Quinnipiac, MAAC submit Frozen Four bid

Quinnipiac and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference have partnered up and submitted a bid to host the men's Frozen Four at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., according to Rich Ensor, the MAAC commissioner, and Quinnipiac AD Jack McDonald.

The NCAA accepted bids for its four-year cycle for the years 2015-18. Ensor said he expects the selection committee to whittle a list of finalists with in the next few weeks, with an official announcement to follow. The MAAC has also submitted a bid to play host to the event in Buffalo, N.Y.

Philadelphia, which will host the 2014 Frozen Four, is among the cities confirmed to be in the next bidding cycle, Ensor said. Pittsburgh, Boston, Detroit and St. Paul are among those also involved.

A dozen years ago, Quinnipiac and the MAAC submitted a bid for Orlando at its old arena, McDonald said. The Amway Center, which opened in 2010, is state-of-the art. Built for $480 million as part of a $1 billion downtown plan that includes expansion of the Citrus Bowl, the arena serves as home of the NBA's Orlando Magic and the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. Seating for hockey is 17,353.

"It's a gorgeous building," Ensor said. "It has all the bells and whistles. It's state-of-the-art everything. They didn't skimp on anything, that's for sure."

The MAAC also has a bid in to host the men's wrestling championships in Orlando. Quinnipiac will play host to the women's Frozen Four at the TD Bank Sports Center this March.