This smacks of a rumor for several reasons:

1. People like to think that Mr. E. as a rich old coot that will throw
money at anything to please his every whim.
2. People like to think the NC$$ is driven by money alone.
Realistically, I think denying 3,600+ fans access to the game would
weigh in their hearts enough to say no.
3. Honestly, I don't think Grand Forks hotels could handle 10,000
visitors.  (MAYBE with the addition of Fargo, one hour away.)
4. Most people from out of state who come looking for tourism on Friday
will be sorely disappointed.  I love living here myself, but I don't
think you'll find many of the things you might look for in a vacation.
(Then again, you'll all go to the Hobey festivities, right?)

The only regular scheduled flights to GFK are a handful per day through
Northwest via Minneapolis.

I'm confident that Mr. E. (and I as well) would LOVE to see Grand Forks
get the Frozen Four again (see 1983), perhaps enough to squelch my #1
above, but I think the other three are too much to overcome.  How could
they explain to sites who are turned down that they looked over the
15,000 seat rule?

...then again, they can charge our credit cards $500 for goods they may
or may not provide at their convenience...

I don't think Mr. E.'s past from over a decade ago should be a factor
to the NCAA.  His support of gaming on college athletics could go
either way.  Nonetheless, the NCAA does not need to make it personal--
they have plenty of reasons to say no thanks.

The city and facilities in Grand Forks will be very appropriate for
hosting Regionals, and I look forward to it happening periodically
after Grand Forks hosts in 2006.

Kirk


> I find it really difficult for the NC$$ to accept it for two reasons.
> First, Ralph opposes the NC$$'a legislational effort to ban gaming on
> college athletics.  Given Ralph's ties to the Imperial Palace in Las
Vegas,
> I think they would politely decline.
>
> Second, Ralph's image remains far from clean, especially with the
$1.5M fine
> from the Nevada State Gaming Commission for bad "moral" choices.
>
> Finally, does any airline fly direct into Grand Forks other than a
change
> over from St. Louis or Minneapolis?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Devs Rule [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 7:05 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Frozen Four in Grand Forks?
>
>
>
http://web.northscape.com/content/gfherald/2001/04/08/sports/NEWNOTE408.
htm
> A rumor floating around Grand Forks and the NCAA tournament is that
Ralph
> Engelstad, a former UND goalie who is building the school a new hockey
> arena, wants to get the Frozen Four to Grand Forks. The NCAA has a
minimum
> seating capacity of 15,000 for Frozen Fours. The new Engelstad Arena
will
> seat about 11,400. Engelstad, the rumor goes, might make up the
difference.
> Cost to Engelstad to make up the difference would be about $350,000
at the
> current cost of tickets. The question is whether the NCAA would
accept such
> a deal.
>
> -Melissa
> http://members.nbci.com/NJD_Hockey/
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>
>