Regional sites - how are they selected?

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

Is it really that much of a huge deal for a school to "hold open" ice time for a possible hosting of a Regional tournament? The ECAC teams do it every year, often not knowing with certainty going into the last weekend of the regular season whether they will be home or away for the coming Fri-Sun ECAC first round, or whether they will host that weekend or the one after (round 2). I'm sure that they schedule accordingly, and if some public skating sessions or youth hockey practices need to be moved around, so be it. Is it not the same for most of the other conferences? You'd just have to be ready to scramble if your team had the good fortune to finish as a PWR #1 seed.

If you want to impose a cut-off for how small an arena could host? Personally I wouldn't. Just set a reasonable minimum visiting team allotment and then let the home team's season ticket holders have their chance.

For those teams that play in city run arenas, it can be a big deal. Taking Bemidji or Mankato as examples, they already have to figure in three weekends to host the WCHA playoffs. If they have to hold open a fourth weekend due to the possibility of hosting a regional, that is potentially one month of revenue that arena (and the city) could lose out on if the cards don't fall the right way.

[davyd83]

For those teams that play in city run arenas, it can be a big deal. Taking Bemidji or Mankato as examples, they already have to figure in three weekends to host the WCHA playoffs. If they have to hold open a fourth weekend due to the possibility of hosting a regional, that is potentially one month of revenue that arena (and the city) could lose out on if the cards don't fall the right way.

In the WCHA, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Huntsville, Bemidji & Mankato are municipal facilities. Tech, NMU, LSSU, Ferris and Bowling Green are university owned. In the NCHC, Duluth & CC do not own their arenas.

[johnk]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

Also helps with the ice problem. And one variation that would certainly work in the Boston area, and maybe Michigan and/or Minnesota, and oddly enough might work in Colorado is to have the first round or the opening round of a Super Regional on campus, with the qualification that no team gets to play on its home rink; for example if CC hosts, they play at AFA.

I think if you have a 5k seat building and a 10k seat building within a 60 mile radius, this could be done. I'm guessing there are several in New England, Upstate NY, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado that could handle this type of set up.

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

Is it really that much of a huge deal for a school to "hold open" ice time for a possible hosting of a Regional tournament? The ECAC teams do it every year, often not knowing with certainty going into the last weekend of the regular season whether they will be home or away for the coming Fri-Sun ECAC first round, or whether they will host that weekend or the one after (round 2). I'm sure that they schedule accordingly, and if some public skating sessions or youth hockey practices need to be moved around, so be it. Is it not the same for most of the other conferences? You'd just have to be ready to scramble if your team had the good fortune to finish as a PWR #1 seed.

If you want to impose a cut-off for how small an arena could host? Personally I wouldn't. Just set a reasonable minimum visiting team allotment and then let the home team's season ticket holders have their chance.

For years Ohio State while the CCHA was still a going concern had the issue of not having their regular arena available for playoff games because the university decided it make more financial sense to rent out the place to the for a high school championship weekend for wrestling. Many of these arenas want to guarantee they operate for as many days as possible to generate income and "holding open" the space might cost them some revenue. Many years ago when Notre Dame made their first ever NCAA tournament they were faced with the possibility of not having their home ice available for practice should they have pulled off a couple of upsets and made the FF because the university for years hosted a car show in the same space 2 weeks after the conference tournaments. Given the choice of meeting the needs of a minor sport or generating revenue, I know where most schools might fall.

[Riz]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

WHEN are they going to be selected? Seems like at the latest it will be with the future frozen four sites. Why did they delay the 2018 regional site selections so long if they aren't likely to change the format?

[CLS]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

WHEN are they going to be selected? Seems like at the latest it will be with the future frozen four sites. Why did they delay the 2018 regional site selections so long if they aren't likely to change the format?

Interesting to speculate, isn’t it?

Here are some possibilities:

1. They do want to make a change, but know that it will be unpopular and don’t know, politically, how to make it happen.

2. They didn’t get any acceptable bids in the last go-round (probably from the west) and either need to “recruit” an acceptable bid or they need to figure out which of their normal criteria they will compromise.

Pre-assigned home rink? Everybody hates this, but this is the one they've resorted to most recently. You have the possibility of a lower seed getting a “home” game, and it’s an attendance nightmare if the home team doesn’t make the tournament or loses in the first round.

Signage etc.? Don’t know how much of an issue this is, but if I ran a venue, I’d object to the NCAA requirements about logos in the ice surface (this must be a big deal; basically it requires that you melt your surface and refreeze it), advertisements on the boards, etc.

Beer sales? Don’t know if they actually lose bids over this, but it’s a significant financial hit for many venues.

One criteria that should be easy to dispense with is the 5000 minimum capacity. Why have it if you’re not likely to draw 5000 anyway? They do have other requirements, like amenities, etc. which would eliminate outright dumps. Don’t know if there are acceptable sites that have less than 5000 capacity.

I can think of others, but they get pretty bizarre.

[JB]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

Signage etc.? Don’t know how much of an issue this is, but if I ran a venue, I’d object to the NCAA requirements about logos in the ice surface (this must be a big deal; basically it requires that you melt your surface and refreeze it).

This is the one that kills me. The NCAA marketing people have there reason, they don't want company's not paying to be official sponsors getting on TV for a NCAA broadcast without paying. What if Coke is the official sponsor and Pepsi is in the ice? etc. I get it.

The problem is this is making the playing surface of lower quality. Most ice arenas (at least in the past) have multiple layers a base, then the lines, then the logos and a top layer. Doing as the NCAA asks you grind off 2 layers of ice, paint NCAA logos and put the top layer back down. The real problem is most locations don't have time to let the ice really set and I think the surface suffers.

The NCAA talks about being for the student athletes... we all know it is really all about the money. Otherwise they wouldn't make so many decisions aligned with the cash and hurting those athletes.

The boards are easy to change, stick on, it is the ice that makes me a little crazy.

Beer sales? Don’t know if they actually lose bids over this, but it’s a significant financial hit for many venues.

I don't think this is likely to change. Apparently the NCAA does not allow alcohol at any of there Championship events.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

WHEN are they going to be selected? Seems like at the latest it will be with the future frozen four sites. Why did they delay the 2018 regional site selections so long if they aren't likely to change the format?

I believe the reason we don't know is that they decided to award one more Frozen Four than originally setup...

[SJHovey]

I believe the reason we don't know is that they decided to award one more Frozen Four than originally setup...

Brad Schlossman has been saying April 18, I believe.

[bcmsu9196]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

The boards are easy to change, stick on

True. I've seen it in Worcester and Bridgeport, as soon as the regional final is over and the teams disperse, they rip those suckers right off

[LTsatch]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

I don't think this is likely to change. Apparently the NCAA does not allow alcohol at any of there Championship events.

Unless you are in a suite or 4 row alcohol serving section like Philly. complete double standard. I have also been in schools hospitality areas at the rink ( Bridgeport and Pittsburgh) where alcohol was served. It's not like there are going to be less cops in the rink because alcohol is not served, there is no extra expense (except for possible liability and maybe extra insurance)

[ClOuD 9]

Re: Regional sites - how are they selected?

How many areas have 2 arenas close enough to hold a "Super Regional"? Example in the East:

Northeast 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in Worcester Saturday
East 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in Boston Saturday

Northeast and East championship in Boston on Sunday.

Would definitely help attendance on 2nd day.

TD Garden (which I presume is your "Boston" host) seats 17,565, too many for either a "super regional" or a regional final, imo. HE semis (UML-Notre Dame, BC-BU) drew 10,979 this year; that's with 2 of the schools in the same city and one 45 minutes away. Also likely to run in to scheduling issues with the Bruins and Celtics after already clearing the previous Friday & Saturday for the Hockey East tourney.
Could pull this off with Worcester and Providence (45 minutes) or Worcester and Manchester (an hour and 10 minutes); think Providence and Manchester would start to stretch it (an hour and 40 minutes).
How would you decide which team travels for Sunday?
Would work for me as someone who lives in New England, but can see it being inconvenient if I were a traveling western fan.