Grand Rapids.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/100511aaa.html
the just released schedules were a flat-out statement that the B10 doesn't believe SOS will matter in playoff selection
U-M to host 2013 NCAA Ice Hockey West Regional in
October 5th, 2011 at 10:43 AM
#1
U-M to host 2013 NCAA Ice Hockey West Regional in
October 5th, 2011 at 10:46 AM | 
How nice of them to throw us
How nice of them to throw us
October 5th, 2011 at 10:47 AM |
It's not Yost, but it's about
It's not Yost, but it's about
It's not Yost, but it's about the best they could do otherwise. Guaranteeing that they get to play in the state is a pretty good situation.
October 5th, 2011 at 10:48 AM |
Out of curiosity
Out of curiosity
why hasn't The Palace or the Joe hosted a regional?
October 5th, 2011 at 11:14 AM |
Palace & The Joe
Palace & The Joe
The Joe hosted 2 regionals in the early '90s. They are not even a tiny bit interested in hosting another one, and I assume the same is true for The Palace. The fact that the NCAA bans alcohol sales and in-arena alcohol advertising means that they are doing it for ticket money only, and the NCAA takes their cut of that. I think it's a money-loser unless they have a big attraction like Michigan or MSU, and the NCAA of course can't guarantee that any particular team will make the tournament.
It's really an event more appropriate for 8,000-12,000 seat arenas, not 18,000-22,000 seat arenas like The Palace and the Joe.
October 5th, 2011 at 10:51 AM |
Considering I live in GR...
Considering I live in GR...
Hell yes!
"The difference between a man and a boy is, a boy wants to grow up to be a fireman, but a man wants to grow up to be a giant monster fireman."
- Jack Handey
October 5th, 2011 at 10:52 AM |
Hallelujiah, except this
Hallelujiah, except this
October 5th, 2011 at 1:12 PM |
Maybe a good sign, though?
Maybe a good sign, though?
It might be a good sign, though, that the regional hosts were only announced for 2013. It's too late to change the format for the 2012/13 season (budgets would have to be submitted to the NCAA Championships Committee by September 2011 for any format change). The fact that they are only announcing hosts 1 year in advance could easily mean that they are working out a new format for the 2014 season. I think the hosts used to be announced 2-3 years in advance.
October 5th, 2011 at 10:57 AM |
It gets worse
It gets worse
Toledo is hosting the Midwest Regional. Toledo, half as far away from Ann Arbor as Grand Rapids. And because Michigan is the host, if they make the tournament, they are required to play at Grand Rapids.
Craig Barker || The Hoover Street Rag || Twitter
"The Michigan fanbase: a cynical, Eeyorish bunch even in the best of times."
October 5th, 2011 at 12:57 PM |
There's two regionals in the midwest in 2013?
There's two regionals in the midwest in 2013?
so the NCAA is going away from the format of 3 regionals in new england and 1 at the XCel center?
Rudy watches inspirational movies about Shawn Hunwick
October 5th, 2011 at 11:15 AM |
.
.
.
October 5th, 2011 at 11:07 AM |
The 2003 Regional
The 2003 Regional
at Yost was like the greatest thing ever.
Athens, GA
October 5th, 2011 at 11:44 AM |
I strongly disagree with this
I strongly disagree with this
I strongly disagree with this statement, but only because the 2002 regional in Yost was even better.
M BSE '05, A&M PhD '11
October 5th, 2011 at 12:01 PM |
You're both wrong the 1998
You're both wrong the 1998
You're both wrong the 1998 regional at Yost wins hands down. MSU losing and M coming from behind to beat NoDak. - unbelievable...
October 5th, 2011 at 12:20 PM |
You are correct. that was the
You are correct. that was the
You are correct. that was the best. And it allowed us to win the Natty Title, no way UM does that out of a neutral ice rink.
Go Blue!
October 5th, 2011 at 12:25 PM |
We had to make it through a
We had to make it through a
We had to make it through a regional at Munn in '96...
October 6th, 2011 at 11:50 AM |
That 96 team was stacked the,
That 96 team was stacked the,
That 96 team was stacked the, 98 team had Muckalt, Turco and some rolls of tape...
October 5th, 2011 at 11:28 AM |
In all reality, with
In all reality, with
In all reality, with off-campus regional sites the model the NCAA is adhering to, who "hosts" a regional means just about nothing. The NCAA will still tightly control everything about the venue, from how it looks to every little detail of the in-game atmosphere. There won't be anything Michigan about it, as the NCAA sees off-campus regional sites as a completely team-neutral, "fair" arenas almost entirely devoid of the character of college athletics. With prohibitively expensive ticket prices and far-away schools that will all but ensure mostly empty seats.
Just about the only things that will tip you off that Michigan is the host will be our PA announcer, maybe an M logo here and there, and Michigan being automatically placed in that region.
October 5th, 2011 at 11:38 AM |
Automatically placed
Automatically placed
Yes, the arena will be sterile. But there are still advantages.
The fact that Michigan is automatically placed in the region is an advantage. It guarantees easier travel for the team (not having to make last-minute arrangements), it means fans can start buying tickets as soon as they go on sale rather than waiting until the pairings are announced, and it means that the NCAA can't make Michigan play New Hampshire in New Hampshire, or play North Dakota in North Dakota, or play Denver in Denver, etc.
So next year, as soon as we are comfortable that Michigan will make the NCAA tournament, we can buy tickets to the Grand Rapids regional and fill it up with Michigan fans. The other 3 teams in the regional will have to wait until the Sunday before the regionals when the pairings come out. That's a pretty big deal.
October 5th, 2011 at 12:01 PM |
Oh, NCAA, I'M SORRY...that we
Oh, NCAA, I'M SORRY...that we
Oh, NCAA, I'M SORRY...that we actually created an atmosphere when we hosted at Yost previously.
Well, it's Grand Rapids, but at least we have something in state.
October 5th, 2011 at 1:12 PM |
It may be a 2 hour drive, but
It may be a 2 hour drive, but
It may be a 2 hour drive, but I'm willing to bet that unless the other 3 teams are also local, that 95% of the arena will be Michigan fans as well as having it actually full too
If you're doing nothing, how do you know when you're finished?
October 5th, 2011 at 2:33 PM |
It wasn't necessarily that
It wasn't necessarily that
It wasn't necessarily that way the last time Michigan played out there in 2005.
Friday vs. Wisconsin, attendance 6312.
Saturday vs. Colorado College, attendance 6571.
Van Andel holds a little over 10,000 for hockey. The regional was New Hampshire (1), Michigan (2), Wisconsin (3), and Colgate (4), meaning two big regional draws and two non-starters.
NCAA regional attendance figures are always a bit inflated (especially for the first day) due to the fact that many fans only go to their team's game, and many subsequently eat their tickets for day 2 and just go home if their team loses. Thus, we're talking probably about half capacity, maybe a little more, for both of those games. That's actually on the high end for many neutral-site regionals.
We'd like to think Michigan can sell out the arena, but with the prohibitively high cost of tickets for the weekend and the travel, there's no reason to believe it will happen. Which is why the NCAA's insistence on neutral-site locations that are a long drive or flight for all four teams involved in a regional weekend is utter stupidity.
October 5th, 2011 at 5:34 PM |
i like it
How nice of them to throw us a bone. 2 hours from our campus.