What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

I would speculate the Grand Forks decision is based on location and nothing else. It's on the western fringe with no surrounding programs to pull in additional fans. For travelers it is an expensive ticket to GF or it's a ticket to MSP and then a 4.5hr drive. REA is fabulous and everyone should get a chance to watch a game there but still not enough to overcome the above. Did Alvarez bid for Madison?? Is Labahn under capacity to qualify?
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

TonyTheTiger20 said:
Yes. Though I don't think it's completely off the table to be at BC. Or (oh man) Matthews.
Click to expand...

BC can't happen, and I doubt Matthews could either, due to the men's teams needing ice, and the hoop teams' (men's and women's) demands as well.

I would like to see RIT bid with their new facility, and location, which is an epicenter of hockey given the proximity to the GTA. Also, UVM should throw their hat in the ring since they also have location, and can pull off great engagement with the youth hockey scene.
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

TonyTheTiger20 said:
Yes. Though I don't think it's completely off the table to be at BC. Or (oh man) Matthews.
Click to expand...

Matthew's would be free. The men team if (big if) still playing would be at neutral sites for the NCAAs. Basketball would be the same and women don't play at Matthews.

It would be amazing to have Matthew's host, with all of it's history. What is average attendance for the FF?
 
NUWH DogHouse said:
Matthew's would be free. The men team if (big if) still playing would be at neutral sites for the NCAAs. Basketball would be the same and women don't play at Matthews.

It would be amazing to have Matthew's host, with all of it's history. What is average attendance for the FF?
Click to expand...

High two K to low threes. Ridder was banged out last year which was as good as it gets for the obvious reasons.
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

Badger Booster said:
University of Wisconsin somehow lands a bid to host a men's Frozen Four...in Tampa, but won't/can't host a women's Frozen Four. I understand the logistical issues, but it's comical that Madison hasn't seen a Frozen Four yet.
Click to expand...

I have to think that if Barry would bother filling out the application, that Madison would be a slam dunk for hosting. As I mentioned when the finalists were announced though, there is a bit of a venue problem, as LaBahn is really too small, but Kohl is too big. The combination of the "no simultaneous events" rule, the fact that Kohl is generally booked solid in March, and the fact that they downsized LaBahn from the original plan of it being a 4,000 seat arena to being 2,300 seats are probably the biggest things keeping UW from submitting a bid. It's even more frustrating when UW and WIAA were in a mini-feud over hosting state HS championships, that UW cited bidding for a Women's FF as a reason for needing more flexibility.

On the mens side, I find it more bizarre that UW's bid to host in Tampa not only went through, it happened earlier than expected, but their bid to host in Milwaukee wasn't even a finalist.
In the years that Ridder is the venue, does it also host the WCHAs? Must be nice to not to have to travel at all for the entire playoffs/tournaments.
Click to expand...

I've always thought it was strange that the WCHA tourney and the FF typically end up in the same arena. Obviously, the WCHA tourney most often happens at Ridder, but the 2 times it was held in Duluth were the exact same years they held the FF. I'd think they would want to split them up, rather than keep them together. I was pleasantly surprised that Bemidji is getting in on the tourney this year.
 
Last edited:
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

FiveHoleFrenzy said:
Settlement with the NCAA was more than a little contentious plus there still are all those hostile and abusive images throughout the arena. Just sayin...
Click to expand...

puckskillz said:
I would speculate the Grand Forks decision is based on location and nothing else. It's on the western fringe with no surrounding programs to pull in additional fans. For travelers it is an expensive ticket to GF or it's a ticket to MSP and then a 4.5hr drive. REA is fabulous and everyone should get a chance to watch a game there but still not enough to overcome the above. Did Alvarez bid for Madison?? Is Labahn under capacity to qualify?
Click to expand...
I think the NCAA is still having issues with the arena.

For example, on the arena's website (theralph.com) there is a story about the 2015 men's west regional coming to North Dakota. But to the Scheels Arena in Fargo "in partnership with the University of North Dakota and Ralph Engelstad Arena".
 
NUWH DogHouse said:
Matthew can hold about 4k so it could be possible.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think it would be great...however, I've heard the NCAA prefers to be able to set up shop a few days early and on campus multi-sport facilities tend to have conflicts. Plus they have requirements for x amount of space for media, hospitality, etc and Matthews might not be able to fulfill those.
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

I wonder if the Tampa bid has anything to do with an ex Badger's father's connections in Florida. Back in 2008-09, UNH and UW played a pair in Fort Myers due to that reason.
 
freak said:
I wonder if the Tampa bid has anything to do with an ex Badger's father's connections in Florida. Back in 2008-09, UNH and UW played a pair in Fort Myers due to that reason.
Click to expand...

Doubt it. On the men's side the prevailing thought is the Wisco AD saw a good thing and decided to piggy back on the previous success in Tampa. (good excuse to get out of Wisco in the early spring too)
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

Hux said:
I would like to see RIT bid with their new facility, and location, which is an epicenter of hockey given the proximity to the GTA.
Click to expand...

RIT's new arena will seat about 4000, with room for 500 standing or so. Is that big enough? What are the capacity requirements?

(Holy cow... I just checked and Ridder only holds 3400?? And here I was wondering if Rochester's Blue Cross Arena was big enough. Man, I wish women's hockey was more popular.)

That said, I would not be surprised to see a bid from RIT for the next round; as a second-year program I think we're still getting our footing and figuring out how to market the team.


Powers &8^]
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

Thinking out loud, now that the dust has settled. Regarding Lindenwood's inclusion:

Hux said:
...Ridder was banged out last year which was as good as it gets for the obvious reasons.
Click to expand...
Which also means that it's as financially favorable as it gets. Maybe the second Ridder tournament was consciously "paired" with the Lindenwood tourney to provide something of a financial safety net for the latter. Despite my hopeful posts on Lindenwood earlier, there obviously is some downside risk involved.

Regarding North Dakota's exclusion:

ManBehindTheCurtain said:
I think the NCAA is still having issues with the arena.

For example, on the arena's website (theralph.com) there is a story about the 2015 men's west regional coming to North Dakota. But to the Scheels Arena in Fargo "in partnership with the University of North Dakota and Ralph Engelstad Arena".
Click to expand...
This has a ring of truth to it.

Women's Selections: Four applications, Four tournaments. One school wins twice, while another is closed out? Not a smoking gun by any means, but it seems a little odd.

Men's Selections: One ND gets to host on campus, while another ND does not. Why? Because Fargo is so much more accessible than Grand Forks? And because South Bend is self-evidently convenient for all? Yeah, right.

Granted, North Dakota may have applied only for Fargo on the Men's side. Or, the Fargo facility could simply have been deemed to be a more appropriate size. So again, no smoking gun. But when you look at these decisions as parts of the same package, it certainly feels like a message is being sent.
 
Re: NCAA Announces Host Site Finalists

pgb-ohio said:
But when you look at these decisions as parts of the same package, it certainly feels like a message is being sent.
Click to expand...

Interesting analysis. Do you have any idea what the issues might be with the Ralph?
 
FiveHoleFrenzy said:
Not...sure...if...serious?
Click to expand...
When there was discussion about whether or not the Fighting Sioux nickname would be dropped, there were reports that REA could not be used as a host site unless all of the images were removed. As anyone who has ever been to the arena could say, that would not be trivial to do. The logo is everywhere, including in the marble floor. I don't know if that was waived as part of the agreement with the NCAA or not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top