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Frozen Four Date Change
- Thread starter BuckyB
- Start date
robertearle
Well-known member
2027 Women’s Frozen Four dates changed - NCAA.org
The NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Committee approved a change of dates for the 2027 Women’s Frozen Four in Duluth, Minnesota.
www.ncaa.org
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Originally, the semifinals were slated for Friday, March 19, with the final being played March 21. Committee members’ rationale for making the change is to have all three games of the Women’s Frozen Four televised on ESPN’s linear channels.
We are grateful to our host, Minnesota Duluth, for its continued commitment to delivering a first-class championship experience for student-athletes
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So this implies that all 3 games were NOT going to be on ESPN's linear channels? They are saying a 75% reduction in attendance is worth being on ESPN's linear channels. Whose taking off 3 days of work to attend this?
A first class championship experience in an empty arena?
We are grateful to our host, Minnesota Duluth, for its continued commitment to delivering a first-class championship experience for student-athletes
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So this implies that all 3 games were NOT going to be on ESPN's linear channels? They are saying a 75% reduction in attendance is worth being on ESPN's linear channels. Whose taking off 3 days of work to attend this?
A first class championship experience in an empty arena?
robertearle
Well-known member
In fact, the 2026 semis were only on ESPN-Plus - that is, streamed only - and the final was on ESPNU.
Well at least you can pull the trigger at the last moment and score some cheap tickets when Wisconsin makes the final.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Yeah but streaming is a way of life right now. It will be a bad optic to play in an empty building.
If you want to be there, you'll make it work.
As someone who works 2nd shift (3pm-11pm Eastern) including many weekends, using PTO to watch or attend sporting events is a way of life.
As far as empty arenas, maybe it's time for the NCAA to start going to pwhl cities that can draw 8k+ for a women's hockey game
ZedLeppellin
Active member
The Frozen Four semifinal last season at Penn State set a tournament single-game record for attendance. If that can happen at Penn State, in a small city in the middle of nowhere (no disrespect to the Amish), it's not about what city the tournament is played in.
only because the host was playing.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Come on Zed, you are smarter/better than that. Put the blue cool aid aside and turn your noodle on again.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
People only have so many vacation days. Me and my extended family plan on using our vacation days way in advance and every one of those suckers is used up but other stuff. If I was to plan on attending the whole event, I would have to not do something else that I been doing or want to do. This throws a wrench in all these plans. I live 6 hours from Duluth. If you think I'm leaving Duluth at 10:30 at night and getting home at 4:30 to get up for work at 5:15, you're a little bit crazy.
Apparently ESPN has time on Sunday currently because they can show the semis, so Just show the final on ESPN and stream the semis. The following year make a deal with ESPN that they carve out time on Friday for the semis too.
robertearle
Well-known member
What is filling ESPN's schedule at that time is the women's NCAA basketball tournament. That Friday, they would have 16 games they are contracted to air somewhere across their channels. By Sunday, it would be down to eight games, and Tuesday would have none; Tuesday being between rounds of that tournament.
One could argue that having to compete with women's basketball means hockey should go somewhere else; back to BTN, for example. Is that better, more people able to watch, etc? Don't know.
Wherever hockey gets televised, on Friday/Sunday, it is competing with both men's and women's basketball tournaments, and neither of them on Tuesday.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Yeah they need to do it Friday-Sunday at a PWHL arena with the host PWHL team playing there on Saturday with meet and greets all over the place with the college players and coaches.
Idea #2 is do this on the same weekend at the same facility as the men's frozen 4. Play the title games the same day like a double header.
ZedLeppellin
Active member
My point was that the days of the tournament matter as much as the city they're played in. In 2022, when Penn State hosted and the team wasn't a tournament factor, the tournament still wasn't in an empty arena over the weekend...because it was a weekend. If this year's tournament in Duluth was over the weekend, nobody would be predicting an empty arena.
Bottom line: I'm not a fan of a Sunday-Tuesday tournament.
ZedLeppellin
Active member
Both of these ideas make a lot of sense.
Windchill22
Active member
Seems they are trading in arena seating for broadcast views. - (Though as we've all pointed out there could probably be a solution where you get both.)
That decision is all about the fans - which is important for growing the sport - but what about the players - I think if they are playing in a National Championship - every effort should be made to make it special for them as well - and that means playing in front of a packed arena.
That decision is all about the fans - which is important for growing the sport - but what about the players - I think if they are playing in a National Championship - every effort should be made to make it special for them as well - and that means playing in front of a packed arena.
I don't believe I've ever heard of a championship being held on a Tuesday in any other sport before this. As hockey players, we are very accustomed to playing on weekends, especially playoffs and particularly championship games, so this is the most peculiar decision I've ever heard of for our sport. I have a strong feeling they did not consult with the players or coaches on this one because I'm 100% sure that Tuesday would not be their first choice for a championship game. In fact, it might be their last choice of which day of the week to play the championship game. Will they adjust? Of course they will because they're hockey players (and coaches) and hockey players are the best at reading and reacting to changing situations, even very stupid changes like this one!