There have been a couple of western regionals at Van Andel arena in
Grand Rapids.  This is a neutral site, hosted by Western Michigan this
year.  Attendance was about 6300-6500 in an arena that holds about
12,000, if I recall correctly.  I think some past regionals have drawn better.

When the regionals first started there were two held at Joe Louis in
downtown Detroit.  Attendance was maybe 7000-8000 which did not look
good in an arena that held nearly 20,000.  The western regional moved to
campus sites after that.  It made for a better atmosphere, better
appearance on TV while not paying someone else's rent.

The WCHA arena capacities are below.  Given typical attendance there
does not seem much capacity need to go off campus for a rental facility
for schools that want to bid.  Even if a conference bid on it, why would
they want to pay a commercial facility to host it when a member school
could do it?  As well, why wouldn't they want one of their schools to have
a home ice advantage if they could?  There seems to be very little
incentive to make it neutral ice.

Wisconsin - 14,385
North Dakota - 11, 500
Minnesota - 9700
Colorado College - 7343
Alaska-Anchorage - 6206
Denver - 6200
St. Cloud - 5763
UM-Duluth - 5233 (probably too small now, but did have an NCAA final
once)
MSU-Mankato - 4832
Michigan Tech - 4200

Doug Peterson

On 28 Mar 2005 at 23:20, Arik Marks wrote:

Eric suggests it's a fact of college hockey that there are campus
sites and that we should get over it.  Having been at Yost in '98 (as
a Michigan grad student) and watching UM beat UD in an upset I'd say
no way Michigan wins that game if it were on neutral ice and certainly
not if at UND.  And as a Cornell fan I think you are delusional to say
that any of the 4 WCHA teams would go into Lynah and beat Cornell.
Some might, but I'd put up serious dough on the Cornell - Minny game
going 2-1 in the other direction at Lynah.


What's missing here is that every team is not in a position to have a
home ice regional.  It's never going to happen at Lynah or any of the
ECAC rinks - I can't think of one that's big enough, not to mention
them being to far out of the way.  It's not going to ever happen at
most HE rinks either---due to size and/or geography.  And while
Agganis or Conte Forum for instance are technically big enough, there
are usually 8-10,000+ seats sold for the eastern regionals when they
aren't in the boondocks (ie Amherst).  I don't know about the capacity
of the rinks in the other leagues, but I'm sure there are a few CCHA
and WCHA rinks that wouldn't hold enough people either.

UND, you deserve a home regional as a make-up for all those years
having to play Michigan at yost.  But it's got to stop as a general
rule.  Play in your home city or state? Fine.  But no one should ever
be able to play in their home rink and dressing room etc for a
regional.

And for all you *well if someone else just made a bid." that argument
doesn't hold water.  There are very few eastern regionals  that have
been or will be ON CAMPUS AT HOME RINKS.  Mullins in Amherst this
year
was an aberration.  The problem is out West.  Eastern schools can't
host a western regional for example. And name the last time one of you
Western schools got stuck at an on-campus site out east (the mullins
example excepted.)

Interesting to note that one of the 07 east regionals is being hosted
by the ECAC per the NCAA website.   Maybe that is the way to go, make
the leagues play host, not the schools.  Also note that again in 06
and 07, the four scheduled eastern regionals are all at large arenas,
without a single campus site.

Seems to me that West is getting greedy...



Arik Marks

Cornell '91

Michigan '99









On 3/28/2005 9:39:52 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> I'll bite, Minnesota bid for the regional championship and they were
awarded
> it, next season everyone is going to be complaining about UND and
> them getting an unfair advantage, It happen to DU and UND when we
> had to play
the
> UofMich in Yost arena... Some people need to get over this, its a
> fact of college hockey. I suspect that Minnesota or any of the 4
> WCHA in the
tourney
> would go into Cornell's
> barn and beat them too. Next subject to beat to
> death.
>
> Eric Burton
> [log in to unmask]
>
> The Tree of Liberty Must be Refreshed From Time to Time with the
> Blood of Patriots and Tyrants.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Frank A. Veshia Jr.
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 9:36 AM To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: WCHA
>
>
> EXCUSE me, but MARUCCI Arena is the home ice of Minnesota. It is on
> the Minnesota Campus.