> Here's a silly rumor for those of you left on the list to ponder.
> I've received several phone calls in the last few days from people
> asking me if I've heard that the NCAA hockey tournament next year
> will return to first-round campus sites -- but only schools whose
> rinks hold at least 6,000 will be eligible to host.  Therefore,
> Northern Michigan could be ranked No. 1 all season long, win the WCHA
> regular season and playoffs and have to travel to Minnesota (for
> example) because Mariucci Arena has a larger capacity than Lakeview
> Arena.  Where does this stuff come from?
 
While I would not support such a move, it isn't totally farfetched.
 
In the NCAA Womens' Basketball and Womens' Volleyball tournaments, for
example, schools bid to host the games (my two examples are the team
sports that Wisconsin has hosted tournament games recently.  This
method isn't limited to Womens' sports) . If possible, higher ranked
teams host lower ranked teams, from amongst those sites selected. If a
school did not bid to host a game, or was not selected because the
tournament committee decided that their bid was not adequate (according
to whatever criteria they set) then thats it. A lower ranked team could
host a higher ranked team.
 
I believe I read in the past that the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee always
had the power to award first round sites to other than the higher
ranked schools, but never did.
 
	--david