Idea for a better quality tournament

[GopherPuck15]

this is the MINNESOTA State Hockey Tournament, you have to respect honoring the state as a whole and not neglect certain regions because they don't compete as well. having each region of the state able to compete in the tournament is what makes it great, in my mind second comes the quality of play which either way is going to be better than any other state high school tournament in the nation

I agree here, and in addition, the State Tournament gives Southern teams an opportunity to take part in the dream every kid in Minnesota has, as well as gives exposure to these teams, allowing them to compete at higher levels each season, by adding teams to their schedule who would neglect to play them previously. Lourdes won the Consolation last year against Hutchinson, combining for wins over Virginia and Mahtomedi, two quality northern and metro opponents.

Also elliott, I pray to God that doesn't change. People enjoy the four day event, with the hockey expo, etc, and events. In addition, this robs eight teams the opportunity to play at the X, everyone's goal from the time the first lace 'em up.

[goldy313]

In all likelyhood the tournament will change - probably next year - to a Friday - Saturday event with the quarterfinals played in varying sites on the Saturday before.

Not a chance, the Hockey tournament still sells out (or nearly does) at the AA level which means the money returned to the schools makes up for any loss incurred by them. This isn't the case in basketball and that's why there's a move to change the format to a Friday/Saturday two round tournament, they currently have no consolation round anyhow. As for A hockey, they do have a problem with the current Wednesday-Friday-Saturday format which with their limited attendance and high rent charged by the Xcel makes it financially hard on the outstate schools as they really are stuck in a hotel for 4 nights where as the St Thomas type teams can go home every night or the Rochester teams can go home Wednesday night and come back Friday. Logically the MSHSL should move the A tournament to Marriucci and play the quarterfinals there on Thursday and then move the championship round games back to the X with the same format they are using. To save even more money there is no reason to play the consolation games for either class at Marriucci they could just as easily be played at Aldrich or the Coliseum.

There was an initial suggestion of cutting back on classes in basketball, baseball, wrestling, and a few other sports to save money but that seems to be going nowhere hence the new basketball format discussion.

[grandmeadowhockeyfan]

Dont do it. I love going to the xcel for four days of hockey and watching hockey and thinking hockey an eating hockey for four days. Are you sure of this. Where did you hear this. Please respond.

Michael Waksdahl

In all likelyhood the tournament will change - probably next year - to a Friday - Saturday event with the quarterfinals played in varying sites on the Saturday before.

[wbmd]

In all likelyhood the tournament will change - probably next year - to a Friday - Saturday event with the quarterfinals played in varying sites on the Saturday before.

Wake up from your dream.

[wbmd]

In all likelyhood the tournament will change - probably next year - to a Friday - Saturday event with the quarterfinals played in varying sites on the Saturday before.

The MSHSL has only seriously discussed that type of change to the basketball tournament.

[defense]

With section 6AA stacked this year and many other sections stacked as well, it's a shame we only get to see one team move on from the section. What if we expanded the tournament to 16 teams or 24 teams per A and AA. 8 teams automatically get in by winning their section, while the other teams are selected by a group of coaches. What do you guys think about this?

Or, since sectin 6aa is so "stacked", you could just watch that tournement and not go to the state tournement.
Look, it is what it is. Just feel luckey that a section that you are a fan of has so many great teams....it will change in a few years to someone else.

[clutterbuck22]

With section 6AA stacked this year and many other sections stacked as well, it's a shame we only get to see one team move on from the section. What if we expanded the tournament to 16 teams or 24 teams per A and AA. 8 teams automatically get in by winning their section, while the other teams are selected by a group of coaches. What do you guys think about this?

Or, since sectin 6aa is so "stacked", you could just watch that tournement and not go to the state tournement.
Look, it is what it is. Just feel luckey that a section that you are a fan of has so many great teams....it will change in a few years to someone else.

I'm not a fan of any team in 6AA.

[defense]

In all likelyhood the tournament will change - probably next year - to a Friday - Saturday event with the quarterfinals played in varying sites on the Saturday before.

Not a chance, the Hockey tournament still sells out (or nearly does) at the AA level which means the money returned to the schools makes up for any loss incurred by them. This isn't the case in basketball and that's why there's a move to change the format to a Friday/Saturday two round tournament, they currently have no consolation round anyhow. As for A hockey, they do have a problem with the current Wednesday-Friday-Saturday format which with their limited attendance and high rent charged by the Xcel makes it financially hard on the outstate schools as they really are stuck in a hotel for 4 nights where as the St Thomas type teams can go home every night or the Rochester teams can go home Wednesday night and come back Friday. Logically the MSHSL should move the A tournament to Marriucci and play the quarterfinals there on Thursday and then move the championship round games back to the X with the same format they are using. To save even more money there is no reason to play the consolation games for either class at Marriucci they could just as easily be played at Aldrich or the Coliseum.

There was an initial suggestion of cutting back on classes in basketball, baseball, wrestling, and a few other sports to save money but that seems to be going nowhere hence the new basketball format discussion.

I will take it a step further. Since Class A catches more outstate schools, go the route of Basketball before. Play the first round at St. Cloud, DuLuth, Moorhead( or Fargo), Grand Forks....(probly just Thief River Falls)...Rochester... you get the idea. And do it on say Monday.... then the fans of the four remaining schools and the teams themselves can have time to get to the TC. They could even play in only two venues so the fans could see two games........
The only other option I like is the sweet 16. go back to one class and have 16 sections. Then 16 schools get to come to state the same way it is now. They are already aligning sections so that new teams get in, they could still do this and have a better quality of play too.

[goldy313]

The "Sweet 16" format was a miserable failure in basketball, attendance at outstate venues was in the hundreds. No one in Rochester, St. Cloud or Mankato really cared about the schools playing and no one from the schools really cared to drive 50-150 miles one way on a weekday for a single game to a town where there are no other attractions. Great, let's go to St. Cloud I heard they had a Red Lobster there, boy that Mayo Clinic tour was really something.....If all you're doing is turning the section championship games into state tournament games without the natural rivalry, I don't understand the point.

The past 2 years the A tournament has had a whopping two teams each year from greater than 75 miles from downtown St. Paul, one more than in AA. You're not limiting travel or expenses by having outstate venues, you're limiting fans access (these games wouldn't be televised) and really degrading the tournament for the kids.

[curtiscurve]

They should just turn it over to the BCS. That should take all controversy out of the format

[defense]

The "Sweet 16" format was a miserable failure in basketball, attendance at outstate venues was in the hundreds. No one in Rochester, St. Cloud or Mankato really cared about the schools playing and no one from the schools really cared to drive 50-150 miles one way on a weekday for a single game to a town where there are no other attractions. Great, let's go to St. Cloud I heard they had a Red Lobster there, boy that Mayo Clinic tour was really something.....If all you're doing is turning the section championship games into state tournament games without the natural rivalry, I don't understand the point.

The past 2 years the A tournament has had a whopping two teams each year from greater than 75 miles from downtown St. Paul, one more than in AA. You're not limiting travel or expenses by having outstate venues, you're limiting fans access (these games wouldn't be televised) and really degrading the tournament for the kids.

Most people complain that the Class A tournement is already a joke, just offering an alternative. I actually am pretty satisfied with it the way it is, but would rather see one class. If you make 16 sections, put the champions of those sections into the state tournement you would lower the cost of the tournement and have a better level of play. Letting 16 teams go to St. Paul in March and play in the X is what we do now to let mroe kids play.