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Nebraska-Omaha Hockey Gains Momentum Ahead Of Next Season's Arena Opening

Just as the Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha is "in the midst of marketing hockey tickets" for next fall's grand opening of the school's new $82M arena, its hockey team "has skated its way to the school's first Frozen Four" since the establishment of the program in '97, according to a front-page piece by Henry Cordes of the OMAHA WORLD-HERALD. Such exposure and publicity "will doubtlessly provide a big assist as the university seeks to sell out the 7,500-seat hockey barn." The program's season-ticket renewal rate is more than 100%, with established fans "grabbing up additional seats for next season." In addition, the school has "collected the names of some 200 other fans who say they want seats in the new arena -- most of them since the Mavs secured the Frozen Four berth 11 days ago." Solid ticket revenue is "critical to bring in the dollars needed to pay off" more than $50M in construction bonds. UNO this past season averaged 6,200 fans at the CenturyLink Center, which "ranked sixth nationally, ahead of the likes of Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame." Hockey has become "a cash cow for UNO, with the school leveraging its season ticket base" to net more than $1M in annual profits. Those dollars "helped fund other campus sports." With the opening of an arena "that the school controls and which is 'right-sized' for hockey, UNO officials are hoping to build the season ticket base back up and derive more revenue from hockey" (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 4/9). The AP's Ken Powtak noted three of the last four national champions in men's ice hockey "have been first-timers in the Frozen Four." A win for UNO "would mean it is truly on college hockey's national map." UNO F Austin Ortega said, "Omaha is not really huge on hockey. I'd say in the last couple years it's really growing" (AP, 4/8).

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