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Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

All valid reasons on this thread. Last night for me time, money, logistics/getting home after midnight and especially TV (10 games, 9 live, 6 in HD including Denver/Western which became my primary game when UML went up 4) were the reasons. This:

J.D. said:
and from my personal perspective, things changed for me ever since i started getting all conference championships on TV like 10 years ago. i enjoy this weekend, watching all the available games.
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is huge. In '09 - '10 I purchased the Comcast cable sports package to watch UNH play RIT in Albany instead of making the trip. Great decision as the 'cats got hammered and for the price of the Albany trip I've paid for years of the sports package that brings me much more than just ESPNU.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

I still don't know what to do tonight. The HEA championship is a big deal, but the start times for UNH/UML, WI/OH St., MIA/DEN are nicely staggered for maximum viewing and that's just the HD games. Thoughts?
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Darius said:
I still don't know what to do tonight. The HEA championship is a big deal, but the start times for UNH/UML, WI/OH St., MIA/DEN are nicely staggered for maximum viewing and that's just the HD games. Thoughts?
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I saved the money of an expensive trip to Lake Placid for two trips to Hamden and the Women's Frozen Four. Add to that, the fact that I can sit in my living room tonight and watch the conference finals, it was a good decision.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Snively65 said:
Yes, as the tickets are sold for both games together. For comparison, USCHO lists 14.855 for the HE semi's last year, with BU-BC and UML-PC match ups, and 13,738 for the next night for the BC-BU championship.

But, I agree, ticket sales do not equal people in seats, whether at Fenway, the Garden, or Lake Whitt. Wish that those corporate ticket holders would donate their unused tickets to kids in need.
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Correction: "13,738 for the next night for the UML-BU championship" You know, Lowell, reigning HEA and NCAA NE Regional Champion... :p

5:00 PM start on a Friday is also bad for attendance. I had to take half a vacation day and have one of my kids dismissed early from school and I'm only 30 miles from Boston.

I agree on donating tix, send 4 free tix to every middle school in the state and let em sell raffle tix to benefit PTA. Those people will still buy sodas and swag parking etc and the garden won't be half empty.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

darius said:
i still don't know what to do tonight. The hea championship is a big deal, but the start times for unh/uml, wi/oh st., mia/den are nicely staggered for maximum viewing and that's just the hd games. Thoughts?
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dvr?
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Fishhawk said:
Yeah I was surprised at the lack of Notre Dame fans. Didn't expect a huge contingent from Indianna but was surprised they didn't send a busload or 2 besides their band. Also expected many more Notre Dame gearhead posers. There were more UNH fans watching the first period of UML-ND than ND fans. Not having a sngle "green line team"(BU, BC, NU) really hurt attendance I think.
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I don't see how you are surprised at the lack of ND fans. And sending a couple of busloads???? Seriously?
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

I just think interest level in Men's college hockey continues to decline. NCAA athletics and TV revenue is driven by two sports basketball and football - always have and always will. All other college sports, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, golf, swimming, will have their passionate followers but it will remain small and regional. It's OK, just need to reset expectations.

I don't think declining attendance has anything to do with TV options. It is probably more related to the economy and people's entertainment dollar only being able to stretch so far. I always get a kick out of the leagues reported attendance numbers. 9000+ reported at NCHC yet you look at the photos of game action and it looks like a woman's NCAA Final 4 hockey crowd ~ 500-1000 people in the seats.

Here is an interesting comparison when looking at the Big Ten conference tourney. There were probably 4000 - 5000 people at each of the semi-final games yesterday at the X. Two weeks ago at a Mn state High School event at the X-cel Energy Ctr it drew 18,000 for the semi-finals games.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Darius said:
I still don't know what to do tonight. The HEA championship is a big deal, but the start times for UNH/UML, WI/OH St., MIA/DEN are nicely staggered for maximum viewing and that's just the HD games. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I'd rip up your fan card for considering it unless you have family priorities.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Snively65 said:
Yes, as the tickets are sold for both games together.
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Meant it facetiously. Take the number of butts in seats for game 1, add the number of butts in seats for game two, and bingo -- there's your 11,112. :D
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

ck1969 said:
I don't see how you are surprised at the lack of ND fans. And sending a couple of busloads???? Seriously?
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Mass is crawling with Notre Dame "fans" due to the large irish catholic population. Over 5000 packed Compton for the play in game against BU, if the school partially subsidized the trip would it be totally crazy for 75 students plus the band to want to go?
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

hockeykrazy said:
Yesterdays games:
Atlantic Hockey Tournament - Attendance 1385 listed on both games Capacity 11200 Blue Cross Arena Roch. NY
Big Ten - Attendance 1st game 7963 2nd game 9753 Capacity 17954 XCel Energy center St. Paul MN
ECAC - both games 4337 Capacity 7700 Lake Placid NY Herb Brooks arena
Hockey East - both games 11143 Capacity 18624 TD Garden Boston Mass
NCHC - both games 9113 Capacity 20500 Target Center Mpls
WCHA- First game 2700 second game 4494 Capacity 10834 Van Andel Arena GR, Michigan
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WCHA bloggers said 200 at the start of the first/ Minnesota State--Bowling Green game...maybe 500-1000 when they listed 2,700.
That was at the 10,000 Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI...next year to the 20,000 Xcel Center in St Paul. Maybe both Alaska teams can qualify and boost attendance... They would really be in trouble in no Minnesota schools qualify...
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

hockeykrazy said:
I think it's a combination of being free on TV vs shelling out a minimum of $70-80 for 2 upper bowl seats ($140-200 for two lower bowl seats, plus add parking, refreshments, travel) if you actually go. If I go I try to find free parking and try to find tickets for a fraction of the price. Big Ten and NCHC prices.
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Not really a bargain for the semis, eh?

For price comparison, I still have my USA-USSR ticket stub from 1980 (used to be my image logo here). $67.50 plus NY state tax = $75 -- and that was for first row on the glass.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Freddie said:
1. HD TV on a 50+inch screen is nearly as good as being there in person.
2. With a decent cable/satellite service you can keep up with action at several games at once.
3. Conference realignment disrupted traditional rivalries.
4. Conference realignment (at least in the west) forces fans to travel too far for tournament.
5. Ticket prices are outrageous.

Other than that, I can't think of ANY reason why attendance is so bad.
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Number 5 is always going to be a factor, as fans will draw the line somewhere with ticket prices.

When comparing the Big Ten tournament to the old WCHA Final Five, as many fans have, number 4 is a gigantic factor. Minnesota, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, Bemidji State, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan Tech are all significantly closer to St. Paul than Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. (Some local fans will recognize this, and expect the atmosphere to be inferior to what the Final Five had, which I suppose is related to number 3.) Next year, it will be in Detroit, and we'll see how the fans of former CCHA members decide to buy their tickets.

And while it's not realignment-related, no Boston schools in the final rounds of the Hockey East tournament is going to limit the size of the crowds at the Garden.

pgb-ohio said:
In the case of the B1G tournament, it's going to take a while to establish a tradition. The WCHA Final Five evolved into the gold standard for conference tournaments, but those games had lots of empty seats in the early years. Hard to say at this point if the B1G has the potential to be comparable, but I do believe the crowds will grow. One advantage of the B1G format is that there's no risk of buying tickets and having your team fail to qualify.
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I don't think the Big Ten tournament will reach the old WCHA Final Five without significant growth in the popularity of college hockey, particularly among the Big Ten fan bases, for the reason I mentioned above (regarding travel distances). The point you made about all 6 teams playing this weekend was a big one for me. As soon as I saw when (during our spring break) and where (St. Paul) the Big Ten tournament would be, I decided I would go.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Fishhawk said:
Mass is crawling with Notre Dame "fans" due to the large irish catholic population. Over 5000 packed Compton for the play in game against BU, if the school partially subsidized the trip would it be totally crazy for 75 students plus the band to want to go?
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No I guess not but that's a d a mn long ride for only one game potentially.
 
Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Fishhawk said:
Yeah I was surprised at the lack of Notre Dame fans. Didn't expect a huge contingent from Indianna but was surprised they didn't send a busload or 2 besides their band.
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You're kidding, right? No school would find many takers for the prospect of a 15 hour bus ride for 1 guaranteed game. Especially with the game on tv and even more when we know there's a certainty of a game with much more importance next week, and it was almost assured to be less than half the distance away. And after watching a good portion of all the conference tournaments there were just a handful of schools with good turnouts, and other than North Dakota, all were probably within an hour drive of the games.
 
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