Increasing revenues, the formation of new conferences and greater interest at all levels of men's college hockey have raised the sport to arguably its highest level of popularity since teams began competing for a college championship in 1947.

Attendance figures at the Division I regionals have set new marks the past two years, and the Frozen Four has sold out seven times in nine years.

"The championship is a premiere event," said Jack McDonald, chair of the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee and director of athletics at Quinnipiac University. "The institutions competing for a title have built tremendous programs and followings. It makes for a positive atmosphere."

But with larger venues bringing in more money and prestige to schools, men's hockey also is experiencing the added pressure that comes with success. Being a head coach of a program now includes speaking to booster clubs, appearing on television and radio call-in shows, pressing the flesh at school fund-raising outings, and greeting fans -- all in addition to coaching, recruiting and managing a team.

In essence, men's hockey is the program at schools such as the University of North Dakota or the University of New Hampshire.

"It certainly has become more than just a game," said Joe Bertagna, commissioner of the Hockey East Association. "It's a campus event and source of pride."

Exciting event

Part of the intrigue of Division I hockey of late has been the competitiveness and the urgency that comes with the postseason tournament. When Boston College claimed last year's Frozen Four, it was the first time the storied program had tasted championship victory since 1949. Amazingly, there has not been a repeat champion in 33 years, when Boston University accomplished the feat in 1971 and '72.

"College hockey has not had many tournaments where you just know one team is significantly better than everyone else," said Bertagna, who also chairs the NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee. "You just never know, and that makes it so exciting to watch."

The NCAA tournament format -- single-game elimination -- also adds to the intensity and complexion of the game. While the National Hockey League's playoffs are intense, only a deciding Game 7 comes with the do-or-die tag for both teams.

"Last season's Division I title game was as intense a game as you'll see," said McDonald. "You had Boston College, which hadn't won in more than 50 years, and North Dakota, which just didn't quit."

Those games make for great television. ESPN and ESPN2 have televised the Men's Frozen Four since 1985, and during contract discussions earlier this year, the event was a priority for the sports cable network. ESPN reaches 86 million households in the United States, while ESPN2 is shown in 82 million.

"ESPN recognizes and values that this championship is at a high level of maturity and popularity," said Jo Jo Rinebold, NCAA director of broadcasting and media integration. "Last year, ESPN Classic re-aired the Division I championship game on 'Classic Remote Control,' which is based on requests via viewer e-mail. This was the first time ESPN Classic aired any game from the men's ice hockey championship."

With two prime-time viewing windows, the importance of the event is clear. Ratings have been consistent from year to year, which Rinebold said could be seen as a positive.

"With today's countless television programs and channels, holding a consistently solid rating is certainly a positive," Rinebold said. "I think college hockey fans are faithful viewers, but we also try to make sure that we are doing all we can to appeal to the casual sports fan."

The NCAA also has made a strong commitment to the tournament, producing all eight regional games for television. The NCAA pays production costs and collects rights fees from stations that would like to show the telecast. Fox Sports Net New England, Fox Sports Net North (formerly Midwest Sports Channel) and Empire Sports have been three of the biggest supporters of the NCAA regionals in recent seasons.

"I anticipate interest from the regional cable networks that support college hockey through the regular season," Rinebold said. "At a minimum, there should be interest from stations in the markets of the participating teams."

Larger venues, bigger crowds

In recent years, college hockey fans have turned out in record numbers to see NCAA championship competition. During last year's tournament, 37,257 fans clicked the turnstiles in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Worcester, Massachusetts, setting a regional attendance mark. The regional games averaged more than 9,000 fans per session.

"We expect that to continue to grow and keep breaking records," McDonald said.

The record-breaking crowds have meant financial stability for the championship -- one of a handful that are consistently in the black for the NCAA. The tournament has posted six-figure revenues since 1993, including a high of $824,776 in 1998.

During the recent bid process for future years, the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee received unprecedented interest. This year's Frozen Four will be played in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the state-of-the-art Xcel Energy Center, home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild. The arena is sold out for the event, and net revenue is expected to exceed $1 million.

"We've been pleased with the quality of cities and venues that are interested in holding the Frozen Four and regionals," McDonald said. "That alone tells me that the tournament has become a valuable event."

One city that did not receive a bid in this cycle (future bids went to Boston in 2004, Columbus in 2005 and Milwaukee in 2006) plans to be back for another run at the tournament.

"We certainly feel like the Frozen Four is a tremendous and positive event to have," said Chris Roseman, director of events for the St. Louis Sports Commission. "We've also had good experiences with hosting other NCAA events. But we feel like St. Louis is a strong hockey town, and we'll do everything we can to bring the Frozen Four here."

College hockey also is enjoying unprecedented success at the conference level. On any given weekend, there are numerous games on television. In places like Minnesota, where Mariucci Arena's 10,000-plus seats are sold out for every game, suites have been added to accommodate more fans. Some conferences have long-term agreements with arenas to host their conference championships and are setting attendance records, as well.

College hockey has taken advantage of the influx of cable sports networks that focus on regional coverage. In areas like Minnesota, Michigan and New England, college hockey is on television virtually every weekend.

"I think the regional popularity of men's college hockey and the number of sports outlets have combined to give the sport added exposure," Rinebold said.

Division III programs also are enjoying unparalleled success. While the tournament is played at on-campus sites, the atmosphere at those events is as good as it gets. Last season, sold-out crowds viewed quarterfinal series play for the right to advance in the tournament.

At the tournament finals at Rochester Institute of Technology, both dates were sold out and the championship was played in an electric atmosphere. A crowd of 2,100 watched Plattsburgh State University of New York defeat RIT for the championship.

"There are some very special Division III schools that have made hockey a large part of the their identity," said Bertagna, who also is the executive director of the American College Hockey Coaches Association. "The Division III schools are a vital part of college hockey, and the tournament is certainly a wonderful showcase."

With on-campus sites in the quarterfinal rounds, almost 18,000 fans experienced last year's Division III championship.

Future growth

With many programs in place, the current state of college hockey is increasingly positive. The future may be even brighter.

On campuses such as the U.S. Naval Academy, North Dakota State University and the University of Rhode Island, support is building to add full-time varsity programs. Additionally, successful varsity programs at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and the University of Alabama, Huntsville, have brought the college game out of its hotbed comfort zones. Mid-season college tournaments were held this year in Florida (Division I) and in California (Division III).

According to the American College Hockey Association -- which works with USA Hockey to govern club hockey programs -- club teams have grown from about 60 programs to more than 200 in the past five years.

The biggest factor in college hockey's future growth, however, may be the expansion of the Division I men's tournament. At its meeting earlier this month, the Division I Championships/
Competition Cabinet put an expanded ice hockey bracket among its highest budget priorities for 2003.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference received an automatic bid last season for the first time and College Hockey America is set to receive an automatic bid in 2003. As championship opportunities increase, support and interest increase, too.

"I think the more you expose people to the championship atmosphere, the better chance you have to grow," McDonald said. "That has been the case with our tournament, and we hope it continues."