The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Do we really think that we need 8,000 seats? Last year's tournament attendance: MSU-BGSU 2,700; FSU-UAA 4,494; FSU-MSU 3,968. It really helped that the closest school to the venue played twice, but we're not going to get that every year, not with the UP schools and the UA schools being 60% of the conference and not within an easy car ride of the venue. Don't get me wrong, needing the Mariucci every year for the tournament would be a great thing, but for those us of from farther-away places, we're not very likely to go just because our team got there. (I mean, I would, but I'm crazy.)

GFM

Other than the on campus rinks, there aren't many 6000 seaters in the league footprint.

[blackswampboy]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Other than the on campus rinks, there aren't many 6000 seaters in the league footprint.

here's a good one: http://www.huntingtoncentertoledo.com/venue/
http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiu...n-center-s873/

ok, so it's 7,400 for hockey.
go Walleye!

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Looks like America One Sports has their 2014-15 WCHA season pass available for $150. The details say it expires 3/8/15, but I didn’t sign up so I’m not sure if there are any “not available yet” type error messages later in the process.

I am hoping for some sort of early bird discount so I’ll hold off for a while and see if there is any announcement from the WCHA. I bought America One last year and watched a lot of games (or parts thereof). From Fairbanks I can watch conference games starting about 3:00 in the afternoon, right up until our 7:00 start times. Love the time zones changes, but it’s tough on the beer budget.

This is good to see.

I wish they would work to get an AppleTV feed. My laptop doesn't quite handle the HD video too well. Might try a single game feed to re-try Airplaying it from the iPad to the Apple TV. When I tried it last year, it would work well for a little bit, but then freeze or buffer causing way too many problems.

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

This is good to see.

I wish they would work to get an AppleTV feed. My laptop doesn't quite handle the HD video too well. Might try a single game feed to re-try Airplaying it from the iPad to the Apple TV. When I tried it last year, it would work well for a little bit, but then freeze or buffer causing way too many problems.

That's unlikely. I think that you have to give Apple a lot of money to be on there, and then you'll have to give them a cut of the revenue. (I say that as someone with a lot of Apple products.] A Roku thing might happen, but even then, the process of handling payments with the provider is still goofy. I have done it a couple of times with their Fasthockey channel, and it wasn't that great.

GFM

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

I know this was being facetious, so I won't have to point out again that BG is the only full D-1 school in the WCHA and thus provides the only way that the league retains a seat at the D-1 level for rules and regulations. With only D-2 and D-3 members, the league would be at the mercy of the other D-1 leagues in that regard.

I don't see that as any sort of big impact. In general, the rules committees of the past haven't done anything supremely negative to the sport outside of the stupid shootouts. They propose some goofy stuff but nothing has come of those things and that would be the same with or without representation. No loss for the WCHA.

[stuckinwi]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

That's unlikely. I think that you have to give Apple a lot of money to be on there, and then you'll have to give them a cut of the revenue. (I say that as someone with a lot of Apple products.] A Roku thing might happen, but even then, the process of handling payments with the provider is still goofy. I have done it a couple of times with their Fasthockey channel, and it wasn't that great.

GFM

AirParrot is what you want to look at.

[BGFan]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

here's a good one: http://www.huntingtoncentertoledo.com/venue/
http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiu...n-center-s873/

ok, so it's 7,400 for hockey.
go Walleye!

The Huntington Center is a great facility and is really the ideal size. However, it's not ideally located in respect to the rest of the league. Also, given the fact that it's only about 20 minutes from BG, some people may argue that it would be less than neutral. It's only about 40 minutes from the Detroit airport, as well as the Toledo Metro airport so travel to and from would be fairly easy.

[blackswampboy]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

The Huntington Center is a great facility and is really the ideal size. However, it's not ideally located in respect to the rest of the league. Also, given the fact that it's only about 20 minutes from BG, some people may argue that it would be less than neutral. It's only about 40 minutes from the Detroit airport, as well as the Toledo Metro airport so travel to and from would be fairly easy.

as you point out, being only 45 mins. from Detroit Metro makes it an easy venue to get to. as opposed to Green Bay or Grand Rapids, without direct flights. as for less than neutral, some would say the same thing about Grand Rapids (Ferris) or Minneapolis/St. Paul (Mankato). if the venue is within the league footprint, it favors somebody.

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

The Huntington Center is a great facility and is really the ideal size. However, it's not ideally located in respect to the rest of the league.

As spread out as our league is, you'll never get something ideal for most of the league. You're also going to have to have it near somebody's campus to get a decent-sized draw. The "old" Final 5 had a school with a decided home field advantage, but it worked not just because of the ease of getting to Minneapolis, but also because that nearby school also meant there was plenty of local interest (Chicago, for instance, has good airline connections - and approximately 12 residents who know what the WCHA is, and also have a rooting interest.). I'm not saying we should pack up and head to Toledo. I mean, it's Toledo, for Pete's sake. But I think a nearby team is a plus, not a minus, along with 6000-8000 seats, and a major connecting airport nearby.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

You can put me in the Toledo bandwagon. It makes the most sense to me. Green Bay might sell a few more tickets because I hear the Gamblers are popular when they are good, but the event will be easier and cheaper for the league to run in Toledo.

The new commish, however, seems to have grander designs for the whole league.

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Rockford Illinois > Toledo Ohio. Easy rental car drive from Chicago airports. Decent driving profile from more than a few WCHA schools. AHL fanbase which averaged nearly 5,000 per game last season. Close enough to the big city for travelling fans to have excursions for touristy stuff.

[aparch]

Rockford Illinois > Toledo Ohio. Easy rental car drive from Chicago airports. Decent driving profile from more than a few WCHA schools. AHL fanbase which averaged nearly 5,000 per game last season. Close enough to the big city for travelling fans to have excursions for touristy stuff.

Just adding some info for those not familiar with Rockford.
It's a two hour drive via tollway from Rockford to the Loop without traffic. Nearest attraction is the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL. Madison, WI is closer than the city of Chicago.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Clearly there are plenty of 5,000-10,000 seat rinks in the upper Midwest if you look hard enough, however it appears the WCHA is looking for something on a grander scale (15,000 and up) and I'm sure they are going to use past Final Fives (or better) as the ultimate goal.

I'm really not worried about home-ice advantage for the Final Five if they park it in some team's backyard. If you can find a fan base that will put 4000+ fans in the seats every year for the WCHA Final Five, then you should put it in their backyard IMO. I would like to say that is Michigan Tech but there is zero chance of that happening in the near future. We're not even putting 4000 in the seats for a home game in our own town.

The only remote chance that this might be an issue is if you get "sympathy fans". i.e. When every Minnesotan at the Final Five supported whoever was playing North Dakota. So yes, if you're the team everyone loves to hate, then yes, rink location might be an issue, otherwise I don't see it being a reason for concern - put the tourney in where ever it makes the best sense for the league as a whole even if it maybe gives an edge to one team. You'll never make everyone happy anyway so why make that part of the decision process?

Ryan J

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: The New WCHA, 2014 Offseason: See-ya, Bruce

Just adding some info for those not familiar with Rockford.
It's a two hour drive via tollway from Rockford to the Loop without traffic. Nearest attraction is the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL. Madison, WI is closer than the city of Chicago.

Other things to know about Rockford: 1. The violent crime rate there is about triple the national average. 2. They gave the world Cheap Trick. Of those items, I think #2 reflects worse on the town. After all, every city has murders, but only one gave us "I Want You to Want Me" and "Dream Police"

[davyd83]

You can put me in the Toledo bandwagon. It makes the most sense to me. Green Bay might sell a few more tickets because I hear the Gamblers are popular when they are good, but the event will be easier and cheaper for the league to run in Toledo.

The new commish, however, seems to have grander designs for the whole league.

Green Bay can't host the tourney until at least 2021. All we need is a destination city with a mid sized arena in a central location with plenty of restaurants, bars, hotels and attractions within walking distance or a short drive of the rink!