Opponents and Others 2023-24

[RichH]

For those worried about how "small time" the ECACs in LP felt, here's what the St. Louis NCAA regional (Michigan, Michigan State, North Dakota and Western Michigan) site looks like:

"The center features four rinks: a "feature" rink with 2,500 tip-up seats and a four-sided HD video scoreboard..."

And of course, placing the Western team that travels the best in this venue was a master-stroke. North Dakota fans must be so pissed.

Wish I had a ticket to sell.

Which is funnier, the NCAA holding a regional in an NHL practice facility, or an NHL team's home arena being a college facility?

[Trotsky]

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?

This is actually brilliant.

[marty]

I find it crazy that the committee or whoever is responsible couldn't find another site in the midwestern US. There has to be a ton of better arenas willing to do this event at a tolerable cost.

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?  The Eastern sites are close enough that dedicated fans could commute between Soringfield and Providence to see all six games, but not in the West, but if they were all in one place, it might improve the attendance of both sets of games.

I think two sites,  one East and one West with 8 teams each would be fun and draw well.

[Al DeFlorio]

I find it crazy that the committee or whoever is responsible couldn't find another site in the midwestern US. There has to be a ton of better arenas willing to do this event at a tolerable cost.

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?  The Eastern sites are close enough that dedicated fans could commute between Soringfield and Providence to see all six games, but not in the West, but if they were all in one place, it might improve the attendance of both sets of games.

I think two sites,  one East and one West with 8 teams each would be fun and draw well.

Possibly a problem getting four days Thursday through Sunday at right-sized arenas?

[Trotsky]

Possibly a problem getting four days Thursday through Sunday at right-sized arenas?

Possibly, but the NC$$ could book years in advance.

Just go back to straight seeds at campus sites.  Please.

³² Michigan Tech at ¹ BC
²¹ RIT at ² BU
¹⁴ UMass at ³ Denver
¹³ Western Michigan at ⁴ Michigan State
¹² Cornell at ⁵ Maine
¹¹ Omaha at ⁶ North Dakota
¹⁰ Michigan at ⁷ Minnesota
⁹ Quinnipiac at ⁸ Wisconsin

Even funnier, give the top 6 seeds to the 6 conference champions to piss everyone off.

[The Rancor]

Possibly a problem getting four days Thursday through Sunday at right-sized arenas?

Possibly, but the NC$$ could book years in advance.

Just go back to straight seeds at campus sites.  Please.

³² Michigan Tech at ¹ BC
²¹ RIT at ² BU
¹⁴ UMass at ³ Denver
¹³ Western Michigan at ⁴ Michigan State
¹² Cornell at ⁵ Maine
¹¹ Omaha at ⁶ North Dakota
¹⁰ Michigan at ⁷ Minnesota
⁹ Quinnipiac at ⁸ Wisconsin

Even funnier, give the top 6 seeds to the 6 conference champions to piss everyone off.

This is the way.

[CU77]

You want half of the D1 teams to make the tournament? **]

25% is already high. Check some other sports. Basketball is 19%.

[ugarte]

You want half of the D1 teams to make the tournament? **]

25% is already high. Check some other sports. Basketball is 19%.

lol there are 16 teams. the 16 seed happens to be 32 in pairwise.

[abmarks]

I find it crazy that the committee or whoever is responsible couldn't find another site in the midwestern US. There has to be a ton of better arenas willing to do this event at a tolerable cost.

I think it has to do with who the host(s) is (are). In this case, the Midwest Regional is hosted by Lindenwood University and the St. Louis Sports Commission.

What's even more surprising is that the St. Louis Sports Commission has partnered with the University of Vermont to host the 2025 Frozen Four in St. Louis. In large part, this is because UVM has "connections to the St. Louis Blues President, and UVM alum, Chris Zimmerman."

I bet there are lots of Vermont citizens who would be shocked to learn their state university chose Missouri as the place to host a tournament.::scream::

I believe the st Louis coalition approached uvm, and not the other way around iirc.   And I've not heard any locals talking about this up here.  I don't think anyone cares.

(Current Vermont citizen living 25 minutes from campus)

[abmarks]

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?

This is actually brilliant.

Only downsides I can imagine  would be finding enough practice facilities for 8 teams plus enough hotel blocks

[jtwcornell91]

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?

This is actually brilliant.

Only downsides I can imagine  would be finding enough practice facilities for 8 teams plus enough hotel blocks

Good point.  They used to do it with six teams (over two days) back in the 90s.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?

This is actually brilliant.

Only downsides I can imagine  would be finding enough practice facilities for 8 teams plus enough hotel blocks

Good point.  They used to do it with six teams (over two days) back in the 90s.

Although they seemed to limit the locations to New England and the upper midwest (Mich, Minn, and ND).

[pjd8]

Now that they're doing the regionals on Thursday-Saturday and Friday-Sunday, couldn't one site bid to host both regionals?

This is actually brilliant.

Only downsides I can imagine  would be finding enough practice facilities for 8 teams plus enough hotel blocks

Good point.  They used to do it with six teams (over two days) back in the 90s.

Although they seemed to limit the locations to New England and the upper midwest (Mich, Minn, and ND).

Albany could handle it with Union and RPI being local. Worcester would also work, as you've got Holy Cross there and a lot of schools within 45 minutes (Providence, Brown, BC). Even UNH is only a two hour drive away. Both locations are relatively easy to get to for most eastern programs. And for western teams, flying to to Boston and getting to Worcester is probably about as easy a trip as you'll get without being in a major city.

It would restrict regionals to a few sites, but as a fan, there are advantages to cycling through a few regular places.

[Dafatone]

How many teams are even remotely close to St. Louis?

[RichH]

How many teams are even remotely close to St. Louis?

Lindenwood, which is precisely why the regional is there.