National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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May 3, 2010 8:19:59 AM

For college hockey fans, the Men's Frozen Four is hardly a secret.

The event has been selling out regularly since 1993, and the demand for tickets has grown so high that in 2002 the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee established a priority system to reward annual attendees, thus ensuring tickets to its most loyal fans.

But the sport may have reached its pinnacle so far in its history when more than 72,000 people attended the 2010 semifinals and final at Detroit's Ford Field. The championship-game crowd of 37,592 set a world indoor ice hockey record, bettering the semifinal crowd of 34,954 and the previous record of 28,183 set in a 1996 NHL playoff game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Philadelphia Flyers at Tropicana Field in Tampa. The previous Frozen Four record was 19,432, set in the 2007 national title game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The interest and growth in college hockey in the 1990s and early 2000s was unprecedented. In 2001, in fact, Michigan and Michigan State played a regular-season game outdoors at Spartan Stadium (dubbed "the Cold War") that attracted a world-record 74,544 fans. As interest and popularity increased, the ability to accommodate fans for college hockey's premier event became more difficult. While the Men's Frozen Four easily attracted sell-out crowds at NHL facilities, the Men's Ice Hockey Committee constantly had its eye on continuing growth.

In spring 2005, members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, along with staff from Ford Field in Detroit, proposed playing the Frozen Four at Ford Field.

Wayne Dean, senior associate athletics director at Yale, was chair of the committee at the time and still remembers the presentation at the committee's annual meeting in Indianapolis in April 2005.

"Detroit had a great bid with a great building," Dean said. "We talked to some of the players who played in the Cold War at Spartan Stadium in front of more than 70,000 people and they talked about how it was the greatest experience of their careers."

Dean said the committee wanted to ensure that holding the event at Ford Field was in the best interests of the championship and the sport and not simply a promotional event.

"We all felt after talking with the people from Detroit that they could get it done," Dean said. "They had support from every level, including Bill Ford himself."

Typically, about 25,000 tickets are requested through fans in the priority system and "holds" for the NCAA, the local organizing committee and teams competing in the championship. But previous championship venues have averaged about 18,000 in seating capacity. While keeping the Frozen Four in NHL stadiums assured sellouts and kept demand at a high level, the committee was intrigued with the idea of Ford Field.

"The committee saw it as a great opportunity for the Frozen Four to be seen in person by more people than ever before," Dean said. "Even back then we were in a situation where there were a ton of fans who wanted to come and see the Frozen Four but couldn't get a ticket. We saw this as an opportunity to expose this event to those people without jeopardizing any part of the student-athlete experience."

After all was said and done, the location received rave reviews from the 2010 national champion head coach Jerry York of Boston College, whose Eagles downed Wisconsin in the final.

"The setting was outstanding," he said. "I thought the city of Detroit handled everything extremely well, from the hotels to the police escorts for the teams. It was a great experience for our players, and not just because we won."

A possible sequel?

While some fans like the intimate settings of NHL buildings, other fans see the larger venues as the opportunity of a lifetime.

Michael Moore, a Wisconsin alum who lives in Northwest Ohio, had watched the Badgers play at the Dane County Coliseum during his school days, but had never been to a Frozen Four until this year.

"In the past, I knew there was no chance for me to get a ticket because I know the participating schools only get a limited allotment," Moore said. "But when the Badgers won the regional this year, I bought tickets. It was great to be there among all the Wisconsin fans."

The continued popularity of college hockey would suggest a growing fan base. The 2009-10 regular season saw two outdoor college games, with more than 38,000 fans on hand at Fenway Park to see Boston College play Boston University and more than 55,000 fans attending the Wisconsin win over Michigan at the Camp Randall Hockey Classic. Next year, Michigan State will play the Wolverines in Michigan Stadium, with more than 80,000 tickets already sold.

"This year showed that you have more than 35,000 people willing to travel and pay for a sporting event," said Moore. "Next year, there'll be close to 20,000 people who want to go but won't be able to get a ticket. Why would you limit the number of fans who can go to the event? To me, this is a no-brainer."

With fans continuing to attend college hockey games at record pace, it begs the question of whether the Men's Frozen Four will return to Ford Field or another non-NHL facility.

"Never say never," said Kristin Fasbender, NCAA associate director of championships and manager of the Division I Men's ice Hockey Championship. "We are in the process of evaluating exactly how everything went this year, and what we would do differently if we were to do that again. At this time we don't have any bids from any nontraditional NHL buildings. However, if the opportunity arose, we would have to consider everything involved."

Moore is hoping the opportunity comes sooner than later.

"I hope the NCAA looks at this seriously and does it again," he said. "If not, this year won't only be my first Frozen Four but likely my last."

All-time Top 10 Frozen Four Attendance

In 2007, 2009 and 2010, both semifinals were considered one session.

All-time hockey attendance

*Reports have the crowd anywhere between 50,000 to 55,000.