Thom Davis wrote:

>Well, maybe not Orono, but how about the Black Bears hosting at Cumberland
>County (Portland) Civic Center, which seats about 6500 (about 1000 more
>than Alfond, but probably still too small for an eastern regional)? Of
>course, UNH hosted the regionals at Manchester's Verizon Center last year
>(seats about 10,500), which did them little good, as the Wolverines did
>not seem to have many problems adapting far away from home (hey, maybe it
>was the small ice vs big ice thing for the Cats?). The Gophers? They, like
>the Black Bears, also seem to pull things together in time for the NCAA
>tournament most years, wherever they are sent. I think that the real
>problem with bracketing, which has been discussed at length on this list
>over the years, is the smaller number of large-capacity venues with strong
>fan bases in the West and Mid-West compared to the East, and the dollar
>still rules.
>

The problem, of course, is the driving distances.  I'm sure we could
find a proper sized venue out here.  Unfortunately, every team (and fan
base) is going to have to drive more than our hours to get there.  I've
asked this question before, and no one bothered to come up with an
answer.  How well do you think a regional in Albany draw if the four
teams invited were Brown, Ohio State, North Dakota and Colorado
College?  That's pretty much what you get if you hold a regional in
Madison and Wisconsin doesn't make the tournament.  The closest other D1
school is Minnesota, which is about 250 miles away.  Look at the teams
in the West Regional, and tell me where else this side of the Great
Lakes you could conceivably have this.

J. Michael Neal