tampa or Orlando. If it is anything like 2012, then it's a heck of a lot more expensive to fly to Tampa than it would be to many of the other locations. Though, hotels would be a ton cheaper than Boston would be. A Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, etc. site is so much easier and closer for large pockets of fans. Tampa or Anaheim are just so far removed from those pockets.

 

[mookie1995]

Yes! I went to Tampa in 2012 and I got one ticket from USCHO by meeting the guy before the game and buying him a beer. I also had someone mail me 4 tickets. I got to keep 1 and was to sell the other 3 on the street and mail them the money. I stood on a corner before the game and could not find anyone to buy. Scalpers weren't buying because they had so many to get rid of. I finally just found another scalper and asked what they'd give me. They offered me $10 per set. I mailed the guy $30. I guess it's better than nothing.

And yes, hearing it was in Tampa again, I booked a vacation regardless which teams made it, so that I can watch good hockey for low cost.

That was MOOKIE!!!

Originally got that through the lottery. But then priceless got a suite so I did that (and sat next to hp1015).

Thanks again for that tasty beer
Was happy to move the ticket to a user

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: frozen four attendance

I am at I think the 2nd highest priority. I only ever get 4 so I can't say what my limit was. I had to sell my tickets through the exchange, though. In all of the years of having tickets I think this is the 1st time for that. But, a family wedding takes priority no matter what anyway. Probably still could have made a pretty good profit on the tickets, and I assume the purchaser of 2 of the 4 will do just that. But, I was happy to get our money back and give someone a chance to sit in good seats without gouging them.

I personally didn't make it to the last Frozen Four in Tampa, but my siblings went. I was surprised at how expensive the flights always were, even months out, to Tampa or Orlando. If it is anything like 2012, then it's a heck of a lot more expensive to fly to Tampa than it would be to many of the other locations. Though, hotels would be a ton cheaper than Boston would be. A Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, etc. site is so much easier and closer for large pockets of fans. Tampa or Anaheim are just so far removed from those pockets.

Something to consider is looking at one way tickets with airports that are fairly close. Once when the family and I flew to Orlando for a vacation, we booked one way tickets and came out cheaper than booking roundtrip. We went MSP to Orlando on the way there and Tampa to MSP on the way back. Saved us over $100 a person. We planned on spending some time in the Orlando area and at Clearwater Beach, so it worked out well.

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

I am at I think the 2nd highest priority. I only ever get 4 so I can't say what my limit was. I had to sell my tickets through the exchange, though. In all of the years of having tickets I think this is the 1st time for that. But, a family wedding takes priority no matter what anyway. Probably still could have made a pretty good profit on the tickets, and I assume the purchaser of 2 of the 4 will do just that. But, I was happy to get our money back and give someone a chance to sit in good seats without gouging them.

I personally didn't make it to the last Frozen Four in Tampa, but my siblings went. I was surprised at how expensive the flights always were, even months out, to Tampa or Orlando. If it is anything like 2012, then it's a heck of a lot more expensive to fly to Tampa than it would be to many of the other locations. Though, hotels would be a ton cheaper than Boston would be. A Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, etc. site is so much easier and closer for large pockets of fans. Tampa or Anaheim are just so far removed from those pockets.

Well, Easter weekend would have been expensive to fly just about anywhere in 2012.

Tampa usually isn't bad to fly to/from, plus there are 4 airports within an hour and a half, although St. Pete/Clearwater is really only allegiant.

 

[ThePowerConference]

Re: frozen four attendance

The frozen four sites need to alternate between St Paul, Denver, Detroit, and Boston. Tampa is not hockey country. Its a swamp.

 

[J.D.]

Re: frozen four attendance

Detroit? No thanks. And from everything i have heard, tampa was a huge success first time around.

 

[scoreboard]

Detroit? No thanks. And from everything i have heard, tampa was a huge success first time around.

Tampa was great. You could even get beers between periods in the enclosed area outside of the arena. They did a great job! Also, I don't need ice outside the arena. Ice inside is good enough. What's wrong with hanging out by a hotel pool and chartering a fishing boat during your stay?

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: frozen four attendance

Next year will be a sellout. Hockey is again all the rage in Chicago, its the first time for a FF in Chicago, its an easy destination to fly to, its driveable for a good number of NCAA teams and Chicago is probably one of the best tourist places in America that doesn't need to use weather to attract people (as in it can still be nasty in most of the hockey hotbeds in early April but in Florida the weather is usually amazing in April, like it will be next week, sunny and high 70s/low 80s during FF weekend).

 

[riverchief1]

Re: frozen four attendance

The frozen four sites need to alternate between St Paul, Denver, Detroit, and Boston. Tampa is not hockey country. Its a swamp.

No way on Detroit, yick. Replace with Pittsburgh who did a pretty good job. Boston was great last year. But I'd keep the oddball Tampa in the mix for a change of pace once in awhile.

 

[davyd83]

The frozen four sites need to alternate between St Paul, Denver, Detroit, and Boston. Tampa is not hockey country. Its a swamp.

Have you been to a hockey event in Tampa? I was there for the '99 NHL AllStar Game. They did an outstanding job. The FF in '12 was very successful as well.