If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Denver’s head coach David Carle has argued for campus sites for the NCAA Regional Hockey Tournament. Instead, the NCAA continues to support neutral Regional playoff sites so DU bid and won hosting duties for the 2027 hockey regionals in Loveland’s Blue Arena (no longer named the Budweiser Events Center). The host Pioneers were already awarded the 2026 NCAA Ice Hockey Regional in Loveland. The NCAA also awarded Denver Gymnastics with hosting duties for one of the four 2027 regionals. Denver was also awarded hosting duties for the Frozen Four at the United Center in Chicago in 2028.
As DU fans will remember, then-head coach Jim Montgomery led the Pioneers to the 2017 national title, the program’s first since 2005 and 8th overall. A raucous Windy City crowd witnessed Denver dismantle Notre Dame (6-1) in the Irish’s backyard before defeating NCHC foe and arguably the Team of the 2010s, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, 3-2 in an instant classic.
The 2027 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Regionals will return to Magness Arena after hosting the same event in 2023. The winning DU bid is another well-deserved nod to head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart who has elevated DU gymnastics to national prominence.
The aggressive moves by DU are certain to be well-received by hockey and gymnastics fans who have long voiced their support for hosting NCAA Tournament events. DU benefitted in the past by hosting hockey Regionals in Loveland, resulting in its 2022 championship run. DU Gymnastics hosted Regionals in 2023 and made a tournament finals run.
Top photo: Blue FCU Arena in Loveland, Colorado
Given DU’s many deep connections to Chicago and the Blackhawks, the biggest of which is DU Board Chairman John Miller also serving on the Board of the Blackhawks’ parent holding company, I am not surprised to see that Chicago was a winning bid for the 2028 Frozen Four. It’s a fantastic city, easily reached from everywhere, a great arena and a large alumni presence for the Pioneers.
While Chicago put on a great Frozen Four in 2017 (and with DU winning it all), I wondered why DU apparently did not bid for a Denver Frozen Four at Ball Arena. DU last hosted a Frozen Four in 2008 at Ball Arena (then called The Pepsi Center), and the building was packed to the rafters, even without DU qualifying for the NCAAs that season.
According to a DU Hockey’s Twitter/”X” tweet just after this NCAA announcement, DU said that “Ball Arena was not in a position to bid in this current NCAA submission cycle,” which is a nice way of saying the Kroenke Sports (the building’s owner) did not want to tie up 5 or 6 days of Frozen Four building conversion/hosting duties in April with the Nuggets and Avalanche both likely contending in late season games, potential playoff spots or to give up other arena events. The building profit split for NCAA Championships is nowhere near as lucrative as hosting their own KSE teams.
Ok, understand that they couldn’t get a agreement with Ball Arena. But, what is the benefit for DU, the team and fans get to sponsor so far away in Chicago?
Is it “brand recognition” and larger ticket allocation for DU fans??