A couple other things I think may be going on:

-Three of the 4 teams are not at all strangers to the finals, so there's
no pressing urgency to go "this year".  Yes it's a drive from the Forks or
Twin Cities but not unrealistic - MSP-Columbus is comparable to 1991 when
we rode on a bus from Boston to Detroit because it was the first time in
over a decade BU had been to the finals.  So when you talk about students
(for whom time is generally cheaper than money) there's certainly a
depressed travel market.  And the team who's not been there the longest,
CC, is small and far, and fans could reasonably say, well, not this year
given that the next 3 are Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Denver.

-I think you're also seeing the Law of Unintended Consequences at play
here.    The priority system has ended up artificially inflating demand-it
was originally put in place to help those who "always" want to go but has
ended up also attracting those who "might often" want to go but are
sensitive to teams and location.  I suspect that I'm not alone in my logic
about this year: I entered the lottery after "winning" the previous 3
years almost certain that I would not attend this year (and knowing if I
did want to attend because "my team" were in it, I could get tickets
through my athletic department), to keep up my priority for Milwaukee next
year.  As a result I'm taking a pretty good bath on my investment, but it
will be worth it if I get Milwaukee tickets.  (Note, I'd say this is the
Law of Unintended Consequences only from the ticket-buyer side - I suspect
the bean-counters at the NCAA INTENDED for this to happen - a guaranteed
revenue stream regardless of the actual size of the demand!)

Conclusion: I think it's just a reminder that college hockey is squarely
in the middle ground of the market (along, perhaps, with lacrosse and a
few others): demand exceeding supply when location and matchups are good
fits, supply exceeding demand when they aren't.  Still better this way
than the basketball tournaments.

Maybe I'll go get that PhD in Economics, after all....

Mike A.
[log in to unmask]