NCAA reduces seating capacity for hockey's Frozen Four at Ford Field

The NCAA on Thursday released a new seating configuration for the 2010 Frozen Four, which will be held April 8-10 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Revised plans call for 36,000 available seats -Â a significantly smaller crowd than the 60,000-plus seats the NCAA originally hoped to fill. Still, assuming a sellout, the new configuration should shatter the previous Frozen Four attendance record of 19,432, set when Michigan State defeated Boston College in the 2007 championship game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The ice rink, which originally was to be placed at midfield, will now be constructed vertically in the west end zone of Ford Field, near the Brush Street entrance. Risers will be set up to the east of the ice, utilizing about half of the Ford Field playing surface.

NCAA senior vice president of championships Joni Comstock cited the economy as one reason for the changes.

"Taking sight lines and the current economy into consideration, we felt this design was the best for everyone involved," Comstock said in a prepared statement.

The revised seating chart isn't likely to matter much to the teams vying to make it to the Frozen Four. The University of Michigan hockey team, ranked No. 4 in the nation, seems to have as good a chance as any team of reaching the Frozen Four.

The Wolverines would enjoy the same home-field advantage the Michigan State basketball team received last spring when it played in the Final Four and championship game at Ford Field.

"I think all the teams in our league would love to play at Ford Field," Michigan coach Red Berenson said last week. "We may never have been there, never looked at it as an ice hockey facility … (but) we’re all excited that the Frozen Four is there and we’d love to be there.”

Fans who already purchased tickets through TicketMaster will be relocated to comparable seats in the new configuration, the NCAA said. Tickets are available at NCAA.com/Frozenfour, TicketMaster.com or at 800.745.3000. Tickets cost $40, $79, $119 or $189 and include the semifinals and the championship games.

James Briggs covers sports for AnnArbor.com. Contact him at 734.623.2557 or jamesbriggs@annarbor.com.