MSU nets big bucks from Xcel hockey game

$30,000 marketing fund created

By Shane Frederick
Free Press

MANKATO — Minnesota State University made more than $148,000 on last month's men's hockey game at Xcel Energy Center, school officials announced Tuesday.

Dean Trauger, MSU's vice president for finance and administration, said the university's profits from the game against the University of Minnesota were $148,248.80. That was above and beyond the ticket income already sold for the Jan. 14 game, which was originally scheduled to be played at Mankato's Midwest Wireless Civic Center.

That was the final figure after the St. Paul arena costs were paid, Trauger said. He added, however, that once local costs, including fan buses, are figured, the MSU athletic department will net about $135,000.

Minnesota State paid for 13 free buses to caravan fans to and from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association game.

The game's official attendance was 17,019. Tickets sold for $23.75 apiece.

Trauger said the university will put $100,000 into the MSU Blue Line Club's hockey scholarship endowment and at least $30,000 into research for a marketing plan designed to boost attendance at MSU athletic events, specifically high-profile sports such as hockey, basketball and football.

Any remaining funds likely will go toward implementing the plan, Trauger said.

The marketing plan could end up as part of a joint effort between MSU and the Civic Center and the Greater Mankato Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"That's our plan," Trauger said.

The endowment will permanently support future hockey scholarships and alleviate some pressure off the men's hockey budget, which supports all scholarship funds for men's and women's hockey, Trauger said.

"We're going to invest back in the hockey program," Director of Athletics Kevin Buisman said.

"Because of the great fan turnout, we were able to accomplish that goal."

When Minnesota State officials announced the move in November, they had hoped to sell at least 11,000 tickets and make $100,000, in addition to gaining exposure for the program in the Twin Cities and among MSU alumni.

Because of the National Hockey League lockout, the game was the second-largest crowd to see a hockey game in Minnesota this season. The Gophers beat the Mavericks 9-6 that night.

The venue change also caused an uproar around Mankato, as one of the city's busiest hockey weekends of the year was cut in half.

Bar and restaurant owners were discontented, and the city and the Civic Center sent Trauger a bill for more than $18,000 in lost revenues.

The bill was accompanied by a letter from City Manager Pat Hentges, saying the city is willing to tear up the bill if the school deposits $30,000 of its proceeds from the game into an independently managed cooperative marketing program for MSU men's hockey.

A university press release Tuesday said a search for an independent marketing research firm will begin immediately.