Re: NCAA Regionals - Time to Go Back to 2 Sites?
I'm amazed people don't think the NCAA knows this, or can't do simple calculations.
Lower the price points from $200 to $50 and you need to attract 4x as many people to get the same gate revenue. The only people interested in doing that are the concessionaires, because for them, more people means more revenue, regardless of ticket prices.
What the NCAA knows is that location and the alumni bases of the particular teams involved affects regional attendance far more than ticket price. You could make attendance next to free and it still wouldn't put attendance up above a certain point because only a certain number of people have any interest in college hockey at all, as opposed to pro; only so many are interested in watching games that don't involve their favorite team; only so many are interested in a game they have to travel to; only so many live within easy travel reach of a regional site.
You consider all those factors and you have to price to maximize your revenue at the expected attendance point.
I'm sure the NCAA has no more (or any less, for that matter) incompetence than any other organization of its size, but I'm consistently amazed at why so few people are interested in divining why things are done the way they are, rather than pointing out how obvious it is that things are done poorly and should be changed in a way that directly improves the situation for the analyst, and not for the organization-- in this case, cheaper tickets.
I'm sure the NCAA can-- and should-- do more to evangelize college hockey. Somehow I don't think it hinges on regional tourney ticket pricing.
There are certain things the NC$$ knows and then and then there are certain things they don't seem to care about!
What we have on this board are the most ardent supporters of college hockey in the country. We are a small group, but we all can recall attending regionals where the arenas were packed and the atmosphere was great. Some of those were at campus sites, some were the "super" regionals, while others were the current format of 4 regional sites.
What is frustrating to most of us is that we are bias and feel we have the greatest game to support and know how much atmosphere adds when we are in attendance and from a viewing standpoint.
Some folks on here may feel embarrassed that if no one goes it shows apathy toward a great sport and we don't want that impression to be how the sport is viewed while in the national spotlight. While others simply want the excitement they feel when watching this sport to be showcased to the casual fans who might embrace the sport.
It's obvious however that the NC$$ does not care, otherwise they would do something about it and address ticket prices. Being in the business world I've had to adjust many of the things I do the past two years, and have even reduced pricing from two years ago in order to keep business. We're all not out here living in a vacuum! We have ideas that could improve their bottom line, but it is evident that they simply don't care.
The NC$$ accidently stumbled upon a gold mine in the Frozen Four as the sport grew without any support from their Kansas City headquarters. Many years ago you could walk up to the gate at the Frozen Four in Providence (before it was the "frozen" four) and buy a ticket. We helped to create this cash cow for them, and now we're concerned that their ignorance could send the sport backward instead of forward when we are already dealing with issues with competing with major junior programs and a smaller pool of kids playing the sport in New England.
Obviously there is much to think about, and how to market the sport to sell more tickets at these regionals is a high priority.
And now with the tournament at a non-traditional site many of us are also concerned that instead of a national championship what we may see in Ford Field is empty seats, bad ice, and as a result a substandard product. Which is why many regular Frozen Four attendees are taking this one off!
