St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center is one of 10 locations being considered to host the Frozen Four in 2015-18, the NCAA announced today.
The Minnesota Gophers are listed as the host school, with the “X” being the venue, while fellow Big Ten schools Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin are also finalists for hosting the championship round of Division I men’s hockey.
Selections for the championship venues will be made Dec. 11.
The “X” has hosted two frozen fours in the past, the first coming in 2002 when the Gophers won in overtime, the second coming in 2011, when UMD beat Michigan in overtime to claim the title.
This is just the latest in an onslaught of attempts Minnesota is making on hosting national sporting events.
Minneapolis is making a play at both the BCS National Championship Game in 2017, as well as the 2018 Super Bowl, both centering around the construction of the new Vikings’ stadium as a the venue. NCAA Basketball Final Four’s have also been discussed as a possibility in the near future.
Minnesota hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl since 1992, a Final Four since 2001, and have never hosted a BCS title game.
