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The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

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Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

I don't know that rotating it through all league schools is a wise idea. We have some small towns — more people live in metro Huntsville (418k in the CSA) than live in the entire UP (311k) by about 100k, which means you could wedge the CSAs for Mankato (39k), Bowling Green (30k), Bemidji (13k), and Big Rapids (11k) in there and still have room left over. Brining in nine league schools and putting them up in okay to nice hotels is going to soak up a lot of our good hotel space, presuming that you're putting two teams in a hotel and have the remainder for league officials, referees, dignitaries, and my mom.[sub]1[/sub]

Bemidji people are used to me picking on them, so I will here: the Sanford Center is probably perfect size-wise for our needs. I don't know what the locker room situation is, but I bet that in every other respect it would be perfect. But if we want a tournament that brings in 2,000 people to a town every year, that's a huge influx for these smaller towns. And while going to sleep on Shirtless Guy's floor may be a great idea after the sixth beer, I really don't want to wake up on the floor of a Motel 8.

Huntsville's size and venue capability is why we hosted the first two CHA tournaments — and we weren't great hosts. Niagara got the next one, and then they moved to a neutral site once we got an AQ, and that held until the league started falling apart, at which point we moved back on campuses. (Somehow Robert Morris never got to host, but I think that's a function of working at Moon Island.) If a league city is going to host, the only two that make sense from a space/stuff-to-do factor are probably Huntsville and Anchorage (the only other CSA over 100k, unless I'm somehow reading things wrong for Fairbanks, at which point Hockey Bear will be buzzing my house Really Soon NowTM). While neither are an attractive location for travel to the host city, Huntsville is going to be cheaper by a great amount.

That said, Huntsville isn't that big, and we will wear this town thin after about five years of doing it here. If it's an alternation between Huntsville and Grand Rapids ... okay. But I'd rather be one or the other.

GFM <— would like to note that it's not that Huntsville is that big (it isn't, at the fourth largest metro in the region), but rather that the rest of the WCHA is pretty small.

[1] What? My house is too **** small. They're coming tomorrow. Aaaaaaah!
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

I think a ten team, four day tournament in suburban Chicago is the way to go. I can plan months in advance and book everything for better prices with the knowledge that I will get at least one game from my team and a lot of fun hockey and other Chicago activities.

I think one common problem is that if it's the end of the season and you think there is a possibility that your team may go to the NCAAs, you'll skip the conference tourney and save money for the regionals. I think a fair amount of MSU fans did that this year. I know that's what I've done in the past. If I knew in September that my team would get at least a game in at the conference tournament, I'd plan to go far in advance.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Keep in mind that Bowling Green is only a half hour from Toledo. Not the greatest of cities but it does have a world class art museum and zoo, plus there are some nice shopping areas within an easy drive from BG.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

gfmorris said:
If a league city is going to host, the only two that make sense from a space/stuff-to-do factor are probably Huntsville and Anchorage (the only other CSA over 100k, unless I'm somehow reading things wrong for Fairbanks, at which point Hockey Bear will be buzzing my house Really Soon NowTM).
Click to expand...

reading it wrong for BG. Toledo CSA is 650,00+.
Huntington Center in downtown Toledo seats 7,400 for hockey.
But Chicago still makes the most sense to me...

Congrats to Ryan Carpenter on signing with the San Jose Sharks!
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

The other thing about Chicago is that it's easy for the Alaska schools to get there. Alaska Airlines has a non-stop from ANC to ORD. With other locations (like GR) it's more of a "well, where can I fly to for cheap and drive to it?" A real PITA.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Jimjamesak said:
The other thing about Chicago is that it's easy for the Alaska schools to get there. Alaska Airlines has a non-stop from ANC to ORD. With other locations (like GR) it's more of a "well, where can I fly to for cheap and drive to it?" A real PITA.
Click to expand...
Realistically you can leave both Alaska schools out of the fan attendance equation.
Assume both schools make the tournament.
Canadian players parents 50 from each school = 100
If you got 100 fans from each school (and that's probably double wishful thinking) = 200
300 tickets total.
And if I have to bet I'll bet the under.

Edit: not a Debbie Downer just looking at UAA fan attendance last weekend.
2nd Edit: UA_ fans will disagree
 
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Seawolf Fan said:
Realistically you can leave both Alaska schools out of the fan attendance equation.
Assume both schools make the tournament.
Canadian players parents 50 from each school = 100
If you got 100 fans from each school (and that's probably double wishful thinking) = 200
300 tickets total.
And if I have to bet I'll bet the under.
Click to expand...
I'd be willing to travel, and I know plenty of others who would, if the tournament was in an easy to get to place like Chicago.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Jimjamesak said:
I'd be willing to travel, and I know plenty of others who would, if the tournament was in an easy to get to place like Chicago.
Click to expand...
I'll go with ya but I still don't think we can get more than another couple hundred to go with us.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Just a question...and not a loaded question either...an honest question
What will a trip cost us?
$600 airplane ticket????
How much for a lower middle (clean, no frills) hotel/motel for how many nights????
"Free" continental breakfast at the hotel/motel
Fast food lunch....moderate priced dinner????
Split the car rental how many ways????
The booze is a necessity and should not be figured in.
And I'm getting too old to do a whole lot of these "togetherness" trips.
 
Seawolf Fan said:
Just a question...and not a loaded question either...an honest question
What will a trip cost us?
$600 airplane ticket????
How much for a lower middle (clean, no frills) hotel/motel for how many nights????
"Free" continental breakfast at the hotel/motel
Fast food lunch....moderate priced dinner????
Split the car rental how many ways????
The booze is a necessity and should not be figured in.
And I'm getting too old to do a whole lot of these "togetherness" trips.
Click to expand...
Like "cheap" cheap or "I'm getting double miles" cheap?
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Believe me, you cannot get from Mankato to Chicago by car in 6.5 hours. Closer to 8, and that's if you don't hit major traffic jams.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Been said more than once here ... There really isn't a good venue in Chicago for the WCHA. THe United Center isn't even a good place for the Frozen Four.

I'm not a fan of rotating to campus sites.

2018- WCHA Final 4ive in Anchorage: Kato, BG, LSSU and NMU ... total 4 game attendance 2,000 ...

Same issue in any city ... the local boys aren't on the ice and nobody is going to be there.

Using this years finishes as a template:
First Weekend:
Ferris v. Bemidji @ Buellers Ice Rink
Northern goes to Kato
UAA @ UA_
Tech to Toledo

2nd Weekend
Thurs/FRi/Sat (if needed)
UAA on the Ferris Wheel
Bowling Pins in Kato
Mon (single game elimination):
Kato @ Ferris

And yes ... this means you'd have to start the WCHA playoffs a week earlier and obviously travel for the final game is going to be a pain in the rear for a team.
 
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Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

@uaafanblog.

So you're suggesting best of three quarterfinals one weekend at campus sites.
Re-seed and move to best of three semis on a second weekend also at campus sites.
Then give the lowest seeded finalist an entire day to get to the other team's rink for a single game for all the marbles.

What if that Mankato series went 3 games. You're going to load the team up on a bus Sunday night at 10pm, make them sleep in the bus as it winds its way around Lake Michigan arriving in Big Rapids about noon, so they can play a single elimination championship game that evening. I don't know what you're smoking, but I hope you brought enough for everybody.

Substitute one of the Alaska schools for either of those teams playing in the final (I know that's unlikely) and you've got an absolute impossibility...unless you guys have developed a Star-Trek style transporter.

Also, there's a major economic problem with multiple weekends at campus sites. All of our arenas (whether owned by the school, the city or some other entity) need revenue from other events to keep them financially afloat. They can't afford to turn away other events on the 'chance' they might get a home series.
 
Jimjamesak said:
I'd be willing to travel, and I know plenty of others who would, if the tournament was in an easy to get to place like Chicago.
Click to expand...

I'd go if it was in MSP or Chicago. Grand Rapids, not so much.

That said, you're never going to get more than a couple hundred Alaskans there. That is the reality of the situation.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Freddie said:
@uaafanblog.

So you're suggesting best of three quarterfinals one weekend at campus sites.
Re-seed and move to best of three semis on a second weekend also at campus sites.
Then give the lowest seeded finalist an entire day to get to the other team's rink for a single game for all the marbles.
Click to expand...
Cos NCAA basketball teams don't travel on short notice in their tournament?

What if that Mankato series went 3 games. You're going to load the team up on a bus Sunday night at 10pm, make them sleep in the bus as it winds its way around Lake Michigan arriving in Big Rapids about noon, so they can play a single elimination championship game that evening. I don't know what you're smoking, but I hope you brought enough for everybody.
Click to expand...
Cos they can't fly to Class 2 Rapids? It's 2014 ... it's ONE short notice trip in a season for ONE team. A team that WANTS to win a championship. I think they can suck it up ONCE.

Substitute one of the Alaska schools for either of those teams playing in the final (I know that's unlikely) and you've got an absolute impossibility...unless you guys have developed a Star-Trek style transporter.
Click to expand...
See the part above about airline travel.

Also, there's a major economic problem with multiple weekends at campus sites. All of our arenas (whether owned by the school, the city or some other entity) need revenue from other events to keep them financially afloat. They can't afford to turn away other events on the 'chance' they might get a home series.
Click to expand...
EVERY SINGLE arena used by a WCHA team sits empty at minimum 50% of the time. In most cases it's probably more. Oh what? The North Central East High School chamber orchestra might not be able to have their Cello Showdown against East South Suburban High School at the Arena on the exact day they had it last year? Crimea River. Getting whatever rink to hold their dates open for one of their primary clients is less revenue negative than sticking 6000 people in a rink over 2 days in Class 2a Rapids or Twinkie-Town.

Also, whatever process one uses in the post-season is going to be a revenue sharing situation amongst the league teams. I would think most any berg in the league would sell out it's joint for a championship game. That game alone would equal whatever revenue is made (giggling) with VanAndel or Xcel.

So yeah ... since it's about money; the league members would make more with this plan than what they are wasting at expensive neutral sites.
 
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Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Look at it from another perspective. the attendance will most like not change a whole lot no matter where you are, but Chicago attendance would not be higher. Thus you are looking at where would the costs be the lowest. GRR is a LOT cheaper to host than Chicago. Also the UP schools fan bases are in lower Michigan. I can drive 3 hours to GRR but I'm not driving 6, (or 7 in traffic ) to the other side of chicago, to allstate arena, which is kind of dumpy btw. So the chances of getting 4500 or higher at GRR is higher than any other place.

I'm against schools hosting for a number of reasons.

I would bet the league made some money on this, but not a lot.

If you stayed in Grand Rapids for a while you might be able to start drawing locals.
 
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