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Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston - One v One with the NCAA's Chad Tolliver

Joey Johnston Talks with Chad Tolliver, the NCAA Director of Championships and Alliances.

Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston - One v One with the NCAA's Chad Tolliver
April 3, 2023

Chad Tolliver, the NCAA Director of Championships and Alliances, oversees the NCAA’s Frozen Four, the college hockey championships that will be staged at downtown Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Thursday and Saturday. In this conversation with Tampa Bay Sports Commission writer Joey Johnston, Chad gives us a peek behind the curtain as to how the event is staged, how college hockey continues to grow in popularity and Tampa Bay’s role as one of the event’s most successful hosts.

Joey Johnston: Chad, you are originally from Indianapolis, which is certainly basketball country. How would you describe your personal interest in college hockey?

Chad Tolliver: I am not from a hockey hotbed. I started working the event in 2013 and it has really taken off since then. Before that, I would watch the Frozen Four and the NHL playoffs, but that was about it. But the growth of this game — and this event — has been amazing. With the rise of technology, you can watch college hockey games all the time. The ESPN coverage has been amazing. The following keeps getting larger and larger. It has gone from a regional sport to a national sport. Now I’m one of the diehards.

Joey Johnston: Describe the passion of a true college hockey fan.

Chad Tolliver: Oh boy. It’s off the charts. You see all the sweaters from teams across the country, not just the four teams playing. They love their teams. They are so darn passionate. Mostly, they love this sport. Of course, they want to see their team. But if their team doesn’t make it, they still come. They follow this event all over the country and make it part of their vacation plans every year. College hockey fans are a special group of people. They are so much fun.

Joey Johnston: How large could this Frozen Four event get? What do you see for the future?

Chad Tolliver: I think the potential is limitless. We’re already in NHL venues, so I think we’re fine there. It’s the perfect size and we generally pack the buildings every year. I would love to be 100 percent sold out every year at every site and we’re close to that now. The improvements we can continue to make are from the fan enhancement standpoint. The event is familiar in places like Boston or Minnesota. It’s great to have it in Tampa. We’d like to take it to other non-traditional markets and expose it to different communities because that will continue to grow the fan base.

Joey Johnston: This is Tampa Bay’s third Frozen Four — and some people were shocked it came to Florida in the first place. What has made the event work so well in Tampa Bay?

Chad Tolliver: I’ve been working in championships at the NCAA for more than 20 years. The 2016 Frozen Four in Tampa is at the top of my list of great experiences that I’ve had in my career. You’re going to a hockey event — and it was 80 degrees and sunny. It was a great, great locale. Obviously, everything with the local organizing committee, Amalie Arena, Rob Higgins and the entire Tampa Bay Sports Commission staff is absolutely top-notch. The folks in Tampa simply do whatever it takes to make things awesome. They want fans to have the time of their lives — and they do! It has become one of the favorite stops for everyone.

Joey Johnston: What does Tampa Bay offer that makes it so desirable?

Chad Tolliver: We have fans coming from all over the country, so the ease of travel and a great airport are pretty key. The warm location, of course, and the warmth of the people. On an off day, fans can play golf or go to the beach. It’s just an incredible change of pace.

Joey Johnston: There’s the television product, but there’s also the in-house fan experience. Every sporting event these days has challenges to make sure the in-house fans receive a great value. How does the Frozen Four respond to that?

Chad Tolliver: The TV broadcasts these days are such high quality, so any event manager has to work hard to ensure the folks in the seats are getting some amenities and extra excitement. It’s a different experience in person instead of watching from your couch. Hockey, in particular, is a great in-person sport to watch. So you make sure there’s good information and stats on the boards, plus engaging and entertaining activities between periods or during timeouts. The Tampa Bay Lightning staff is excellent with the fan experience so it’s a great collaboration. Outside the arena, on the plaza, there’s constant activity for the fans. We set up a red carpet near the Fan Fest, so the players can get their rock star moment when they enter. The bands are playing. The fans are cheering. Everybody always says it’s a great time, but we continue to keep our eyes open and we’re always looking for ways to maximize the experience.

Joey Johnston: What is your favorite part of the Frozen Four?

Chad Tolliver: Of course, it’s fun to see the highly competitive games and the joy of the team that wins the championship. The involvement of the fans is always special. The way the community rallies around the event —and you really feel that in Tampa. Overall, I think it’s the experience for the student-athletes. Not all of these guys will play in the NHL. Many won’t. But this will be a weekend they will remember for the rest of their lives, a complete reference point for the best of times. They will tell stories about this experience forever. So you want it to be as special as possible — and it always is.

Joey Johnston: So has the Frozen Four helped to transform you from casual hockey fan to avid hockey fan?

Chad Tolliver: Oh yeah. I have become a Colorado Avalanche fan. My apologies to the Lightning fans, but hey, they got their two Stanley Cups already (the Avalanche beat the Lightning in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals). When I was in college playing video games, I casually enjoyed the Avalanche. The Frozen Four has helped me to become a bigger fan. I’m from the Indiana basketball culture and I went to IU (Indiana University). But I like hockey now as much as I do basketball. I’ve fallen in love with hockey. I’m completely hooked and I’ll be a hockey fan for life. So getting to work with something like the Frozen Four is really a privilege. It’s a labor of love and I am fired up for another amazing weekend in Tampa.

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