On-campus NCAA regionals

[BearLover]

I think NCAA regionals should be on campus. I've consumed a lot of media on this topic recently and I see the main points as follows:
* attendance at regionals is embarrassing currently. It's a terrible atmosphere and bad look on TV
* it's not hard to accomplish: change the tournament from two weekends to three. First weekend, 1 hosts 16, 2 hosts 15, etc. Second weekend, top remaining seed hosts bottom remaining seed, etc.
* it's fair. Hosts are chosen based on seeding. Yes, 8 versus 9 is decided on tiny margins. But so is the last at-large bid versus the first team out, where the cost to being a lower seed (missing the tournament entirely) is far worse. Seeding is decided on objective criteria within a team's control (winning more games), as compared to the current system, where 4 seeds often host 1 seeds due to the insane "host school" structure

There are legitimate counterarguments. I see them as follows:
* some schools have tiny rinks. Attendance thus may be small at some regionals. BUT on the whole attendance I believe will be higher, as we are splitting each regional into 3 separate locations/weekends, each giving local fans a chance to attend. Also, the teams with tiny rinks usually aren't good enough to be seeded 1-8
* many rinks (possibly including Lynah and certainly including places like St. Lawrence, judging from their broadcasts) may not have suitable sight-lines for TV. I'm not sure if this can be remedied by ESPN bringing more cameras or something like that
* possible logistical issues re: television crews having to get to remote places like Western Michigan or Clarkson. BUT with a week to prepare, this doesn't seem like a big problem
* perhaps there is an opportunity to get rid of the "host school" structure without moving to on-campus regionals
* schools are often on spring break during regionals, which would diminish the benefit of a better atmosphere. This is the best counterargument IMO. BUT perhaps not that big of a problem depending on the school, and maybe it's possible for college hockey to shift its schedule to accommodate not having regionals fall during break

Overall, I prioritize fairness and excitement. On-campus regionals are more fair and more exciting.

On the other hand, from a selfish POV, I'm actually wary of growing college hockey. I think the bigger college hockey gets, the harder it is for teams like Cornell to win.

[upprdeck]

Cornell could host now if they put in a bid.  But that requires prep and money and they dont find it worth the effort.  

I do agree if would cool to see best of 3 regionals though

[billhoward]

With a new AD, Cornell may aim higher and seek to host more NCAA regional events. Hockey would be obvious. So would lacrosse regionals. OTOH, playing at Hofstra May 2025, it's almost like home field.

[617BigRed]

I think this has been litigated to death, it's not happening at least anytime in the near to mid-term future...

[BearLover]

I think this has been litigated to death, it's not happening at least anytime in the near to mid-term future...

I actually think there's way more momentum for on-campus regionals than there has been in a long time.

[Old Red]

Cornell could host now if they put in a bid.  But that requires prep and money and they dont find it worth the effort.  

I do agree if would cool to see best of 3 regionals though

It would be wonderful for Cornell to host a regional.  We could do it in the Syracuse War Memorial (home of our 1967 championship).  We could start by working to bring back the Syracuse Invitational home of many Harkness and Bertrand era legends and memories.  (In that '73 game against Colorado College I remember we were being crushed until someone speared Dave Elenbaas and we came roaring back on the five minute major.)

I believe in the regionals.  They bring fans from four schools together.  They centralize coverage, which brings in a better more polished broadcast team.  And they prepare teams for the bright lights of the tournament championship.  I believe the biggest impediment to women's hockey today is they play their full tournament on campus.

[Old Red]

-sorry for this "extra" post, but it kept telling me I was refused because I sound like a bot (if only I had that level of even artificial intelligence).  And then it wouldn't let me delete this.

[Troyfan]

Is the time between when the seedings come out and the regionals are played sufficient for TV crews, visiting teams and fans, etc.?  Also, will local hotels and restaurants have enough time to raise their prices?

[marty]

-sorry for this "extra" post, but it kept telling me I was refused because I sound like a bot (if only I had that level of even artificial intelligence).  And then it wouldn't let me delete this.

The bot thing happens to me when posting from my Android phone.  Something wonky in the software doesn't consistently handle the communication.

[Chris '03]

Is the time between when the seedings come out and the regionals are played sufficient for TV crews, visiting teams and fans, etc.?  Also, will local hotels and restaurants have enough time to raise their prices?

I suspect that in a world with eight first round campus games, the "TV" would be ESPN+ and host school crews or campus video with off site play by play from Charlotte or something. I don't see ESPN sending crews to eight random campuses.

I continue to back regionals. And continue to think finding (imaginary?) fixed sites to host eight teams would solve many of the issues. At a minimum, having conferences host and putting conference champ at "home" would eliminate some of the host unfair advantage argument.

[Trotsky]

• Conference tournament champion auto bids.  The rest PWR, KRACH or whatever.
• 1-to-16 seeding
• On campus 16 @ 1, ... 9 @ 8. No exceptions or alterations.
• Single game elimination
• 1-to-8 reseeding
• On campus 8 @ 1, ... 5 @ 4. No exceptions or alterations.
• Single game elimination
• Frozen Four as now, with 4 @ 1 as early game, no day off

[BearLover]

• Conference tournament champion auto bids.  The rest PWR, KRACH or whatever.
• 1-to-16 seeding
• On campus 16 @ 1, ... 9 @ 8. No exceptions or alterations.
• Single game elimination
• 1-to-8 reseeding
• On campus 8 @ 1, ... 5 @ 4. No exceptions or alterations.
• Single game elimination
• Frozen Four as now, with 4 @ 1 as early game, no day off

That's right. Seems like a much more compelling product than what we currently have.

ESPN could send TV crews to some sites, and maybe put the others on ESPN+.

Every NCAA sport except basketball does their national tournament on campus.

(But I'm not sure this really helps Cornell win a national title, which is what I care about the most.)

[Will]

(But I'm not sure this really helps Cornell win a national title, which is what I care about the most.)

The more games Cornell gets to play at Lynah, the better.  Obviously there's no guarantee Cornell will be in the top 8 or top 4 to guarantee postseason home games, but the risk seems worth it if Cornell can even get a postseason berth.

[BearLover]

(But I'm not sure this really helps Cornell win a national title, which is what I care about the most.)

The more games Cornell gets to play at Lynah, the better.  Obviously there's no guarantee Cornell will be in the top 8 or top 4 to guarantee postseason home games, but the risk seems worth it if Cornell can even get a postseason berth.

I generally agree. I do note though that we've been a lower seed more often in recent years: seeded 4,3,4 in 2023,24,25. I'm expecting that to happen more often in the future given the new advantages of the top programs in the country.

[Trotsky]

I think overall it will help us but I just hate the regionals as a relic of when we were bending over for Bristol thinking we were going to be the next hoops.

Fuck that and fuck them, return the sport to the campuses and the barns that make it great.  If it means we play in NoDak whatevs.

It will also tend to take the air out of the balloon for expansion, and we won't have to tolerate Alabama playing USC for the title someday.  That was always just a fever dream by the college hockey media to puff themselves up.  Fuck that and fuck them.

Keep it cold, exclusive, and intimate.  Anybody comes to you selling hype shoot first ask questions never.