NCAA Ticket Info

[wakester2468]

FYI.  Here is a little information that some might find helpful and disappointing. Being a lifelong resident of Manchester and knowing the arena well.(It's no longer Verizon Wireless Arena,it's now SNHU Arena.} after just coming back from the ticket office, this is what I have found.  First, they are not even selling the upper bowl which is half of the seats. Obviously says something about the low attendance they are expecting. The middle two sections on either side were sold out in advance. The next two sections from the blue line to the goal line on each end and side have been given to each school to sell themselves on campus. Thus, the only remaining seats to be purchased at the arena are end seats unless schools return unsold seats which is likely.Buying through Cornell directly you must purchase tickets for both days but at the arena you can buy individual days.The Manchester ticket office is taking a lot of heat for this ticket arrangement but in actuality it's the NCAA doing this. Not surprising to say the least. The first game between Lowell and Cornell should have a fairly respectable crowd with Lowell being only 30 miles away and Cornell always traveling well. The second game between Notre Dame and Minnesota there will  crickets. Should Cornell win, Sunday's final could be very empty.

[upprdeck]

it will be more interesting on sunday depending on how many people buy the full strips vs the single games. it could very well end up with sidelines empty and forcing people into the ends since  they wont sell upperdeck seats.

stubhub could be quite busy though sat night as people try to dump seats they dont need. whoever wins lowell/cornell will own the place sunday either way.

[CU2007]

Seems it might be worth considering just buying the Saturday game and then (assuming we win) trying to buy on the cheap from dejected Lowell fans on the way out of the arena (or the second loser later on). This assumes you have no interest in watching Lowell - Minny/ND.

[abmarks]

FYI.  Here is a little information that some might find helpful and disappointing. Being a lifelong resident of Manchester and knowing the arena well.(It's no longer Verizon Wireless Arena,it's now SNHU Arena.} after just coming back from the ticket office, this is what I have found.  First, they are not even selling the upper bowl which is half of the seats. Obviously says something about the low attendance they are expecting. The middle two sections on either side were sold out in advance. The next two sections from the blue line to the goal line on each end and side have been given to each school to sell themselves on campus. Thus, the only remaining seats to be purchased at the arena are end seats unless schools return unsold seats which is likely.Buying through Cornell directly you must purchase tickets for both days but at the arena you can buy individual days.The Manchester ticket office is taking a lot of heat for this ticket arrangement but in actuality it's the NCAA doing this. Not surprising to say the least. The first game between Lowell and Cornell should have a fairly respectable crowd with Lowell being only 30 miles away and Cornell always traveling well. The second game between Notre Dame and Minnesota there will  crickets. Should Cornell win, Sunday's final could be very empty.

Disagree with one detail:  There were some seats available in the middle sections as of ~1pm sunday.  I know sine I bought a pair in 121.

No idea if any are left, but while they probably sold most of the section (per your note) , they didn't sell all.


NOt that I expect a sellout, but if they sold out the lower bowl, you'd hope they opened up the upper.

[upprdeck]

there are roughly 350 tickets left on ticketmaster. they may have some sections reserved in case a team needs more but i would expect some more to come back from the teams since many people will not want to pay for 3 sessions and only use 1.

i cant seem them turning people away if there is demand though and they can open up sections at a time..

you also have to wonder about them mixing fans who want to sit near their teams sections and no be sitting in sections of the majority of the opposing team.

[abmarks]

anyone know what the sellout number would be assuming they only sell the lower bowl?  I Wonder if it could be even over 5000?

[wakester2468]

You are right. It would be just about 5000.  The ticket office did tell me that they would open the upper seating in case the lower was sold old . That being said, Minnesota and Notre Dame will most likely return a lot of tickets. I just don't like the fact that fans get the short end of it here.The upper lever seats are not bad seats at all and preferable to some. Forcing fans to sit in the end seats to save money staffing wise, is bogus.

[upprdeck]

how much is it really saving them?  a few ushers in the upperdeck isnt all that much savings?  they dont need to open food areas upstairs if the demand is low.  at $50 a ticket every ticket sold pays for an usher for several hours, it doesnt take long to add up.

[wakester2468]

Couldn't agree more.  Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if the NCAA is responsible for this. A full lower level with cameras focused on it creates a much better image.
Look how they screwed Harvard. Nothing about them should ever be unexpected.

[Greenberg '97]

Couldn't agree more.  Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if the NCAA is responsible for this. A full lower level with cameras focused on it creates a much better image.
Look how they screwed Harvard. Nothing about them should ever be unexpected.

When Princeton hosted the lacrosse quarterfinal a number of years ago, they packed all the fans onto one side of the stadium.  At the time, we speculated it was for image purposes.  The crowd looked great on TV.

[abmarks]

Couldn't agree more.  Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if the NCAA is responsible for this. A full lower level with cameras focused on it creates a much better image.
Look how they screwed Harvard. Nothing about them should ever be unexpected.

When Princeton hosted the lacrosse quarterfinal a number of years ago, they packed all the fans onto one side of the stadium.  At the time, we speculated it was for image purposes.  The crowd looked great on TV.

Agreed.  I think it's also for in-rink atmosphere.  Having fans all crowded together in a full lower bowl vs scattered about the arena seems like it would generate more fan energy (esp. noise/cheers).

[upprdeck]

Once you get above 75% the place will look full and since most cameras will only show part of the arena who will notice it anyway.

in addition the game is mostly being streamed to espn3 so the casual fan isnt going to stumble across the game , for the most part only die-hard team fans will be watching.  this isnt Womens Bball where it was on ESPN and there were a few hundred people in the stands.

[billhoward]

I heard this looked great on TV but the crowd was equal to about half the stadium capacity (15K of 30K) so there was little room to move around. I think Princeton said it was the NCAA that did it.

[CU2007]

I heard this looked great on TV but the crowd was equal to about half the stadium capacity (15K of 30K) so there was little room to move around. I think Princeton said it was the NCAA that did it.

Didn't they used to hang a big curtain in front of the upper deck in Albany?

[billhoward]

[corrected seating chart] The NCAA and ECAC always seem to put the four schools in the corners and save blue line to blue line for others. Cornell is in Section 122. This is a seating chart for Dancing on Ice which seemed closer than the tennis or boxing or stage concert seating charts. If you wanted seats between the blue lines, it'd be 102 (closest to 122), 103 (center ice), 104.

Seating capacity for hockey is  9,852. If you google 'manchester arena seating capacity' and get 21,000, that's for Manchester, UK.

For driving:
SNHU Arena (Southern New Hampshire Arena)
555 Elm Street
Manchester, New Hampshire 03101

6 hours, 360 miles from Ithaca. (245 / 4:15 from NYC.) Providence would have only been 35 miles less.

12 noon Saturday
3:30 p.m. Sunday

Below is the corrected seating chart. In section 122, it appears the Cornell section is the section Cornell shoots at in the first and third periods if it is the lower ranked / visiting team (for sure Saturday and also Sunday if it plays the 1-seed).