Providence College on the road to Chicago

[3100IRL]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

I don't think there's as much of an advantage in placing Providence in the local regional. It's not done as a favor, just an NCAA idea to get the most money out of having the nearest team in the tourney to the site hosting it. I don't expect that players are skating around looking up at the stands and saying, "****, look at all those opponents colors out there. Terrifying! I give up!"

 

[riverchief1]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

Huh

Wonder if teams will be leery of dealing with him since he's already left two at the altar.

 

[Jon]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

I understand about people complaining about PC getting a "home game" as if Ed Cooley was coaching hockey too - but they drew arguably the hottest team in the country.
As bad as the Notre Dame series went, we did beat and tie DU and sweep Lowell. There's chance.

 

[Riz]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

They could have, however, switched Western Michigan with Union. Western Michigan is 300 miles from Cincy, but 900 miles from Providence. Union is 180 miles from Providence, but 700 miles from Cincy. Union would have brought a huge contingent of fans to that game. Instead, we'll probably have less than 100 fans making the trip to Cincy.

The committee chairman was actually asked about this in an interview with CHN and this is what he had to say:

CHN: What about, say, switching Western Michigan and Union, getting Western Michigan to Cincinnati (instead of Providence)? The school is somewhat close to Cincinnati.

McGinnis: I don't know if that was felt to be a significant switch. When you look at it the first time through, you had Cornell (in Providence) so you couldn't move Union there. After (Cornell was moved to Manchester) you could've made that (Union-WMU) switch as well, but I don't think they felt that was a dramatic enough change.

I think a huge contingent of fans is a bit of an overstatement. I gotta agree on the committee on this one - not dramatic enough of a change. PLUS, it puts the 4 NCHC teams in 2 regionals, although I don't think the committee really cares about that. The current bracket has better integrity with the #1 overall seed playing #8 also.

Western Michigan to Cinci would definitely not make any significant attendance changes.

I understand about people complaining about PC getting a "home game" as if Ed Cooley was coaching hockey too - but they drew arguably the hottest team in the country.
As bad as the Notre Dame series went, we did beat and tie DU and sweep Lowell. There's chance.

Of course there's a chance. After seeing what happened in 2015, anything can happen. Providence is a good team too.

 

[uncle_cliff]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

This makes it 4 NCAA appearances in a row for PC.....don't know how many other schools can claim that......means we have a program not just a team or 2

Not sure solely about hockey, but PC is the only school in Div I that has had both its basketball and hockey teams make their respective NCAA tournament for the last 4 years consecutively. Quite a feat.

 

[PC91]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

There's been a lot of talk about PC being placed in Providence. To me it makes sense from a seeding perspective and as a way to try to sell more tickets in a particular region. I can't believe the way it's been made out that PC has some huge advantage over the other teams because they were slotted in Providence. The huge elephant in the room is that PC draws great for a big time hoop game at the Dunk if they are having a good year but draw flies for hockey @ SCHNEIDER if the are going up against the P-Bruins or PC hoop.

Let's stop pretending that the other three schools will be having a hard time finding tickets for Friday because PC fans are scooping them up. There are plenty of seats for Friday. How many season ticket holders does PC hockey have per season 300 accounts? 350?
Hoop is still the draw at PC despite Coach Leaman's teams going to the NCAA's the past few seasons, winning a national championship and having this program seemingly headed for success over the next several seasons. PC was pretty much a four seed in any bracket. Imagine if PC and Harvard weren't in this bracket. As it is the NCAA will be lucky to get much more 7 k on Friday.

 

[Jon]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

There's been a lot of talk about PC being placed in Providence. To me it makes sense from a seeding perspective and as a way to try to sell more tickets in a particular region. I can't believe the way it's been made out that PC has some huge advantage over the other teams because they were slotted in Providence. The huge elephant in the room is that PC draws great for a big time hoop game at the Dunk if they are having a good year but draw flies for hockey @ SCHNEIDER if the are going up against the P-Bruins or PC hoop.

Let's stop pretending that the other three schools will be having a hard time finding tickets for Friday because PC fans are scooping them up. There are plenty of seats for Friday. How many season ticket holders does PC hockey have per season 300 accounts? 350?
Hoop is still the draw at PC despite Coach Leaman's teams going to the NCAA's the past few seasons, winning a national championship and having this program seemingly headed for success over the next several seasons. PC was pretty much a four seed in any bracket. Imagine if PC and Harvard weren't in this bracket. As it is the NCAA will be lucky to get much more 7 k on Friday.

Very well said. The attendance issues are so obnoxious... they've earned better.
A 4PM game on a work day? Good job, NCAA. Can we start the complaining there?

 

[Riz]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

Very well said. The attendance issues are so obnoxious... they've earned better.
A 4PM game on a work day? Good job, NCAA. Can we start the complaining there?

I have to take off Friday and Monday, and travel over 1,000 miles to watch my team play, but you're complaining about a 4PM Friday game as the #4 seed in your home city??? Wish I could be in your shoes.

 

[Jon]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

It inconveniences everyone. That's really not the point.
All this talk about bracket integrity and attendance being issues and they schedule games in the middle of the day.

 

[Riz]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

It inconveniences everyone. That's really not the point.
All this talk about bracket integrity and attendance being issues and they schedule games in the middle of the day.

When are they supposed to schedule them? In the middle of the night? There's more than one game that day at that site.

 

[chickod]

It inconveniences everyone. That's really not the point.
All this talk about bracket integrity and attendance being issues and they schedule games in the middle of the day.

It's because the NCAA women's basketball tournament (and men's on Saturday) is on at night. When is anybody going to GET it? On a nationwide level, college hockey ranks somewhere behind tiddlywinks. Just be happy the games are on. It wasn't that many years ago where the only game on was the championship game.

 

[Scarlet]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

When are they supposed to schedule them? In the middle of the night? There's more than one game that day at that site.

This. Two years ago BU had a 2pm game in Manchester. Tomorrow they have a 3pm (2pm local) game. If they don't do this, then all the games are played at the same time and everyone *****es about whether their game is on TV or not. Providence didn't get a gift because they get to play at home in front of a rabid fan base. They got a gift because they can sleep in their own beds (I know they're probably all staying at the Marriott, which the could all walk to btw) and not have to travel and have the benefit of fans who don't have to take time off, pay for plane/hotel or at the very least drive 4+ hours.

 

[Riz]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

It's because the NCAA women's basketball tournament (and men's on Saturday) is on at night. When is anybody going to GET it? On a nationwide level, college hockey ranks somewhere behind tiddlywinks. Just be happy the games are on. It wasn't that many years ago where the only game on was the championship game.

I don't think that's it. There's still a few games at night and one on site. I agree with just being happy the games are on though.

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

Athough I have complained about the overlapping TV schedule, they might just be better off scheduling all of the semi games on Saturday and all finals on Sunday. You will get more casual fans at a Saturday semis. Do the eastern games at 1:30 and 6pm EST. Do the Central time games at 2:30pm and 7pmCST and the same times for the finals. I don't think the 5 to 10K TV audience will change that much from the current schedule. I know it interferes with BBall, but in the grand non ratings scheme of things the televising network should not care too much.

 

[Jon]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

I miss USCHO so much, I can not tell you.

they might just be better off scheduling all of the semi games on Saturday and all finals on Sunday.

I don't have a problem with this idea.
It's fun for people in the east to maybe catch two games at one site and then drive to the other regional and catch the regional final, but that obviously doesn't work in the west.
My point was if the NCAA really cared about attendance, they'd have the two local teams playing at 8PM and consign Air Force and WMU to the 4PM game. Which isn't fair to those schools either, but the NCAA is hilariously random.

 

[chickod]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

Athough I have complained about the overlapping TV schedule, they might just be better off scheduling all of the semi games on Saturday and all finals on Sunday. You will get more casual fans at a Saturday semis. Do the eastern games at 1:30 and 6pm EST. Do the Central time games at 2:30pm and 7pmCST and the same times for the finals. I don't think the 5 to 10K TV audience will change that much from the current schedule. I know it interferes with BBall, but in the grand non ratings scheme of things the televising network should not care too much.

But that's the point. They stagger the games because otherwise, as was the case a few years ago, there won't be enough channels to simultaneously put them on. Remember (I keep saying this but people don't get it), hockey is at the BOTTOM of the totem pole. They have lacrosse, women's basketball, track and field. If you have four semi-finals at the same time, you're only going to have two on TV and then the fans of the other four teams will be SCREAMING. It's not about ratings (the ratings probably don't even register), it's about capacity.

Not sure where you live, but travel someplace away from the "hotbed" college hockey areas during the NCAA playoffs (when men's and women's basketball, water polo, lacrosse is on). Go into a bar and ask them to put on the "college hockey game." They'll look at you like you have six heads and then ignore you.

 

[satyking]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

Many years ago I had a friend with the NCAA and he told me the reason Providence was not being considered for the Frozen 4 was two part.....first the Dunk did not have enough rest rooms !!!! and the parking for the early game was not there.....I said the size of the venue had to be a reason and he insisted that if they wanted more tix sales for the income then they would just up the cost.......so we leap over 20 years and schedule a game at 4 so I hope the parking has improved and a good regional will be had by all......do not know if the carry a cup in the area deal Buddy put in is good for these games but it would be a good idea

 

[Jon]

It inconveniences everyone.

I'm old, cranky and I'm going to say this again.

 

[The Zlax45]

Many years ago I had a friend with the NCAA and he told me the reason Providence was not being considered for the Frozen 4 was two part.....first the Dunk did not have enough rest rooms !!!! and the parking for the early game was not there.....I said the size of the venue had to be a reason and he insisted that if they wanted more tix sales for the income then they would just up the cost.......so we leap over 20 years and schedule a game at 4 so I hope the parking has improved and a good regional will be had by all......do not know if the carry a cup in the area deal Buddy put in is good for these games but it would be a good idea

It has to do with seats...

 

[3100IRL]

Re: Providence College on the road to Chicago

I have no issue with the scheduling. Last time it was in Providence the games were Saturday and Sunday. To be able to cram four games into roughly seven hours is no easy thing. Having the multiple ESPN channels to air the games on helps some of that. Skipping going to the games this year to stay in and watch everything instead.