New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

[MUhawks628]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

What do they have out in Ohio or (western) Michigan for venues, any idea? We
can't forget them. After all, they're what makes 'The National' national.

If they held this tournament in Ohio it would be a failure of epic proportions.

Van Andel Arena (11k) or US Bank (14k) would be the closest to Western and Miami respectively.

Edit: FS23 beat me to it. There isn't much else in Ohio besides Nationwide and The Huntington Center in Toledo.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Don't invite UND to play in the tournament. Problem solved!

Of course, you would have to hide that information to the UND fans who are buying the tickets.

 

[bunt_q]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

I don't think the Denver Coliseum would be a good fit. I honestly don't think they could even sell that out unless DU, CC, and UND all made the conference tournament. That being said, Denver is a good travel destination for those looking to make a mini-vacation out of the tournament.

We're going to have that problem anywhere unless it's in Grand Forks or UND is playing/traveling. I'm not sure Grand Rapids will sell out either unless Western is in the tourney (and maybe even then). Same problem with Ohio, same problem with Nebraska, same problem with Colorado. It's a lot or traveling regardless... that's why Minneapolis. But the BTCH (the King of Hockey Conferences) wins there.

Yeah, not sure... maybe we forge a partnership between the NCHC and Vail. Lift tickets included with all tourney packages. (joking)

If they held this tournament in Ohio it would be a failure of epic proportions.

Van Andel Arena (11k) or US Bank (14k) would be the closest to Western and Miami respectively.

Edit: FS23 beat me to it. There isn't much else in Ohio besides Nationwide and The Huntington Center in Toledo.

Toledo? Yikes. That's far from everybody.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Would the casual hockey fans have gone to the NCHC tournament regardless of the B1G tournament? Do the casual hockey fans go to the Final Five when the Gophers don't play? IMO, the answer to both of those questions in general is no. The reality is there are not that many casual hockey fans, and the casual hockey fans in the cities tend to only gain interest if the Gophers are playing.

Sure there are. I know plenty of casual hockey fans in the Twin Cities who have gone to the Final Five on occasion, even when the Gophers weren't playing.

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Sure there are. I know plenty of casual hockey fans in the Twin Cities who have gone to the Final Five on occasion, even when the Gophers weren't playing.

Even if you knew 100 people, thats still just anecdotal evidence and in no way indicative of reality.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

We're going to have that problem anywhere unless it's in Grand Forks or UND is playing/traveling. I'm not sure Grand Rapids will sell out either unless Western is in the tourney (and maybe even then). Same problem with Ohio, same problem with Nebraska, same problem with Colorado. It's a lot or traveling regardless... that's why Minneapolis. But the BTCH (the King of Hockey Conferences) wins there.

Yeah, not sure... maybe we forge a partnership between the NCHC and Vail. Lift tickets included with all tourney packages. (joking)

Actually, thinking outside the box like that will be required for the NCHC to be as successful as possible.

Here is another idea, go old school. Each round is best-of-three at the highest seeded venue. You start your conference tournament a week earlier, and it finishes when the other conference tourney's finish. This way, you get a minimum of 14 games, and up to 21 games. Of course, a school would potentially have 9 games in three weeks before the NCAA Tournament started, but it would generate a lot of revenue, and still be fair. Plus, it would make the regular season that much more important, as having home ice for the conference tournament would be highly sought after.

 

[irishfan85]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Sorry it's been more than 37 seconds.

The Big Ten has announced their tournament format.
FIRST WEEKEND: best-of-3, #6 at #3 and #5 at #4.
SECOND WEEKEND: 4 teams at 1 site <b>(the #1 team hosts)</b>, #1 vs worse-seeded winner (#4/#5/#6), #2 vs better-seeded winner (#3/#4/#5), finals the next day.

They did not say whether they were having a consolation game; that may not have been decided yet. I'm guessing yes, just in case the host team loses on Friday.

Then I see people saying that the Big 10 Tourney will be at the X. What am I missing? Does the #1 seed host or is at the X?

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Even if you knew 100 people, thats still just anecdotal evidence and in no way indicative of reality.

I was just speaking out of experience. It was my impression that this was just a casual discussion and not a court proceeding. How do you suggest we scientifically measure the "reality" of the situation? Or is it just that your opinion differs from mine?

 

[redwings8831]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Then I see people saying that the Big 10 Tourney will be at the X. What am I missing? Does the #1 seed host or is at the X?

You quoted a post from last October. It's at the X for now.

 

[MUhawks628]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

I was just speaking out of experience. It was my impression that this was just a casual discussion and not a court proceeding.

Welcome to USCHO. You need some if the intent of the post is anything but a doctoral dissertation

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

I was just speaking out of experience. It was my impression that this was just a casual discussion and not a court proceeding. How do you suggest we scientifically measure the "reality" of the situation? Or is it just that your opinion differs from mine?

No worries. I'm sure there are casual hockey fans that attend games and don't care which teams are playing. Given the choice between the B1G and the NCHC, I agree with you that the B1G is the likely destination for those fans because the schools are much higher profile (and happen to include the Gophers). That being said, the point that I was making is that the numbers of those types of fans are very low. How low, I don't think any of us have the time/resources to calculate that, nor would it be a good use of time/resources. As we agreed before, regardless of the number of those fans, the Cities still are probably the best option for the NCHC tournament.

 

[SOTA]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Actually, thinking outside the box like that will be required for the NCHC to be as successful as possible.

Here is another idea, go old school. Each round is best-of-three at the highest seeded venue. You start your conference tournament a week earlier, and it finishes when the other conference tourney's finish. This way, you get a minimum of 14 games, and up to 21 games. Of course, a school would potentially have 9 games in three weeks before the NCAA Tournament started, but it would generate a lot of revenue, and still be fair. Plus, it would make the regular season that much more important, as having home ice for the conference tournament would be highly sought after.

I think it's an interesting idea that's worth exploring. Increases importance of the regular season, which I like in any sport.

Along those lines, I've felt that the NCAA's should go back to this route and go to two rounds of best of 3 at the higher seed's home with a guaranteed little bit higher number of tickets to the visitor than a normal road game. Always seemed to me like the NCAA has tried to make hockey more like basketball in terms of "neutral sites." Reward the higher seeds & eliminate 60% empty arenas in the west. Obviously a big problem would be having to reserve venues for events that may not happen and prevent other events from happening there (high school events at Kohl Center as an example). This is a discussion reserved for a different thread so I'll stop.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Welcome to USCHO. You need some if the intent of the post is anything but a doctoral dissertation

Thanks

 

[bunt_q]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

I think it's an interesting idea that's worth exploring. Increases importance of the regular season, which I like in any sport.

Along those lines, I've felt that the NCAA's should go back to this route and go to two rounds of best of 3 at the higher seed's home with a guaranteed little bit higher number of tickets to the visitor than a normal road game. Always seemed to me like the NCAA has tried to make hockey more like basketball in terms of "neutral sites." Reward the higher seeds & eliminate 60% empty arenas in the west. Obviously a big problem would be having to reserve venues for events that may not happen and prevent other events from happening there (high school events at Kohl Center as an example). This is a discussion reserved for a different thread so I'll stop.

Yeah, I think the problem will be holding down venues for three weekends, not knowing if they'll be needed at all until the week before. I actually contemplated suggesting that the regular season champion just be given rights to host the NCHC final four (whether they reach it or not?)... especially if we can't find a suitable neutral site attendance-wise. Talk about incentive to win the regular season (if we find a 9th team, then #1 gets a first round bye, so they are guaranteed to play too). But there's still the issue of not knowing until the week before.

 

[MUhawks628]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Something to consider in all these scenarios is our comically small arena (relatively speaking). Would UND fans be content with an allotment of 500 tickets (if that) to the conference championship if Miami ended up hosting one year? Maybe the distance would negate demand. I really don't know how well everyone out west travels.

 

[irishfan85]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

What about NHC plays their semifinals Thursday night, the Big 10 plays Friday night and the championship games are Saturday? All at the X? The WCHA currently occupies all three nights. I think that could work and could get hockey nuts to go for all three nights.

 

[bunt_q]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

I really don't know how well everyone out west travels.

North Dakota is the only one that travels well. Of course, I haven't really figured out if they travel, or if Sioux fans are like cicadas and they just emerge from the ground, clad in shiny green, whenever some call the rest of us can't hear goes out.

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

What about NHC plays their semifinals Thursday night, the Big 10 plays Friday night and the championship games are Saturday? All at the X? The WCHA currently occupies all three nights. I think that could work and could get hockey nuts to go for all three nights.

Why would the B1G want to share the venue? They have no incentive to do so.

 

[irishfan85]

Re: New/Adjusted Conference Tournaments

Not necessarily sharing the venue. The NHC would get the gate Thursday, Big 10 get the gate Friday. You could have the NHC Championship game at 1 on Saturday and the Big 10 Champ game at 7 or 8. Two gates. For the good of college hockey. Yes. I know the Big 10 is greedy and is only looking out for their own good, but college hockey has always been a close knit community and I could see this being pulled off.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Not necessarily sharing the venue. The NHC would get the gate Thursday, Big 10 get the gate Friday. You could have the NHC Championship game at 1 on Saturday and the Big 10 Champ game at 7 or 8. Two gates. For the good of college hockey. Yes. I know the Big 10 is greedy and is only looking out for their own good, but college hockey has always been a close knit community and I could see this being pulled off.

Not a bad idea IMO.