NCAA Press Release Archive

NCAA and Rival Films to Produce Official Film of the 2010 Men's Frozen Four

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Contact(s)

Ronnie Fults
Rival Films
801/815-3718

Cameron Schuh
NCAA
317/917-6117

INDIANAPOLIS---The National Collegiate Athletic Association^® and Rival Films are collaborating to produce the first official film of the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four^®. The 2010 Frozen Four will be held April 8–10 in Detroit, Mich., at Ford Field.

The film will revolve around the stories of four exemplary student-athletes - one from each school competing in the Frozen Four - and how their personal journey has taken them to the cusp of a national championship. The critically acclaimed team at Rival Films will weave these unique, heart-felt personal stories around exciting tournament action and rare behind-the-scenes access.

“The Men’s Frozen Four is one of the best college sporting events that centers on excitement, tradition and NCAA student-athletes,” said Matt Fults, Rival Films’ owner and director. “The beauty of the tournament is that anyone can win in any given year. All you need is the opportunity to play in the event. We’re thrilled to work with the NCAA to give hockey fans a unique look at this spectacular event, especially in a year where it’s destined to break attendance records.”

The NHL Network will broadcast the one-hour high definition film in June during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Rival Films will also produce an extended-cut movie for DVD release.

The film is one of several documentary projects the NCAA has produced or is in the midst of producing. However, the film will be the first in the Association’s history produced on the Frozen Four.

“Expanding the NCAA’s opportunities for sharing dynamic stories of the student-athletes who compete in NCAA championships has been a goal of the NCAA’s for several years,” said Greg Weitekamp, NCAA director of broadcasting. “The Men’s Frozen Four film will enable the NCAA to go deeper into the experiences of an ice hockey student-athlete, while at the same time showcasing one of the most exciting sporting events in college sports.

Rival Films produces non-fiction feature-length movies and short films for theatrical, broadcast, world-wide web and home video release. Productions run the gamut, from capturing the NHL’s Original Six roots in “Hockey’s Greatest Era” to chronicling Olympian Noelle Pikus-Pace’s gutsy, post-injury pursuit of Olympic glory in “114 Days: The Race to Save a Dream.” Rival Films’ most recent production was the acclaimed “The Battle of Comm Ave – Boston University vs. Boston College.”

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions-AT&T and Coca-Cola-and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners-Enterprise, The Hartford, Hershey's, LG, Lowe's and State Farm.