Buffalo yesterday was "one of four cities selected to host" the NCAA men's Frozen Four in upcoming years, marking the second time the city will host the event, according to Mark Gaughan of the BUFFALO NEWS. Buffalo will host the '19 event, with Detroit hosting in '20, Pittsburgh in '21 and Boston in '22. The '03 Frozen Four was held in Buffalo, but the city is "even better suited to host the event" now than it was then "due to the opening of the HarborCenter rink next to KeyBank Center" and the "hotel development downtown that has taken place in recent years." Buffalo was "among the 10 finalists the last time Frozen Fours were awarded by the NCAA, but Boston, Tampa, Chicago and St. Paul, Minn., were selected as host sites" for '15-18 (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/19). In Detroit, James Hawkins notes '20 will be the seventh time the city will "host the Frozen Four and Little Caesars Arena will mark the fourth different venue." Detroit Sports Commission Dir Kris Smith said that "it’s the start of an effort to get Detroit back into the regular rotation as a host city" for the event (DETROIT NEWS, 4/19). In Boston, Andrew Mahoney notes '22 will "mark the fourth time the Frozen Four will be played" at TD Garden, with Boston teams "figuring prominently each time, but unable to win the national championship" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/19).
DOOR'S ALWAYS OPEN: In St. Louis, Stu Durando notes the NCAA "bypassed" Scottrade Center for the Frozen Four, and the attempt to return the event to the city "remains challenging." St. Louis Sports Commission President Frank Viverito said, "The Frozen Four does frustrate us a little because it was such a wonderful event back in 2007. What the Blues have done and how hockey has grown is phenomenal. ... We have a great hunger for the Frozen Four" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/19).
COME ONE, COME ALL: In Pittsburgh, Craig Meyer notes in a four-year stretch from '19-22, Pittsburgh will be host to the Frozen Four ('21), first- and second-round games men’s basketball tournament games ('22), the D-I wrestling championships ('19) and the women’s volleyball championship ('19). The city in total was "awarded 22 preliminary and final rounds of NCAA competitions, the most of any city." That designation has "reinforced what has increasingly become more of a known and accepted fact -- Pittsburgh has, rather improbably, become a more sought-after destination for major events, both in athletics and beyond." The number of championships Pittsburgh was awarded is a "product of a more concerted effort to attract large events to a city not necessarily known for them" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/19).
