If you watched the first round of the FBS playoffs this afternoon, you noticed that the teams were playing at the home stadium of the higher seed. While perusing X.com this afternoon, hockey journalist Ryan Stieg retweeted Mike Eidelbes's excellent tweet. Grand Forks Herald hockey scribe Brad E. Schlossman followed suit. Sounds like a great idea. Let's get this done soon.
Yes, it's well past time to revisit this subject again. We've beaten it to death, but we're not going away. Of course, you'll get some pushback from the same old soles, media members, coaches, and schools that want to play in quiet, empty, listless mausoleums masquerading as neutral-site hockey arenas. SMH! These arenas will be in exciting locations like Allen Town, Pennsylvania, or some arena that doesn't usually host hockey games. What could go wrong, right? You have to ask yourself what these people are afraid of? To be the best, you have to beat the best. It shouldn't matter if you have to play in an energy-filled arena. The Frozen Four isn't played in listless arenas.Went to IU-ND football yesterday. Probably the best sporting event I’ve attended in terms of atmosphere and electricity.
— Mike Eidelbes (@INCH) December 21, 2024
Having it on campus made it a billion times greater. Hint hint hockey …Home hockey regionals would be electric. https://t.co/iVNbUKeZjp
— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 21, 2024
Last February, DU head hockey coach David Carle appeared on a podcast from Inside Hockey with Editor Adam Wodon and shared his perspective on the matter. Coach Carle was receptive to the idea.
For the record, Adam Wodon of College Hockey News favors maintaining the status quo and does not support home-site regionals.
Here are some points from that podcast. I included Carle's comments because he sees the whole picture and has a realistic opinion.
"We are in a small minority of sports that do it this way, Carle said. College football is also neutral, but even the behemoth that it is, next year, expanding to 12. They are going to campus sites."
"We are vastly in the minority of not using home site top seeds hosting in any capacity," Carle said. "For the record, I'm against North Dakota being a one-seed this year and having three teams enter their building. That's worse than what we currently do—the top four seats hosting, you know, all the teams to four sites. It's worse when you talk about atmosphere, excitement, and the fan experience. I would get we all host games all the time, right? The top eight would host the bottom eight."
Let's get it done. It's well past time. Last season, I asked UND head coach Brad Berry if he favored playing regional games at home sites.
Would Coach Berry’s team rather play in Minnesota or Duluth than in an empty arena in Bridgeport? Of course, he would.
“A hundred percent, Berry said. “That goes into the part of earning it. If we’re a lower seed and we have to go into a building. We already do that. We go into environments like that during the regular season; it shouldn’t be different in the playoffs. You have to win a game on the road. It’s going to provide a better atmosphere and a better experience for the college student-athletes.”
