The NCAA News - News & Features

I men's hockey picks championships sites for 2000 and beyond

The committee will recommend to the NCAA Executive Committee that Providence College host the 2000 semifinals and final at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute serve as host for the 2001 championship at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York.

The committee selected the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to host the 2002 semifinals and final at the Saint Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, and awarded the final site by recommending that Canisius College, Niagara University and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference cohost the 2003 championship finals at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York.

Of the four cities awarded championship sites, Buffalo is the only city that has not hosted an NCAA ice hockey championship.

The committee selected the sites at its June 9-12 meeting in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

In addition, the committee voted to recommend regional sites for 1998 and 1999.

In 1998, the East regional will be conducted at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York, while the University of Michigan will host the West regional at Yost Arena.

In 1999, Boston University will host the East regional at the Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts, while the West regional will be conducted at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin, with the University of Wisconsin, Madison, serving as host.

"The committee was extremely pleased with the quality of the presentations made by the host institutions and local organizing committees for the recommended sites," said Richard B. Comley, director of athletics and head men's ice hockey coach at Northern Michigan University, and chair of the committee. "We believe the four championship sites and cities will provide an outstanding hockey atmosphere for the student-athletes and spectators.

"In addition, the regional sites will be outstanding venues for the student-athletes to compete. We believe the regional sites have continued to grow and now provide the atmosphere and excitement the committee envisioned five years ago when the format was implemented."

The Providence Civic Center hosted the championship in 1980, 1982, 1986 and 1995, while the Knickerbocker Arena hosted the championship in 1992 and regional competition in 1994 and 1996.

The Saint Paul Civic Center hosted the 1989, 1991 and 1994 championships, including sell-outs in 1989 and 1994.

In 1997, the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the championship.

The championship finals will be March 27 and 29 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee
June 9-12/Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

* Agreed to recommend that the semifinals and final be played the 14th Friday and Sunday of each year effective as early as the 1998 championship but no later than 2000 in order to break away from the Final Four weekend. The regionals would continue to be played the third week of March or the 12th full weekend of the year. Currently, the semifinals and final are played the fifth Thursday and Saturday of March or the first weekend in April if March only has four weekends. The committee noted other rationale for the change, including a decrease in missed class time within a short period of time; reduced airfare and travel accommodations by having 10 days between regionals and semifinals; and more time for the local organizing committee to promote the championship, college ice hockey and, specifically, the four semifinalists through its local and regional media.

* Voted to recommend that the four Division I ice hockey conferences receive two automatic berths in the 1997 championship.

* Will request permission to adopt a slogan for the Division I men's ice hockey championship in an effort to create its own identity and to protect the Final Four trademark of the Division I men's and women's basketball championships. The committee intends to conduct a contest through the hockey community to develop slogans for its consideration.

* Voted to use instant replay during the 1997 championship.

* Voted to employ the newly created three-man officiating system, which includes one referee and two assistant referees, for the 1997 championship.

* Met with the Division I commissioners on various topics, including instant replay, the officiating system for Division I ice hockey and regular-season television coverage.