The last time the University of Wisconsin hosted an NCAA men’s hockey regional, it was met with a collective yawn from area fans.
A 1999 regional played at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum drew only 5,234 fans for the two-day event that featured four games.
The fact the Badgers weren’t one of the six teams in the regional — they failed to make the NCAA field that season — was the biggest reason for the poor ticket sales.
Another low turnout at this weekend’s Midwest Regional hosted by UW appeared likely until everything broke just right for the Badgers last weekend and they were included in the 16-team NCAA tournament field despite a losing record.