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Top Stadium "Experiences" -


choyt3

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http://collegehockey...urneys-top-spot

My only question is, and I know it is a subjective list that means nothing, how does the REA not even make the top 100? Especially when this verbiage is added to the article:

...Amsoil Arena challenges the likes of Ralph Engelstad Arena, long considered to be the best arena in college hockey, for the title. While Amsoil may not surpass Ralph Engelstad in terms of atmosphere, it has the means to give it a run-for-its-money.
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Yeah, TD Ameritrade Park is the 16th best plCe to watch a hockey game!! A baseball stadium...really?!!! This list is pathetic.

It was 16th place overall to watch a game, they just pointed out it also happened to host a hockey. I believe its ranking comes from the actual baseball part of it. List is quite random. The REA comes in 6th overall in college hockey arenas but doesn't crack the top 100.

Best of College Hockey

1. Amsoil Arena, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

2. Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

3. Mariucci Arena, Minnesota Golden Gophers

4. Kohl Center, Wisconsin Badgers

5. World Arena, Colorado College Tigers

6. Ralph Engelstad Arena, North Dakota Hockey

7. John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Michigan Tech Huskies

8. Agganis Arena, Boston University Terriers

9. High Point Solutions Arena, Quinnipiac Bobcats

10. Matthews Arena, Northeastern Huskies

What a crock of crap! :angry: College Hockey, Inc. is ruining their credibility with garbage like this.

College Hockey, Inc didn't put it together, stadiumjourney.com did, as it says in the second sentence of the article:

As U.S. college hockey fans have known for years, if you want to enjoy the best in a stadium experience, go to an NCAA hockey game.

The staff of Stadium Journey, a magazine and web site found at stadiumjourney.com, agree, ranking Minnesota Duluth's Amsoil Arena as the top stadium experience in North America for 2013.

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It was 16th place overall to watch a game, they just pointed out it also happened to host a hockey. I believe its ranking comes from the actual baseball part of it. List is quite random. The REA comes in 6th overall in college hockey arenas but doesn't crack the top 100.

Best of College Hockey

1. Amsoil Arena, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

2. Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

3. Mariucci Arena, Minnesota Golden Gophers

4. Kohl Center, Wisconsin Badgers

5. World Arena, Colorado College Tigers

6. Ralph Engelstad Arena, North Dakota Hockey

7. John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Michigan Tech Huskies

8. Agganis Arena, Boston University Terriers

9. High Point Solutions Arena, Quinnipiac Bobcats

10. Matthews Arena, Northeastern Huskies

College Hockey, Inc didn't put it together, stadiumjourney.com did, as it says in the second sentence of the article:

Why do you have to go down to the 6th arena before the fans sell it out?
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Why do you have to go down to the 6th arena before the fans sell it out?

Be a good question for the people that put the list together.

They are still ruining their credibility by posting it on their web site. That implies endorsement of these "findings".

It was promoted at CollegeHockeyInc.com not UNDSports.com. Whether you personally agree with the list or not (and I think it definitely has faults), someone thinks that two of the top three stadium experiences in the US in 2013 were college hockey rinks. Seems like something that shines a positive light on the sport as a whole and I don't blame them for sharing it.

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It was promoted at CollegeHockeyInc.com not UNDSports.com. Whether you personally agree with the list or not (and I think it definitely has faults), someone thinks that two of the top three stadium experiences in the US in 2013 were college hockey rinks. Seems like something that shines a positive light on the sport as a whole and I don't blame them for sharing it.

Thank you for telling me something I already know. :glare: And yes, I don't agree with the list. And yes, I can and will blame collegehockeyinc.com for posting it. I have been a critic of the lack of atmosphere at REA over the years, but it has gotten better over time and it has all the bells and whistles you could ask for if you are a fan. The idea that REA isn't as good as The John in Minneapolis, the Kohl Center (which bumps hockey for basketball on a regular basis) or Compton Family Ice Arena (it's probably ranked where it is because of its connection with Notre Dame) is pure nonsense and deserves to be called out.

End rant.

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Thank you for telling me something I already know. :glare: And yes, I don't agree with the list. And yes, I can and will blame collegehockeyinc.com for posting it. I have been a critic of the lack of atmosphere at REA over the years, but it has gotten better over time and it has all the bells and whistles you could ask for if you are a fan. The idea that REA isn't as good as The John in Minneapolis, the Kohl Center (which bumps hockey for basketball on a regular basis) or Compton Family Ice Arena (it's probably ranked where it is because of its connection with Notre Dame) is pure nonsense and deserves to be called out.

End rant.

"My favorite arena isn't on a purely subjective list, therefore the list is garbage. Who cares if it promotes something positive about college hockey and its fans, everyone should agree with me and my point of view."

Did I get that right? Or should have put one of the smileys in there to make it more authentic?

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Did you actually look at how they came up with the rankings? REA got marked down for food, neighborhood and access. While the food is pretty varied it is very overpriced, which the rater seemed to base her rating on. There is really nothing nearby, so I can understand the neighborhood markdown and access got hit becuase of high parking fees. While you could certainly argue on a couple of the points, it's not like the Ralph was dead last. It's score was the same as about the last ten on the top 100, so it was right there. PNC park was only 55th and I would say that is a top 5 venue on the planet.

Also, there are a number of different raters, so there isn't necessarily a ton of consistency it appears in the survey as a whole. Take it with a grain of salt, it's just one magazine opinion, with a snapshot of one single visit. That said, while the Ralph is great, it has it's flaws too and there are also other awesome places to watch an event - so if one of them gets an acknowledge, no need to take it as a slight against UND or the Ralph.

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Thank you for telling me something I already know. :glare: And yes, I don't agree with the list. And yes, I can and will blame collegehockeyinc.com for posting it. I have been a critic of the lack of atmosphere at REA over the years, but it has gotten better over time and it has all the bells and whistles you could ask for if you are a fan. The idea that REA isn't as good as The John in Minneapolis, the Kohl Center (which bumps hockey for basketball on a regular basis) or Compton Family Ice Arena (it's probably ranked where it is because of its connection with Notre Dame) is pure nonsense and deserves to be called out.

End rant.

That kind of sums up your approach to anything related to Fighting Sioux hockey that you deem badly, quit it, your making me like gfhockey.

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This shouldn't be a shock to anyone. I believe this same website ranked us lower than all or most of those arenas last year also.

The only arena above us on the list I have attended a game at so far is Mariucci and I can't stand that place. Maybe I'd feel differently if I actually got a seat to sit in when I went to a game. So as far as subjectivity goes, if I was making a list, I'd rank Mariucci below pretty much every other rink I've ever been to that I got to sit in an actual seat in.

I took the opportunity to give myself a self-guided tour of Notre Dame's rink on a pit stop on the way back from the trip for the Miami series and it looked pretty nice. But I haven't seen a game there, so I can't judge that.

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This shouldn't be a shock to anyone. I believe this same website ranked us lower than all or most of those arenas last year also.

The only arena above us on the list I have attended a game at so far is Mariucci and I can't stand that place. Maybe I'd feel differently if I actually got a seat to sit in when I went to a game. So as far as subjectivity goes, if I was making a list, I'd rank Mariucci below pretty much every other rink I've ever been to that I got to sit in an actual seat in..

Have you ever been to an arena with better sightlines than Mariucci?

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Yeah, the Ralph...even the top row has great sightlines.

The sightlines in the lower deck of the Ralph aren't nearly as good as Mariucci, not even close. The upper deck is a bit more steep though.

I love the Ralph, it's a great arena and I'm not complaining about it. Mariucci just has the best sightlines I've ever seen in an arena.

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Honestly, the one that most surprises me is the World Arena in Colorado Springs. Yes, it has hotels and places to eat nearby, and parking isn't astronomical like at some other arenas. But the last couple years I've been there the student section only has the first row or two filled out, and a substantial amount of the lower bowl is open for changing seats.

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I think technically Amsoil should be considered out rink since we christened it with blood

Left the bulldog fans thinking "IAmSoiled"

Yeah that sucked...but I bet you trade that win for a Frozen Four win or two later that season...

I'm biased but I totally agree that AMsoil is better :D

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The sightlines in the lower deck of the Ralph aren't nearly as good as Mariucci, not even close. The upper deck is a bit more steep though.

I love the Ralph, it's a great arena and I'm not complaining about it. Mariucci just has the best sightlines I've ever seen in an arena.

I love the upper deck at Mariucci, it...oops...

Why they didn't make that place about 5000 seats bigger is a mystery to me...they sell out every game and have a large waiting list for tix...stupid gofers...

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The sightlines in the lower deck of the Ralph aren't nearly as good as Mariucci, not even close. The upper deck is a bit more steep though.

I love the Ralph, it's a great arena and I'm not complaining about it. Mariucci just has the best sightlines I've ever seen in an arena.

I love Mariucci--I'm not complaining about it. But you have to admit it's difficult to think about the rink without also thinking of smelly, slope-headed, nose-picking gopher fans. Decent rink though.

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