There will be plenty of time to throw darts — and I’m sure they will be thrown — if the Gophers don’t make the NCAA tournament, with a regional here, and worst yet, if they get bounced in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and don’t make the Final Five.
The wailing will be heard all the way to Colorado Springs, where WCHA commish Bruce McLeod has his office. People have always speculated how well a Final Five without the Gophers would draw, they might get a chance to really find out.
(Read the whole story here)
I keep hearing gloom and doom for the WCHA and the NCAA regional if the Gophers don't make the WCHA Final Five or the NCAA West Regional. I predict that both tourneys will survive even if the Minnesota Gophers fail to make either tourney. NCAA hockey is bigger than the Minnesota Gophers.
I don't buy into all this doom and gloom if the gophers don't happen to make either the final five or the regional as I'm pretty sure a ton of tickets have been sold for the ff so the wcha has their $ regardless if asses are in seats. I thought I heard that the regional was one of the better ones for sales if not the best, so once again the ncaa will have their $ wether asses are in seats or not.
ReplyDeleteThe Final Five and the Regional will be fine if the Gophers make it or not.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am sure that the Gophers are a major marketing point for the WCHA Final Five, it would not be the end of the world if they didn't make it. It's basically the same situation that Wisconsin had to deal with in last year's NCAA tournament: they bought their way into that thing over Mankato because they were hosting at the Kohl Center and Badger hockey puts fans in the seats. I agree with siouxweet though, many of the tickets for the final 5 are already bought in the form of 5 game ticket packages way ahead of time.
ReplyDeleteLess butts in the seats = less concessions sales, although I don't know what portion of that tWCHA gets.
ReplyDeleteRunningwiththedogs has the right idea...
ReplyDeleteOh well less fans in the stands I am sure if UMD and UND make the final five most of us could care less.
ReplyDeleteWell the most recent Brackology has them missing the touranment, but with UMD (in-state), the Sioux (large fan base that travels well), Michigan (large fan base that traels well - I believe), and Princeton (????) it doesn't look that bad to me.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they wouldn't sell out, but with those teams I'm guessing it wouldn't be a graveyard.
I suppose if they'll be claiming that double secret "home team" rule that says they play Friday night even if they aren't in the field of five.
ReplyDeleteUSAFA is right with all of the other teams from the State of hockey we don't need the Gopher fans. :) There still going to be a lot of them anyways because they will still come and watch hockey.
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