Robert Morris bidding for Frozen Four
-
Robert Morris is hoping to stage a future Frozen Four at Consol Energy Center.
Share with others:
For more than a year, athletic officials at Robert Morris have been learning as much as they can about what it takes to play host to college hockey's men's championship tournament.
Within a week, they think the NCAA will put them to the test.
Marty Galosi, Robert Morris associate athletic director for marketing and sales, said he expects the NCAA to release "Request for Proposal" documents to organizations interested in being the host the men's NCAA Frozen Four, the hockey equivalent of basketball's Final Four. The NCAA's "Request for Proposal" asks a series of questions of perspective hosts and officially launches the bidding process for the championships.
With support from the Penguins, Robert Morris and VisitPittsburgh, Allegheny County's tourism promotion agency, will bid to be the host of the Frozen Four at the Consol Energy Center, now under construction, in 2013, '14 or '15, the tournament's first open dates available.
It's the most recent move by Robert Morris hockey to raise its profile in a congested sports market.
The Colonials are one of two Division I hockey programs in the state, but Galosi and coach Derek Schooley say they wish they could garner more interest.
"With all the options out there, we don't get as much fan support as we would like," said Schooley, who founded the Robert Morris program, now in its sixth year of existence.
But the university is taking strides to change that.
Next year, Robert Morris will switch conferences from College Hockey America to the Atlantic Hockey Association -- a change that Schooley hopes could bring more attention to the program because of the proximity of the competitors.
"The exciting thing that we have is we're going to be getting more local rivalries," he said.
Instead of two-hour plane rides to play teams such as Alabama-Huntsville, the Colonials can take a two-hour bus ride to play Mercyhurst, the only other Division I team in Pennsylvania.
Schooley said the switch will help Robert Morris' visibility by playing colleges "that are recognizable in Pittsburgh."
And, for the fourth consecutive year, Robert Morris will be the host team Jan. 8 in the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase at Mellon Arena, facing top-ranked Miami (Ohio), last season's NCAA runner up. Notre Dame and Ohio State are previous participants in the showcase.
Robert Morris' hockey success is important to the Penguins, said Tom McMillan, Penguins vice president for communications and marketing, as the team has pushed to create hockey fans, not just Penguins fans, in the Pittsburgh market.
McMillan said the Penguins had long hoped for a Division I hockey team in the area, and when Robert Morris moved up a few years ago, the Penguins became involved, opening Mellon Arena for the showcase and participating in a bid for the Frozen Four.
McMillan said those efforts, and the team's push to promote all types of youth hockey, have paid off in an intense fan base.
"I think we've seen some success of that," he said. "This current generation of fans is a result of that."
But those involved with Robert Morris' hockey program are surprised that the Penguins' popularity has not translated into more support for the Colonials. Though there have been 134 consecutive sellouts for Penguins games at Mellon Arena, tickets at Clearview Arena at the RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island are always available.
Schooley said the level of competition is impressive. This season, the Colonials will play Miami, fourth-ranked Bemidji State and three-time national champion Lake Superior State -- all at Allegheny County sites.
"We want to raise the profile of our program and show that we are playing with the big boys," Galosi said. "One way to do it is be the host [for the Frozen Four]."
The tournament's host has to meet NCAA standards on everything from ice quality to insurance policies, transportation, hospitality rooms and advertising.
But Galosi and others have sought a lot of counsel, meeting with organizers of the past two Frozen Fours in Denver and Washington, D.C., as well as the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, host of the 2012 Frozen Four.
Detroit will be the host of the 2010 Frozen Four at Ford Field, a 65,000-seat arena that is home to the Detroit Lions.
The most recent NCAA title decided in Pittsburgh was in 1963, when the men's gymnastics champions were crowned at Pitt's Fitzgerald Field House.
The NCAA could select Pittsburgh as a host for Frozen Fours beyond 2014. In '05, the last time it reviewed bids, the NCAA selected four cities to be the host of the championships from 2009-12.
Organizations have 60 days to submit proposals. The NCAA's decision is expected in late spring or early summer '10.
Boston and Philadelphia had bids turned down in '05 and could again compete to be hosts. St. Louis, Kansas City, Mo.; and Omaha, Neb.; have also indicated interest in be the host of the Frozen Four.
"There's a level of competition in getting this," Galosi said.
But people in Pittsburgh are hopeful, considering that their bid boasts a new arena that will be home to the current defending Stanley Cup champions.
Schooley hopes the Frozen Four would bring enough interest to Robert Morris hockey to eventually lure more talent onto the ice. The ultimate goal is to turn Robert Morris from a Frozen Four host in 2013 to a Frozen Four competitor in the not-to-distant future.
First Published December 11, 2009 12:00 am
