GRAND FORKS — UND and Michigan State will meet in the first round of the NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
This matchup features two giants of college hockey.
Michigan State has nine NCAA National Championships, tied for the most in history. UND is 8 and 1 back. No school in the past 50 years has won more national titles than North Dakota.
The matchup between traditionally powerhouse teams will take place in the smallest venue to host a UND or Michigan hockey game in more than five years.
They will play at the Centene Community Ice Center, which is the St. Louis Blues' practice facility and serves as the home arena for Division I newcomer Lindenwood University. Located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.
The venue is expected to hold 3,100 tickets for local games, including standing room only tickets.
Four area schools were each allocated 400 tickets: UND, Michigan, Michigan State and Western Michigan.
Sold to players' guests, teams, students, and other supporters.
Tickets are being traded at abnormally high prices on the secondary market.
On Monday, standing room only tickets were on sale at StubHub for $196 and $222, respectively. The cheapest ticket currently listed is $187. Everything else is at least $250.
The last time UND played in a small building like the Centene Community Ice Center was on January 5 and 6, 2019, when they played at Canisius College in Buffalo's Harbor Center. The venue, the Buffalo Sabers' practice facility, has 1,800 seats.
Playing in front of small crowds in the NCAA Tournament is nothing new.
The smallest crowd to watch a UND game since the pandemic was the 2022 NCAA regional semifinal against Notre Dame in Albany, New York, with an announced attendance of 2,345. Ta.
The smallest crowd to watch a Michigan game since the pandemic was the 2022 NCAA regional game against American International in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The official number of spectators for that match was 2,155.
Why Centene Community Ice Center?
Bids will be awarded through a regional bidding process.
As the NCAA moves away from its home base at the behest of coaches, the number of viable arenas available for bids in the West has dwindled.
In 2015, the NCAA was forced to locate a regional venue at Notre Dame's home rink because no one else in the area would bid. Since then, the NCAA has frequently placed her three regional universities in the East and only one in the West.
UND has submitted a bid to host the regional tournament at Shields Arena in Fargo and plans to host the regional tournament there next year, but has also submitted a bid for Ralph Engelstad Arena in 2024.
The NCAA committee, made up of college hockey coaches and athletic directors, instead awarded the regional championship to Centene Community Ice Center, choosing to host Lindenwood in October 2020. At the time, Lindenwood did not have a Division I program. In March 2022, we announced the transition to DI.
The NCAA's regional system, which will be discussed at next month's coaches conference in Naples, Fla., is pushing for coaches to be located at the campus sites of higher seeds.
maryland heights area
where: Centene Community Ice Center, Maryland Heights, Missouri
Friday semifinals: Michigan State vs. Western Michigan, 4 p.m. UND vs. Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Championship: Semi-final winners, 5:30 p.m.
tv set: ESPNU.
wireless: The Fox (96.1 FM), UND games only.
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been named the Herald's Top His Beat Writer by the Associated Press Sports Editor four times and the North Dakota Sports Writer of the Year once. He lives in Grand Forks. Please contact bschlossman@gfherald.com.
