SCHLOSSMAN: Tampa was great, but keep spreading out Frozen Four

It was 82 degrees and sunny every day.

The area around Amalie Arena was beautiful with options for food, drinks or taking the river walk.

The operational setup was terrific. The town was full of signage. Everyone who raved about Tampa as a Frozen Four site back in 2012 was correct. The city, the arena and everyone involved in it once again proved that Tampa was a terrific spot for a Frozen Four.

But it shouldn't be the only spot.

Although some have pondered whether Tampa should be the permanent home of the Frozen Four, the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Committee should continue to spread it around the country.

I'd have no problem with it being in Tampa every four or five years, but I don't like the idea of a single site or a rotation between a handful of places.

One of the charms of the Frozen Four is getting to visit another one of America's great cities. And for people who go nearly every year - and there are a lot of them - it's a chance to create a new vacation around the games and see new things.

Most of the Frozen Fours have such a uniqueness to them that we often remember the event by the city it was held in.

Nobody talks about Washington, D.C., much as a Frozen Four site, but that was an all-time favorite. Walking to the White House, the National Archives, Smithsonian and the Capitol Building between games and practices? How cool is that?

How about last year, being able to walk to the Boston Massacre site or the Old North Church during down time?

How about checking out Philly's cheesesteaks, Boston's seafood and Tampa's Ybor City district?

Most of these Frozen Fours have been perfectly timed with a Major League Baseball games in town, too, for sports fans that want to see a new stadium/event.

It's great for fans to be able to enjoy new experiences while following the Frozen Fours around the country. Chicago next year will be a lot of fun. Although fans won't stay by the rink, there's so much to see in town.

How about trying out other NHL cities and first-time Frozen Four hosts like Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Nashville and Phoenix?

A source says that UND is working on hosting a Frozen Four in St. Louis, which was a great host in 2007.

Yes, Tampa was awesome. Yes, it should be back there soon. But there are also other great Frozen Four sites out there. Let's check them out, too.