Mike Machnik offered the following:
> ...                                    It certainly seems as if they
>are holding the Hobey over the heads of the fans: support the Fan Fair
>(which otherwise has nothing to do with college hockey, so I hear)
>with your dollars, or you will not be allowed to see the Hobey
>presentation.  Aren't fans already being asked to pay enough for the
>Championship itself?
 
Based upon a review of ticket price trends for the NC$$ Last Four, I
would agree with Mike.  Providence's pricing for this year's contest
is the most expensive that has been presented in recent years.
Ticket prices went up 19% and that doesn't include the $6.
 
To be fair, one would probably need to compare venue capacities to
contrast gate receipts between the last few contests.  However,
Providence definitely creates an interesting observation in any
graph of ticket prices.
The following table is an excerpt from a May 1994 post with new
numbers for the 1996 contest.
 
              N  C  $  $    L  A  S  T    F O  U  R
      Year   Amount      Venue         Funds disbursed to
      ----   ------   -----------    -----------------------
      1991   $63.00   St. Paul       University of Minnesota
      1992   $52.50   Albany         Knickerbocker Arena
      1993   $63.00   Milwaukee      Bradley Center
      1994   $63.00   St. Paul       University of Minnesota
      1995   $75.00   Providence     Providence College
      1996   $69.50   Cincinatti
 
James Bradshaw
Clemson University