2018 schedule and tourney.

I am anxiously awaiting the 2017-2018 schedule, but in the getting ahead of myself department, for the past few days I have been searching to find the location of the
regionals for next year. I know the NCAA has been pondering the possibility of returning the first round back to home ice sites, I don't recall reading a
definitive decision on that proposal. Personally, I would very much like to see a 2 out of 3 series at least in the first round. Not sure what you do with eight teams the following weekend unless you have one more weekend of home ice quarterfinals to eventually get to the frozen four. Years ago when twelve teams qualified with the top four getting byes it seemed unfair. Without byes, home ice is the one advantage which works for me. Anyone who can enlighten me on the future post season arrangement would be appreciated.

it is interesting that the final in St Paul is set but no regionals yet. the 2017 sites were set in oct 2015.
the stories from 2016 say it would be decided in the summer of 2016 but it was not. the ncaa bid process says the bids would be announced by Dec of 2016 so this is very late in the timeline.

I think they should add a week and play one round of home ice to get to 8 teams.

then bring all 8 they want to one site and play 2 games on 2 days to get to 4

In a perfect world have best of three all the way including the finals but i dont see that ever.

But they do it with ncaa baseball now and it seems to work.
it would create a great atmosphere i think.

wakester2468
I am anxiously awaiting the 2017-2018 schedule, but in the getting ahead of myself department, for the past few days I have been searching to find the location of the
regionals for next year. I know the NCAA has been pondering the possibility of returning the first round back to home ice sites, I don't recall reading a
definitive decision on that proposal. Personally, I would very much like to see a 2 out of 3 series at least in the first round. Not sure what you do with eight teams the following weekend unless you have one more weekend of home ice quarterfinals to eventually get to the frozen four. Years ago when twelve teams qualified with the top four getting byes it seemed unfair. Without byes, home ice is the one advantage which works for me. Anyone who can enlighten me on the future post season arrangement would be appreciated.

Lynah and similar smaller eastern rinks are among the main reasons the NCAA won't ever switch (back?) to home ice first-round sites for the men's tournament. There are occasions when far more than 4,200 people buy tickets to a regional.

Best-of-3 first round was exciting back when they were still doing it (Cornell OT win over Michigan, anyone?), but frankly I don't think it was exciting enough for people's taste for upsets and Cinderellas (Cornell two straight losses to Michigan, anyone?). And the main reason they were doing it was exactly as you imply - an 8-team field meant two weekends, so you may as well make the most of it. Now that it's 16, a full-weekend first round just doesn't make sense. Among other things, stretching an extra week would mean the Frozen Four landing on the same weekend as the men's basketball Final Four again, and separating those two events by a week is one of the best decisions they ever made.

As best as I understand it, the NCAA simply hasn't chosen the 2018 regional sites. It's not at all uncommon for that decision to happen after the previous year's regionals; perhaps they'll announce during the Frozen Four for maximum publicity.

Beeeej
Best-of-3 first round was exciting back when they were still doing it (Cornell OT win over Michigan, anyone?), but frankly I don't think it was exciting enough for people's taste for upsets and Cinderellas (Cornell two straight losses to Michigan, anyone?). And the main reason they were doing it was exactly as you imply - an 8-team field meant two weekends, so you may as well make the most of it. Now that it's 16, a full-weekend first round just doesn't make sense. Among other things, stretching an extra week would mean the Frozen Four landing on the same weekend as the men's basketball Final Four again, and separating those two events by a week is one of the best decisions they ever made.

As best as I understand it, the NCAA simply hasn't chosen the 2018 regional sites. It's not at all uncommon for that decision to happen after the previous year's regionals; perhaps they'll announce during the Frozen Four for maximum publicity.

I agree that they probably just have not yet decided on the venues.

But count me as someone who would like to see a return to best-of-3 at home sites for all rounds prior to the F4. We can avoid hoops by going 1R, QF, F4 rather than Regionals, off week, F4.

With the regionals gone, remove all of the epicycles currently used to justify seeding sleight-of-hand. 16 at 1, 15 at 2... with a reseed for the QF. Allow intraconference matchups if that's how the seeds fall -- it will produce legendary rivalry weekends. Imagine Harvard playing at Lynah, or SLU at Clarkson, in an NCAA series!

We would still have the "all roads lead to..." atmosphere of the F4, and tiny teams with great seasons would be rewarded by hosting NCAA series. Instead of 12 games in the first 2 rounds there would be between 24-36 (likely all of them filled to overflowing) , so despite the smaller average venue size the NC$$ blood funnel would be sated. I believe this would be an excellent idea.

Trotsky
But count me as someone who would like to see a return to best-of-3 at home sites for all rounds prior to the F4. We can avoid hoops by going 1R, QF, F4 rather than Regionals, off week, F4.

With the regionals gone, remove all of the epicycles currently used to justify seeding sleight-of-hand. 16 at 1, 15 at 2... with a reseed for the QF. Allow intraconference matchups if that's how the seeds fall -- it will produce legendary rivalry weekends. Imagine Harvard playing at Lynah, or SLU at Clarkson, in an NCAA series!

We would still have the "all roads lead to..." atmosphere of the F4, and tiny teams with great seasons would be rewarded by hosting NCAA series. I believe this would be an excellent idea.

And what happens when Minnesota or BU is allocated 100 tickets in Section O when their team has to play at Lynah?

It's a rosy idea in the abstract, but it would never work today.

Beeeej

Trotsky
But count me as someone who would like to see a return to best-of-3 at home sites for all rounds prior to the F4. We can avoid hoops by going 1R, QF, F4 rather than Regionals, off week, F4.

With the regionals gone, remove all of the epicycles currently used to justify seeding sleight-of-hand. 16 at 1, 15 at 2... with a reseed for the QF. Allow intraconference matchups if that's how the seeds fall -- it will produce legendary rivalry weekends. Imagine Harvard playing at Lynah, or SLU at Clarkson, in an NCAA series!

We would still have the "all roads lead to..." atmosphere of the F4, and tiny teams with great seasons would be rewarded by hosting NCAA series. I believe this would be an excellent idea.

And what happens when Minnesota or BU is allocated 100 tickets in Section O when their team has to play at Lynah?

It's a rosy idea in the abstract, but it would never work today.

What happens is that's what happens. Why is that an automatic veto?

Trotsky

Beeeej

Trotsky
But count me as someone who would like to see a return to best-of-3 at home sites for all rounds prior to the F4. We can avoid hoops by going 1R, QF, F4 rather than Regionals, off week, F4.

With the regionals gone, remove all of the epicycles currently used to justify seeding sleight-of-hand. 16 at 1, 15 at 2... with a reseed for the QF. Allow intraconference matchups if that's how the seeds fall -- it will produce legendary rivalry weekends. Imagine Harvard playing at Lynah, or SLU at Clarkson, in an NCAA series!

We would still have the "all roads lead to..." atmosphere of the F4, and tiny teams with great seasons would be rewarded by hosting NCAA series. I believe this would be an excellent idea.

And what happens when Minnesota or BU is allocated 100 tickets in Section O when their team has to play at Lynah?

It's a rosy idea in the abstract, but it would never work today.

What happens is that's what happens. Why is that an automatic veto?

Everyone makes NC$$ jokes all the time but jfc these games - this industry - are not the Platonic ideal of competition. Nothing in the history of the NCAA supports that. Championships - like women's hoops or lacrosse - are home-field until they are lucrative enough to go to a neutral site. Even then, they ease into the switch by massaging the locations to ensure ticket sales. That's honestly like the 100th worst thing the NCAA does.

Beeeej

wakester2468
I am anxiously awaiting the 2017-2018 schedule, but in the getting ahead of myself department, for the past few days I have been searching to find the location of the
regionals for next year. I know the NCAA has been pondering the possibility of returning the first round back to home ice sites, I don't recall reading a
definitive decision on that proposal. Personally, I would very much like to see a 2 out of 3 series at least in the first round. Not sure what you do with eight teams the following weekend unless you have one more weekend of home ice quarterfinals to eventually get to the frozen four. Years ago when twelve teams qualified with the top four getting byes it seemed unfair. Without byes, home ice is the one advantage which works for me. Anyone who can enlighten me on the future post season arrangement would be appreciated.

Lynah and similar smaller eastern rinks are among the main reasons the NCAA won't ever switch (back?) to home ice first-round sites for the men's tournament. There are occasions when far more than 4,200 people buy tickets to a regional.

Best-of-3 first round was exciting back when they were still doing it (Cornell OT win over Michigan, anyone?), but frankly I don't think it was exciting enough for people's taste for upsets and Cinderellas (Cornell two straight losses to Michigan, anyone?). And the main reason they were doing it was exactly as you imply - an 8-team field meant two weekends, so you may as well make the most of it. Now that it's 16, a full-weekend first round just doesn't make sense. Among other things, stretching an extra week would mean the Frozen Four landing on the same weekend as the men's basketball Final Four again, and separating those two events by a week is one of the best decisions they ever made.

As best as I understand it, the NCAA simply hasn't chosen the 2018 regional sites. It's not at all uncommon for that decision to happen after the previous year's regionals; perhaps they'll announce during the Frozen Four for maximum publicity.

this is exactly the reason they are thinking of going back.. many regionals lately have not sold more than 5-6k of tickets and that is for 2 sessions

the NE regional sold 6299 tickets for sat and 4600 for sun. split that into 3 games and its 17K, but its not really since the first 2 games was one ticket for many people.

if you had two best of 3 series even at a small arena like lynah you sell 8-12K so at a min is 16K and potentially 24 for the same event..

In additions its up to twice the food and parking and hotel revenue for the local area.

but the other big issue they see is the lack of people for each game.. cu-lowell had a nice crowd nd/minn not even 1/3.

2017 regional announced oct 2015
2015/2016 regionals announced 2013
2014 announced 2012
2013 announced 2011
2012 announced 2010

this has been going on for awhile. since this started they have never waited this long

[www.uscho.com]

upprdeck
2017 regional announced oct 2015
2015/2016 regionals announced 2013
2014 announced 2012
2013 announced 2011
2012 announced 2010

this has been going on for awhile. since this started they have never waited this long

I stand corrected.

(Alert the media.)

Another problem with first rounds at home: Arenas would have to be reserved for potential hockey games instead of for money-generating events. This could be a significant problem for some teams (UCONN) which don't even own their home arenas.

That said, I love the idea of having something else to fight for after making the tournament (Top 8 get at least one weekend at home, Top 4 get two).