gfhockey wrote:Well I take it you must have missed one because once RR PLayved GFC in a title game, they had to open up the top. I htink attendance for that game was around 6600.
Actually the attendance for this game was 5,614. (
http://www.ushsho.com/sttinf02.htm) That's 614 more than the UP Center can hold at maximum seated capacity. This doesn't include the student section or standing room as far as I know, so max capacity would likely be around 5,500 if not more. Also, this is if attendance met the highest attendance rating North Dakota has ever received, and I don't see that happening often enough to where it would become a problem.
ANother time when they could have opend up the top was a couple eyars ago (not alst year) when RR played GPR
SO ur telling me, during a title game between gfc and gfrr there is a seat open in there student section or a seat open in gpr student section? Highly doubt that unless its a first round guarenteed win in which most times it is. End Rant!
Student sections are generally pretty large when the game is mostly intercity schools (GPR and GFRR are very close, which led to ease of getting there, and the fact that GPR fans are a rare breed, and would do anything to get there). However, schools like South and Bismarck have never had that huge following that GPR has, and you often don't expect a lot out of their students to get there unless it's a 15 minute ride. If Grand Forks has such a draw to their hockey, they'd make the trip without a peep. Championship games involving Fargo teams generally produce a low attendance (around 2,500 to 3,000), and the max in a North Dakota state game is generally about 4,500. This would be perfect for ND State hockey. We simply don't have the dedicated fans that Minnesota has. Of course I don't have the attendance record for every single year, and I may be looking at the wrong game, so I'd be glad to be proven wrong, but I don't think I am.
If you're shooting for the "average joe" I guarantee you that Fargo would produce a lot more of them, simply because they are a much much larger city, and also have Moorhead across the river, who I doubt would object to adding more hockey to see. The Force are still generating an attendance that averages more than the State Title game of NDHS hockey. If you're arguing attendance issues or capacity issues, Fargo can handle them. At some point intrinsic value will be outweighed by sad reality.
Hockey10 wrote:Having state in fargo makes no sense. It has been in GF for so long it would make no sense to change it now.
Wow, now that's a conservative opinion to the point of no return.
During the championchip game the lower bowl is completely full and 1 year they had to open the upper levels because of so many people. The UPC does not have the sort of room like the ralph does and the UPC is way to hot and teh ice gets soft and slow. And if you try to get more people in the arena it will get even warmer in there and the ice would be terrible. The ralph knows how to keep their ice in good condition.
The UP Center is working on the ice conditions and will have it fixed, trust me. They're hosting the U18 World Championship game for God's sake, I think the High Schoolers can handle it. To address the attendance if I haven't done so enough already, the lower bowl is rarely if ever filled in the Ralph, and I don't foresee it being so this year either. The UP Center would be near capacity, if not at least filling most of the regular seating (excluding student section/boxes if they all went to seats). It'd fit perfectly.
I'll simply quote this for reinforcement, because I fully agree:
central hockey fan wrote:I can't believe I'm going to say this but if the UPC gets their ice situation figured out and the parking lot isn't just a dark field, I think it would be fun to have the state tourney there. And here is why:
1. There are more things to do in Fargo, more motels, places to eat etc.
2. A full house would be fun. I used to go to section 8 championship games in Warroad, EGF etc. and that was the most fun to sit in a packed house.
3. Its more convenient for most of the state (sorry Grafton)
4. The Ralph is huge.....even at some Sioux games it can be hard to get the crowd into it
5. Maybe that would spur on other cities in ND to build nicer rinks, then they can get the state tourney
I'm from GF and this may be shooting myself in the foot but I guess if it makes sense, it just does.
The fact is that North Dakota doesn't have the hockey following that larger states have (like Minnesota), and we need to grow it. The best way to do that is making state appear valued, as Minnesota does. Minnesota even sells tickets all year to the state tournament because they don't have the capacity to fit 18,000+ fans in their arena for a high school event. The UP Center has provided a way to make the tournament seem valued, rather than the lacking of spirit, empty, but beautiful arena that the Ralph is on championship night. A dose of reality about our high school hockey would bring some light on the rink situation.