Tampa to host NCAA Frozen Four 2012

[TBGKon]

According to many sports media, the Frozen Four committee has decided to give these 4 cities the Frozen Four tourney:

2009 - Washington, DC - MCI Center

2010 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field

2011 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center

2012 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum

Here is a link to the story. Too bad the host college for Tampa is Alabama-Huntsville, since they are the nearest Div I hockey school to Tampa.

What do you all think of Tampa hosting the Frozen Four???

[OMMF]

According to many sports media, the Frozen Four committee has decided to give these 4 cities the Frozen Four tourney:

2009 - Washington, DC - MCI Center

2010 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field

2011 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center

2012 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum

Here is a link to the story. Too bad the host college for Tampa is Alabama-Huntsville, since they are the nearest Div I hockey school to Tampa.

What do you all think of Tampa hosting the Frozen Four???

It gives the teams and their fans a nice place to be, I guess.

I'm not questioning Lightning fans here but how much interest can there be for a collegiate sport in a city that doesn't even have it. Sounds a little like the NCAA bowl game in Toronto discussion. You'll get each teams fans that travel and the diehards but can you expect much of a casual crowd?

[Ez Street]

I think Omaha is a good place for the Frozen Four. The Qwest Center is where UNO plays and they are already planning on expanding it. Plus Omaha is a Hockey Crazy town.

Hell they have THREE teams!

[Ez Street]

Qwest Center To Expand; Could Attract Major College Tourneys

Sports, Concerts Expect To Expand Right Along With Seating

POSTED: 11:32 am CDT June 9, 2005

UPDATED: 5:06 pm CDT June 9, 2005

OMAHA, Neb. -- Big 12 basketball tournaments may come to Omaha in the future after a move by city officials Thursday.

A drawing of Qwest expansions

The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority voted to add 1,472 seats to the Qwest Center, bringing the total seating for a basketball configuration to 17,560. That's enough to qualify the Qwest for Big 12 and other major collegiate events.

"That takes us above the threshold for the Big 12. There's a lot of different events we could go after," said Roger Dixon, with the Qwest Center. "The women's basketball tournament, it would put us in the area -- potentially -- for the women's final four."

The Qwest Center has already locked in a 2008 NCAA men's tournament game, but Qwest has its sights set on the Big 12 men's tournament. That tournament could be a stepping stone for more.

"The Frozen Four -- the NCAA's tournament for men's hockey in Division I," Dixon said.

As Qwest boasts sold-out concerts, it wants to attract more sporting events. The MECA board members knew the time was right for expansion.

"We are now in a position to demonstrate, again, the success of this venue and the need to move to a more competitive environment," said board member and former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub.

The kind of concerts Omaha attracts could change with more seating, too.

"It makes more profit for the promoters to come in, and it also gives access to more people within our market area," Dixon said.

The space was set aside in the original building plans for expansion.

"It was very important to leave room for future expansion, and I think all of us are enormously pleased that the utilization of the facility warrants the expansion," said MECA board member David Sokol.

The budget for expansion and design is $5.6 million, which includes a new concourse and restrooms. The total project adds up to about $6.5 million when fees and reimbursable expenses are included.

Omaha's DLR Group has been retained for the design. MECA is using its own money to pay for the project, and board members said they will run a tight ship when it comes to construction.

Sokol said timing and efficiency will be very important, as the board doesn't want to disrupt any arena or convention center events. He said they'll require contractors to prefabricate as many components as possible and then install them quickly inside the arena.

Bidding for the project will begin in January 2006, followed by contractor selection in April. Construction will begin next May.

Also Thursday, the MECA board gave its approval to a slightly more artistic addition. Board members commissioned Omahan Matthew Placzek to create two sculptures for display around the arena. The first will feature a 35-foot stainless steel working clock and six bronze figures. That will go outside the arena near the entrance.

The second features a cluster of multicolored spheres inside the arena lobby.

The sculptures will cost about $1.5 million. Most of the cost will be underwritten by private donations. Plans call for an April 2007 unveiling.

Sorry to hijack your thread.

[Joshawaggie]

I thought Grand Forks was tryin hard to get the Frozen Four. I guess their amazing arena isnt enough to convince them to play.... in Grand Forks...

[NJTank]

this is odd oh well they won a Stanley Cup once, does any college down there even play hockey?

[no97]

Points to note:

1) The event will sell-out in Tampa, because the event has sold out a year in advance every year for the last five years reguardless of lacation. There is enough of a traveling fan-base to sell this out reguardless of where it is. Plus there is a waiting list for tickets.

2) Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks isn't big enough to host a Frozen 4, it will, however, host an NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Regional (the round just before the Frozen 4) in 2006. The NCAA mandates a specific minimum of seats available at a venue before it can even be considered for a Frozen 4. That number is something like 14,000. The REA isn't even close. This is also the reason the Qwest Center in Omaha has to remodel if the ever wants a Frozen 4.

Hope this info is helpful.

Moose

[no97]

this is odd oh well they won a Stanley Cup once, does any college down there even play hockey?

No it isn't. There's no college hockey in Anaheim, yet they had the Frozen 4 in 1999, and there is no college hockey in Cincinnati, yet they hosted in 1996...

Moose

[NJTank]

Anaheim was alos an odd choice, Cincinnati may not have a team but Ohio State is pretty good from what I hear. So the state of Ohio has a team.

[Joshawaggie]

Points to note:

2) Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks isn't big enough to host a Frozen 4, it will, however, host an NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Regional (the round just before the Frozen 4) in 2006.  The NCAA mandates a specific minimum of seats available at a venue before it can even be considered for a Frozen 4.  That number is something like 14,000.  The REA isn't even close.  This is also the reason the Qwest Center in Omaha has to remodel if the ever wants a Frozen 4.

Hope this info is helpful.

Moose

thats probably what I was thinkin, the Regionals. The Englestad holds only 11,500+.

[winghaz]

If you were a University of North Dakota fan in Grand Forks, and the Sioux made it to the Frozen Four, wouldn't you enjoy going to Tampa-St. Pete?

[no97]

Anaheim was alos an odd choice, Cincinnati may not have a team but Ohio State is pretty good from what I hear. So the state of Ohio has a team.

Neither Anaheim or Tampa is an odd choice. Neither is Washington DC (which doesn't have college hockey either FYI). The Frozen 4, as I noted above, is sold out well in advance, and has a waiting list. Behind men's basketball, it is the #2 revenue generating NCAA tournament. Stop for a minute and think about that. The Frozen 4 is the #2 revenue generating tournament for all NCAA sports. Do you think there might be at least some interest from non traditional markets? Look at this article about the list of bids recieved to host the event. Besides non traditional Washington DC and Tampa, who got Frozen 4's, Sunrise, FL, and San Antonio, TX also wanted a piece of the pie (plus Philadelphia, which has no college hockey either). Why do you think that is? $$$ And lots of it. If you want to know what die hard college hockey fans think, go here. This is a college hockey message board, where they have generated 21 pages of discussion over the bids for the 2009-2012 Frozen 4 sites. A lot of them will be going to (and spending their money in) Tampa and Washington DC. That's why the Frozen 4 is going there.

Moose

edit - in all fairness, I feel I should disclose that I am, in my real life, the co-host of a Minnesota Broadcasters Association award winning radio show dedicated to college hockey... Really...

[TBGKon]

in response to the comment of there's no Div 1 hockey in the south, this is true because even though the Frozen 4 will be in Tampa, the collegiate host will be Alabama-Huntsville (the closest D1 team). I cant waint because if I'm lucky I may be working at the St Pete Times Forum doing something after I graduate from college with a degree in Sport Management

[smzimbabwe]

The University of Alaska-Anchorage was the official host school for the Frozen Four in Anaheim...

[OnWis97]

At least it will be a neutral Site...

[no97]

in response to the comment of there's no Div 1 hockey in the south, this is true because even though the Frozen 4 will be in Tampa, the collegiate host will be Alabama-Huntsville (the closest D1 team). I cant waint because if I'm lucky I may be working at the St Pete Times Forum doing something after I graduate from college with a degree in Sport Management

Interesting note for those not familiar with college hockey: Alabama-Huntsville is in the same conference as Bemidji (Minnesota) State (the school I cover). College Hockey America (the CHA) has currently has member institutions in Minnesota, Colorado, Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York, plus has a school interested in applying in Georga. Now that's a geographically diverse conference.

Moose

[NJTank]

Well maybe then some school in Florida should start playing hockey why not?

[TBGKon]

Well maybe then some school in Florida should start playing hockey why not?

many of the big schools (UF, FSU, USF) all have club teams that play in some division. I believe it is called College Hockey South. Maybe club teams could bump up to Div. I-AA or something else

[-Helix-]

They do play college hockey down here, it's called the ACHA. Sadly, the administrations of the schools down here don't want to put the effort into making them Varsity teams in the NCAA either because of Title IX or $$$$$.

But yes, they do play college hockey down here, and even though it is only club level, alot of schools have big followings. I caught a UCF v.s. Florida game at the TD waterhouse Center once, and I may try to get onto an ACHA team myself.

I'm hoping that having the Frozen Four here in Tampa might lead to some more ACHA teams turning NCAA.

And what are you guys talking about that we don't have any college teams? This is FLORIDA, not Canada. We have NCAA schools down here. Maybe not Varisty Hockey programs, but we still provide this country with some of the top rivalries and teams in college sports. Florida loves college sports, even hockey. They will come out, and in mass, don't worry.

[no97]

Well maybe then some school in Florida should start playing hockey why not?

many of the big schools (UF, FSU, USF) all have club teams that play in some division. I believe it is called College Hockey South. Maybe club teams could bump up to Div. I-AA or something else

Unfortunatly, your choices are basically D-I or D-III. There aren't enough teams currently sponsering D-II (I believe there are only 5 or 6 at the moment) for the NCAA to sanction a National Championship at that level, so, if a school wants to "go varsity," you're basically looking at just D-I or D-III, and, if you're school is already D-I for other sports (Florida, Florida State, etc.), your only option is D-I.

Moose