First downs and second guesses:
Hockey Week. Big Week. Omaha has made the NCAA tournament and the Mavs are hosting one of four regionals.
So why was Executive Associate Athletic Director Mike Kemp driving up to Sioux Falls, S.D., on Monday?
And why will a few thousand Mav fans follow Kemp up I-29 later this week for their “host” regional?
Because UNO’s regional is being played at the Denny Sanford Premier Center (10,678) in Sioux Falls.
Because, well, it’s hockey.
What's more important? Making money or fairness? It depends on the NCAA sport.
In NCAA Division I baseball, schools that host regionals get to play in their regional on their home field. It’s that way until the College World Series.
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In women’s basketball, the highest-seeded teams get to play their first two rounds on their home court. Nebraska just lost to Oregon State on OSU’s court.
But men’s NCAA Division I basketball is different. For instance, Creighton hosted last week’s first round tourney at the CHI Health Center. But NCAA rules restricted the Jays from playing there.
Hockey is hockey.
In the NCAA Division I hockey tournament (16 teams, four regionals), schools bid to host regionals with the hope that their team will make the tourney. It’s not an automatic qualifier. The school still has to make the field on its merits.
But once in the field, the host school must be sent to its regional.
It just can’t play the regional tourney on its home ice.
“That comes from the coaches,” said Kemp, the former UNO coach as he was driving to Sioux Falls on Monday.
“They wanted neutral sites to make it an even playing field across the board.”
So why do schools bid? The hockey regionals aren’t big money makers, Kemp said. It has to do with giving your team the next best possible advantage.
“Four years ago (when Kemp placed this year’s bid), my whole thought process was, “Let’s bid and get ourselves a facility where our team and fans could drive to," Kemp said. "If we get there, it gives us a little bit of an advantage.”
Could Baxter Arena host a regional? Yes. It’s certainly big enough. But UNO didn’t bother, because the Mavs couldn’t have played there.
What good is hosting if your team can’t show up? It works in men’s college basketball. But the money for that is in another universe from hockey.
The winds of change are blowing through college hockey, however. No surprise: The winds are coming from the big conferences like the Big Ten.
The major schools and traditional powers say their venues would hold more fans and bring more money. Oh, and their teams should be allowed to play there, too.
But if the only path to a Frozen Four is having to go beat Minnesota at Minnesota or North Dakota at North Dakota, what kind of chance is that?
“It’s a big point of contention in college hockey — neutral sites or on campus,” said UNO Athletic Director Adrian Dowell.
“I’ll speak for myself ... I know a lot of people share my view on this ... they have some incredible venues across the country, especially barns in the Midwest, that are full and beautiful.
“We have a postseason that is supposed to be top of the pyramid of the sport. One thing that makes this a point of conversation is what the attendance would be on some of those neutral sites.”
The little guys are the backbone of college hockey. But some of those major campus venues would make the sport look bigger and better.
Expand the tourney to 24. Then let’s talk.
Sounds like a nice conversation to have on the way up I-29.
Gabinet's coaching contract
This season might have been UNO coach Mike Gabinet’s best coaching job.
Good thing his contract was extended three years last season.
Dowell said on Monday that the coach gets an automatic one-year extension when he makes the NCAA tournament.
McDermott's coaching tree grows
The Greg McDermott Coaching Tree grew another branch.
Darian DeVries, who coached for both Dana Altman and McDermott at Creighton, left Drake for West Virginia on Sunday.
That’s a good job in arguably the top league in college basketball. West Virginia is accessible to good players, the program has good tradition and DeVries will fit the hard-work culture.
DeVries has long been speculated as a possible successor at Creighton one day. But if and when Mac decides to ride off into the sunset (on a golf cart) at the end of his contract, there might be a line of possible successors.
Former CU assistant Steve Lutz, who took Western Kentucky to this year’s NCAA tourney, is being mentioned for the Oklahoma State opening (as was DeVries). Meanwhile, Alan Huss went 24-7 and won the Big South in his first season at High Point.
Mac on DeVries: “He’s worked extremely hard to earn this opportunity. Very deserving. The job he did at Drake speaks for itself. None of this surprises me because I fully understand the impact he had here.”
Tucker DeVries to follow his dad
Tucker DeVries is expected to follow his father to West Virginia.
I know some Creighton fans had hoped CU might have had a shot at Tucker in the portal since he grew up in Omaha.
Moot point now.
Frankie Fidler visits Creighton
Speaking of the portal, Frankie Fidler visited Creighton practice on Monday and spoke with McDermott as a large group of Omaha media were interviewing Jays players at the Championship Center.
That's some window into the portal.
Mike Kemp on this year's UNO hockey team
UNO’s Kemp, who has seen every Mav hockey team in history, on this year’s team:
“I love the character of this team. I am as impressed if not more than impressed with this team than almost any team we’ve had.
“There are many teams we’ve had with some premier players that have set the team apart, put the team on their back. This is truly what I would call a team. They are 26 deep, they work hard, they play together.”
One more and I’m outta here
I’ve heard many Nebraska basketball fans say they think there should be a banner or recognition of Keisei Tominaga in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Those retired jerseys are usually reserved for all-Americans and all-time players. Tominaga is an all-time fan favorite who changed the program.
I’d say the same for Jaz Shelley for the Husker women.
Both were good players who impacted the programs in winning and filling the building.
What say you, Nebraska fans? If not a retired jersey, some other recognition?