>At 05:24 PM 10/30/95 -0500, Todd Myrick wrote:
>
>>As a side note: do the majority of WCHA teams fly commercial, or private
>>charters to get to and from destinations?  Anyone?  How does that added
>>expense factor in to the general athletic budget, or do the teams that
>>have huge travel expenses suffer in other areas of the program?
 
and Mark Sonnier replied...
{snip}
 It would be my guess that both UAF
>and UAA rank at the top of the Div. I hockey travel expenditure list,
>especially since both schools also provide financial support for their
>opponents to travel north.
>
>Of course, hockey is the flagship program at both campuses.
 
I was thinking a little about this.  I know the Gophers bus it as far as
Madison (about 250 miles), and sometimes Upper Michigan (although they flew
charter a couple weeks ago.)
 
The significant travel requirement is an unfortunate feature of the WCHA.
 
However, another unique feature of the WCHA is its attendance.  In 1993-94
average attendance at a WCHA game was 5520 (total attendance, including
Final Five = 1,114,993), and only 3 of 10 teams averaged under 92% capacity
(CC at 3284/3801 = 86% in the old Broadmoor, St. Cloud at 4140/6000 =
69.0%, and North Dakota at 3827/6067 = 63.1%).  Lowest average attendance
was Michigan Tech at 2950/3200 = 92.2% capacity.
 
Why do I mention this?  Money, of course.  I imagine attendance revenues in
the WCHA go a long way toward offsetting the unusually high travel
expenses.
 
UAA's attendance is listed as 108,902 for 17 games (avg 6406 = 103% of
capacity).  So I think the Seawolves may be an example of team whose high
attendance makes up for travel expenses.
 
All attendance figures taken from WCHA press release included in handout at
1994 Gopher Hockey Banquet.
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!
Nastier, Bigger, Faster in '95-'96!
 
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