Mel Pearson advocates for hockey regionals to be played at the arenas of top seeds
Nothing earth-shattering, exactly, but nice to have a coach actually saying this stuff in interviews.
What is obvious to any honest observer is that the current regional system is imbalanced and dumb. It works fine for the tight geographic cluster of Eastern schools with small fanbases, but for the geographically dispersed but passionate fanbases of Western teams, it is an abomination. This year all four top seeds will be Western ones, yet aside from Denver playing in its own state, there isn’t a regional within 500 miles of any of the schools.
There are a number of superior options that could improve this situation in a fair manner; Mel’s solution is simple, consistent with other NCAA sports, and fair to all teams. Other fair options could include having first two round matchups played directly at the higher seeded arenas or various other permutations.
The point is that it’s currently a bad system. It persists because schools out East know that there is a 50% chance of playing within a 2-hour drive (plus, Allentown is closer to Boston and most of the rest of the region than all but one school in the western conferences) and if they get shipped west they will probably play in front of an empty arena. In contrast, Minnesota State keeps getting top seeds and traveling 10 hours away; Michigan as a state has no chance of any of its schools playing anywhere nearby.
It is a well-trod topic, but it is well-trod because the current system is awful and is perpetuated by entities that are acting in bad faith against the best interests of the sport.
This is one situation in which it is not only entirely appropriate for Michigan's Athletic Director to speak up publicly, but necessary if anything is going to change.
Well done. Calling out the North-East bias!
Stupid Northeast.
Sincerely,
NYC Blue
This idea makes way too much sense, therefore the NCAA won't even consider it.
Mel is right
I'm surprised the "western" conferences (Big Ten, CCHA, NCHC) don't simply band together and say "this must change or we will not participate". There is enough combined pull to make it happen - the "eastern" schools are not *that* dominant.
Ive always assumed its that some of the schools that arent in contention for a top 4 or 8 seed in most years are fine with the status quo because it benefits them to play far far away from fans
Yes please.
I have asked before but I can’t remember the reason that Toledo doesn’t bid on the regionals. I think the Huntington center would be a solid venue. Obviously Yost is the first choice, but this shit of empty arenas in cities that don’t care about college hockey is ludicrous.
They actually do have a regional in 2025. BGSU hosting technically but hopefully we'd be sent there if the NCAA is less braindead than usual.
Van Andel has also hosted before, which seems natural
2013 was the final year of the CCHA and the year Michigan lost the NCAA tournament streak. Toledo had a regional that year, hosted by BGSU. However, as it happened, Michigan also was selected to host that year, in Grand Rapids, so had they qualified for the tournament, they would have been sent to GR instead of the much closer Toledo. Another example of braindead organizing.
I don't think the school has hosted since. The cancelled 2020 Frozen Four in Detroit was hosted by MSU.
Huntington Center hosted a regional in 2013. That regional had 1 Notre Dame vs. 4 St. Cloud State and 2 Miami vs 3 Minnesota State. Final was St. Cloud State vs. Miami It was also Easter weekend and pretty much everything in Toledo was closed.
They got maybe a thousand people for the first day, less than 500 the second day. For a long time, there was talk that they were never bidding again after the major financial loss they took, not sure what convinced them to bid again in 2025.
In order to host a regional, the NCAA wants a guaranteed $150k and 80% of all other income after the host school covers costs. The NCAA also sets the ticket prices quite high (>$100). I think a lot of schools aren't interested in hosting a regional with the chance that they won't be able to sell enough tickets to cover their costs.
In order to host a regional, the NCAA wants a guaranteed $150k and 80% of all other income after the host school covers costs.
Mark Emmert makes $2.9 million a year to do nothing as NCAA President, so his salary has to be paid from somewhere.
March 16th, 2022 at 11:26 PM ^
If you are a host school, wouldn’t you want it at your location then? You know the fan base for at least one team is present and will most likely show up for the first two games. You get 100% of all concessions, probably at a better cost ratio. And the required staffing probably comes at a cheaper cost. I’m guessing many schools leverage volunteers or pay a small stipend for ushers, ticket gate people, etc. vs paying whatever the full cost of personnel would be at a generic civic arena.
Financially it has to be better to host the regional on campus vs an offsite facility where the city has no tie to the college.
Mel's last sentence says it all.....none of these players want to play in empty arenas and most will take their chances in hostile enviroments where there is lots of juice in the air. Who knows if we had this system the last 20 years do we have another natty...or two? The talent has been there for sure.
The problem is that neutral sites benefit a lot more schools than home sites would benefit. Heck, you probably couldn't get a majority of Big Ten schools in favor: Michigan and Minnesota, certainly, maybe Notre Dame, but I don't know about the rest.
Failing that, the Big Ten needs to step up and find a way to host a regional within the footprint, every year. Assuming the NHL cities can't/won't do it, go for a step down. Grand Rapids and Toledo have hosted recently, and Fort Wayne seemed good enough back in 2010 (sorry for the memories). Milwaukee and Cleveland should be options as well. All cities with minor-league hockey arenas fit for hosting college hockey. All within reasonable distance of most Big Ten schools, though Minnesota and PSU are on the extreme ends. It shouldn't be that hard to do, and would be much preferable to freakin' Allentown PA.
I support having the top 8 seeds (and then then the top 4 remaining seeds in the second round) host in part for this reason. It’s just a one-off game, since a 3-game series is logistically improbable, but we saw last Saturday how a stand-alone playoff game can get attention. Allows more teams to benefit and more fans to be involved, and it’s still earned.
Failing that, even allowing campus sites to host again would be a big improvement, because a lot more schools could guess that they can probably break even or better with a home crowd to sell to. It results in unearned home ice advantages, but at least there are fans. Most B1G schools would probably be interested in this scenario, as well as a number of NCHC schools. As it stands now, nobody thinks it’s worth the risk.
Part of the problem is Penn State is the official host of the Allentown, PA regionals. As far as the NCAA is concerned, the Big Ten is hosting.
First and foremost, campuses should host the regionals, if the 1 seed declines, go the 2 seed, and so forth.
Minnesota is hosting the Frozen Four in 2024 in St. Paul, yet there isn't a single Regional in Minnesota from 2022 - 2026. Michigan isn't hosting anything during that span. Wisconsin is the official host of the Final Four in Tampa, FL in 2023. What sense does any of that make?
If I remember correctly, Minnesota & Michigan are two of the top talent producing states in the US for hockey, yet no one from those states get to play playoff hockey in their home state unless you are a Minnesotan and your team makes the Final Four in 2024.
Wisconsin is the official host of the Final Four in Tampa, FL in 2023.
Did the NCAA draw their name out of a hat?
It’s actually not the first time - Wisconsin was the host school when Tampa had the Frozen Four in 2016.
Alabama Huntsville was the host when Tampa had the Frozen Four in 2012.
Alaska Anchorage (!!!) was the host when it was in Anaheim in 1999.
Vegas — of all places —- has the 2026 Frozen Four. Naturally, North Dakota will be the host school for that one.
Mels obviously 100% right here but it’s important for coaches and schools to speak publicly or it’ll never change. I suspect there are enough western schools that hate the system that we could force some change. Im not exactly sure who benefits from the status quo outside of teams in the northeast and host arenas in the northeast
My personal favorite proposal is the 1 seeds host a 4 team regional but I think people have said some schools couldnt host that logistically. I don’t really see why you could host a weekend series but couldn’t host a 3 game regional but Im probably missing something
If the regional doesnt work, I’d love to see the first two rounds go to best of 3, higher seed hosts. The pairwise is transparent so I feel like it would reduce complaints about seeding
I really cant figure why its still this way when so many NCAA sports do home site post season games. I don’t know if its the northeast or if its small school not wanting higher seeds to have any home advantage but it needs to change 20 years ago
It's quasi-related ...... but why on Earth do the B1G playoffs take THREE weekends to complete?
I mean, it's a 7-team league. Couldn't the playoffs be done in two weekends: play the QFs on one weekend and then have the final four, single-elimination at the top remaining seed on the next weekend? (shoot, the final four already IS single-elimination)
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I say that's quasi-related because the 7 B1G ice arenas now already have to block time on their calendar for three consecutive weekends. Go to hosting regionals, and now that's 4 (!!!) weekends. Some of these arenas (I know this is the case for Pegula down at PSU) have demand, other things they can book for the arena instead of having to block them "just in case" for college hockey games.
I don't disagree that the regionals should be at non-neutral sites. But there are a few logistical issues here, and I think the lengthy nature of the B1G playoffs is one of those many impedements.
This is why I don't think a three-game first-round series is realistic. Absent that, a single game is much easier to schedule around existing arena obligations.
I'm thinking UM would allow Yost to be completely sold out at $100 per ticket for as many weekends as the NCAA would want.
March 16th, 2022 at 10:23 PM ^
I wrote a lot about the Big Ten playoffs last week. Check my post history.
I assume that the reason the semis and finals are not neutral site is that the top seed wants home games. With 7 teams, it seems weird and counterproductive to give a home series to teams 2-4 but make the conference winner play without home ice.
It would be great to have a regional game right here in SE Michigan, and that's why the NCAA may never consent to it, because it would give those of us a bit farther from the ocean a chance to actually go.
As it should be but the NCAA sucks and they won't do it.
This should have happened years ago.
March 16th, 2022 at 10:29 PM ^
I wonder how big of a problem it is that hockey is #3 or worse at Big Ten schools, whereas it's the top sport at many other schools. I don't know for sure, but I imagine the NCHC AD's are much more engaged with the college hockey world than Warde Manuel is, for example. When that happens across all schools within the conference, it's no wonder theif interests are not represented and served.
March 16th, 2022 at 11:06 PM ^
Best-of-3 series in 1st round and quarters at home of the better seed. Then Frozen Four goes single elimination.
March 17th, 2022 at 10:05 AM ^
Playing a NCAA Hockey regional in Allentown is completely stupid and driven by pure greed only.