Penn State hockey has appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times in its short history. the Nittany Lions A 16-team field was constructed in 2017, 2018 and 2023. In recent weeks, college hockey media have suggested expanding the tournament and creating on-campus host sites for regional tournaments. Does this mean an NCAA Tournament game could be coming to Pegula Ice Arena and Hockey Valley in the near future?
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Current NCAA Tournament format
The NCAA Tournament currently features 16 teams divided into four regionals of four. Each regional is at a neutral site, and is considered the “home” team even if that team is not participating in the tournament. Single seeds are usually placed in regional areas that create the least amount of travel. The main difference from other tournaments is that the home team is guaranteed a regional spot regardless of seed. That's why Penn State Hockey was guaranteed a spot in the Allentown Regional last season despite being a seed.
There are currently 64 teams in NCAA D1 men's ice hockey, meaning the current tournament represents 25% of the field. That's the percentage the NCAA typically wants for the postseason. However, some fans feel that 25% excludes a lot of good teams. The pairwise seedings are used to determine who makes the NCAA Tournament. There are six conferences that receive automatic bids, with the remaining spots occupied by the 10 highest-ranked teams.
Typically, about four conference tournament winners are ranked among the top 16 teams. This season, the tournament champion of the Big Ten, NCHC and Hockey East will likely be the team in the tournament anyway. Usually, at least one team among the top 16 doubles teams is eliminated. This happened in 2019 for Penn State Hockey, which was the first team to exit the tournament.
Should the tournament expand?
The expansion discussion has gained momentum over the past few years. ESPN and college hockey media member John Buccigross He recently tweeted“It's time to expand the field for the NCAA Hockey Tournament. On-campus games. Easy and good revenue for fans/TV. Stop slowing down people #CawlidgeHawkey.”
It's time to expand the field for the NCAA Hockey Tournament. Games on campus. Easy and good revenue for audiences/TV. Stop dragging your feet, people. #CoolidgeHockey https://t.co/8h46AAKr6W
– BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) January 15, 2024
Some fans agree with Buccigross, saying the tournament needs to expand and move to college campus locations. The NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament currently hosts higher seedings up to the Frozen Four, and it seems to be doing well.
However, most fans seem to like the 16-team system. As of now, it's 25%, and with a single-elimination tournament, it prevents a team from having a mediocre record and winning it all. If hockey continues to grow and add more teams, perhaps expanding the tournament is possible.
Will there be a Penn State championship game at Pegula Ice Arena soon?
The bigger topic is where to play the games. Fans have complained for years about the difficulty of travel and exotic locations for regional tournaments. If teams are able to host, it will allow more fans to attend and create better environments. While most hockey rinks have a capacity of less than 7,000 spectators, neutral sites have not even reached those numbers in recent years. Only when there's a team nearby, like Penn State in Allentown, do we see a decent crowd. While expansion may be a ways off, bringing gaming back to campus would certainly be a place to start.
Penn State hockey has made the NCAA Tournament three times since 2017, and has been a two or three seed in those appearances. We saw the atmosphere at Pegula Ice Arena for regular season games. Now imagine what the playoff atmosphere would look like.
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