NCAA is Missing the Boat

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

Re: NCAA is Missing the Boat

I don't know about the other regionals, but RIT students got into Albany for $20 as opposed to the general public for $46. But they were sent out right after their team's game on Friday.

Those tickets were subsidized by the school. Assuming that only students picked up the entire allotment of 400 (no alums), RIT paid the ($46 - $20) * 400 * 2 = $20,800 to give the students the cheap tickets to Albany.

Now, that's great for a team making its first appearance. But, can you imagine Michigan paying 21k a year for each of their 20 consecutive appearances so that 1.53% of their undergrads (400 of 26,208) could attend a regional?

Personally, I think the NCAA should offer multiple ticket price brackets. At Albany, there was only youth and adult. Some upper level cheap seats, college student discounts, ... all of these things would improve attendance and atmosphere. Albany was absolutely empty and deathly quiet, except for the RIT contingent. Worcester (I was there on Sunday) was more full, but was also suspiciously quiet.

Just to add to this line of discussion...

Someone who works in the box office mentioned that they had allotted the two-day package to the schools. RIT was the only one of the four to return them all, and then buy a One-day package (x400) for Friday. After winning on Friday, they quickly bought up that same allotment for Saturday.

According to my source, the RIT fans thus paid (based on the discounted group-rate the TUC then provided RIT) $2 more for the 2 days, but the Denver and Cornell fans who decided not to attend the Saturday game were out $35...


Also, Denver returned 370 of their 400-ticket allotment.

 

[nbetweennownthen]

Re: NCAA is Missing the Boat

You can't compare the Wisconsin and St. Cloud situations. We had just dropped well over $1k the weekend before at the Final Five. Can't turn around and do it again the next weekend, much as we would have liked to. St. Cloud on the other hand could go to the games and sleep in their own beds at the end of the day.

Bingo. Hit that right on the head. The same thing could be said for the Fort Wayne regional, or any for that matter. When it's played in your backyard, you don't have to go and find hotels for the weekend because games that end at 11pm-midnight isn't a problem.

I know plenty of people that were (maybe mistakenly) holding out for the FF to follow Miami/Michigan/Wisconsin rather than spend the gas/lodging/tickets/meals for what would amount to (some people) 3 out of 4 straight weeks. If you can afford it, kudos to you. I think the vast majority of people, though, are in situations where it's not possible to drop that kind of money 3 out of 4 weeks in a row.

 

[chapmaja]

Re: NCAA is Missing the Boat

Maybe it is time to look at a format change for host sites

I don't like the idea of 2 8 team regionals. I think 4 regionals can work.

What the NCAA needs to do site selection for regionals the same way they do site selection at the D2 and D3 levels in most sports.

The highest seed in the region hosts. If for some reason that school is not available to host (either at their facility or at another suitable location), then the hosting goes to the 2nd seed ect.

By using host sites you drastically increase the likelihood of larger crowds for at least the first round games, depending on how the host school does.

Would the Ft Wayne regional have attracted more fans if it had been held at Miami rather than at Ft. Wayne?

Yes, allowing the #1 seed to host does give that school an advantage, but it is one that is earned, moreso than the potential home locale advantage RIT had simply because Denver had to fly into the game from 1/2 across the country.


I think if the NCAA looked closely they would likely see that revenue would be better at a host site, or a site choosen by a school.

 

[blockski]

Re: NCAA is Missing the Boat

Maybe it is time to look at a format change for host sites

I don't like the idea of 2 8 team regionals. I think 4 regionals can work.

What the NCAA needs to do site selection for regionals the same way they do site selection at the D2 and D3 levels in most sports.

The highest seed in the region hosts. If for some reason that school is not available to host (either at their facility or at another suitable location), then the hosting goes to the 2nd seed ect.

By using host sites you drastically increase the likelihood of larger crowds for at least the first round games, depending on how the host school does.

Would the Ft Wayne regional have attracted more fans if it had been held at Miami rather than at Ft. Wayne?

Yes, allowing the #1 seed to host does give that school an advantage, but it is one that is earned, moreso than the potential home locale advantage RIT had simply because Denver had to fly into the game from 1/2 across the country.


I think if the NCAA looked closely they would likely see that revenue would be better at a host site, or a site choosen by a school.

Doing this would require a census of all D-1 arenas to determine a) which ones are capable of hosting a 4-team regional and meeting minimum requirements (capacity, lockerrooms, video review, TV hosting, etc), and b) which ones can hold open the dates as potential hosts, and c) have the necessary amenities as a host city (hotel rooms, travel access, etc.)

I'd suspect that b) is the tricky part, even for schools that control their own arenas - I know Wisconsin will end up hosting high school State tournaments and things of that nature... I'm sure there are some other schools that would also have off-campus arenas that would meet those requirements if their home rink does not, but again, holding those dates would be a problem - the arena is going to want to rent those out for certain money rather than hold them on the chance that the hockey team might get to host an event...

 

[Hammer]

Re: NCAA is Missing the Boat

Would the Ft Wayne regional have attracted more fans if it had been held at Miami rather than at Ft. Wayne?

No. Miami's arena has a listed capacity on this website of 3,200. Bemidji, the #2 seed, holds 2,500. By your logic, the Ft. Wayne regional would have been held at Yost, the home of the #3 seed. The lower seed would have been hosting a first round playoff game.

I think you're creating a bigger mess than the one you're trying to clean up.

 

[sqeyes]

Re: NCAA is Missing the Boat

NCAA wanted to get away from the on campus setting so nobody would have a home field advantage and get the 10k arenas to sell more tickets. Nice theory but not fully realized the last few years due to distance and economy.
The NCAA is pretty much run by football and b-ball types. Money talks to these folks first and foremost. I went to the reg. at Yost the last time they were there and found what had been free parking for ten years was run as a moneymaker per NCAA instructions. (per the people there)
I remember listening to a AD from a hockey school tell about the powers wanting to drop the championship because there were too few school playing the sport. Then they placed a hold on new schools joining D1 level and if a certain number of legit D1 schools dropped below a magic number then no championship.
These same suits sell the rights to a 'sports net' that maybe gives the Beanpot score and little else during the season and we lovers of the sport wonder why nobody knows who plays it. Then they dictate to us what we get to see and maybe it will be complete and live not taped at midnight.
I noticed that the best game (Mich.-Miami) isn't scheduled for a repeat like the others.

Side note; I love Doc Emerick doing games because he WILL mention players who came through the college system. Ever wonder how many folks say to themselves, I didn't know they played hockey there!