Hockey vote could open Kohl Center for state basketball tournaments

GREEN BAY - Big Ten officials have been told to look for another option for the 2013-14 Big Ten hockey tournament as the University of Wisconsin tries to find a way to keep the WIAA state boys and girls basketball tournaments at the Kohl Center.

The Kohl Center has hosted the state tournaments since 1998, but scheduling conflicts have raised the possibility the tournaments could move to the Resch Center in Green Bay.

Hockey will become a sanctioned sport in 2013-14 in the Big Ten and the original plan was to have schools hosting tournament games, so the Kohl Center could’ve been occupied by UW when the basketball tournaments tip off.

A vote was passed Monday by the Big Ten to look for a neutral site, so now the subject will be forwarded later this month to the Big Ten administrative council, made up of league athletic directors, but that’s considered a formality.

Even if this is adopted, there is no guarantee the state tournaments remain in Madison. There is a problem with the Kohl Center being available for the 2012-13 state tournaments due to scheduling. The UW hockey team has regular-season and potential first-round playoff games that could overlap the state tournament.

PMI, which is trying to bring the tournaments to Green Bay, told FOX 11 Monday it would be open to discussing a short-term agreement if the Kohl Center is not available in the near future.

Todd Clark, WIAA director of communications, said, “While this decision reduces a potential conflict with men's hockey, women's hockey and men's and women's basketball events remain potential conflict in future years.”

So, despite the Big Ten’s move to change its hockey tournament structure this matter is far from being decided.

PMI and UW made presentations last month to the WIAA Board of Control and at that time Madison offered the outdated Alliant Energy Center as an option if the Kohl Center would not be available. It seems now for the tournament to remain in Madison, it has to be played in the Kohl Center.

Meanwhile, PMI’s pitch included a video message from Packers president Mark Murphy, in addition to installing new scoreboards and a new basketball court at the Resch Center, amongst other things.

A decision on the fate of the tournaments’ futures is expected to be made prior to this year's boys state tournament (March 15-17).

doug.ritchay@wluk.com