By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Well, since Las Vegas is a legit hockey town now, is it really a surprise that Las Vegas is hosting college hockey’s Final Four, known as the Frozen Four?
And what a prominent foursome, these quartet of college hockey bluebloods.
It’s Wisconsin vs North Dakota and Michigan vs Denver at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, with the semifinal winners squaring off for the college hockey championship Saturday. Check out these college hockey champ banners — these four teams have garnered a stunning 33 championships through the years.
Michigan is going for a first –the first college to win both a basketball championship and hockey title in the same season. Michigan’s men’s basketball team took the hoops crowd with a 69-63 win over Connecticut Monday night.
The four teams have staunch fan bases, including the North Dakota and Denver teams that are known for their college hockey traditions.
To bring the Frozen Four to Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and its nonprofit events arm — Las Vegas Events — paid the Frozen Four $500,000 in sponsorship money, said Michael Mack, a Las Vegas Events spokesman.
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What’s fascinating about the college hockey scene is that a school does not need to have 40,000 students and be a giant university to be a serious contender for a hockey championship. Consider a tiny liberal arts college like Union College in Schenectady that reached the Frozen Four in Tampa, Florida.
There will be college hockey fans from these four traveling to Las Vegas for the sports event — part of the heralded sports tourism that LVCVA CEO Steve Hill likes to talk about.
To bring the Frozen Four to Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and its nonprofit events arm — Las Vegas Events — paid the Frozen Four $500,000 in sponsorship money, said Michael Mack, a Las Vegas Events spokesman.
This will be a fraction of the tourism spending when college basketball’s Final Four comes to Allegiant Stadium in April 2028 and college football’s championship game is played at Allegiant Stadium in January 2027.
The A’s announced they are selling single-game tickets for the six home games being played in June at Las Vegas Ballpark.
The price to get into the ballpark, which has about 10,000 capacity, is $64.20 for a grassy berm spot for the June 8 game of A’s vs. Milwaukee Brewers.
It’s $87.20 for an outfield seat, then $116.20 for a home plate box seat:
After the Brewers-A’s series June 8-10, the Colorado Rockies visit Las Vegas Ballpark to play the A’s June 12-14, with ticket prices slightly higher. Take a look for the Saturday June 13 game:
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The Vegas Golden Knights are wrapping up their regular season April 13 and 15 with some limited $40 seat tickets.
PSA