The Sicatoka

Notre Dame makes their list. Florida State does not. Clearly Jesse Taken Alive needs to educate these people.

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2011/07/13/new-league-national-collegiate-hockey-conference/#ixzz1S1asXh38

I keep hearing "travel budgets" ... OK ... UND already has to travel to UMD, DU, CC, and UNO. No change. In terms of distance Miami is further than Tech, but is probably logistically easier to get to. Cost is probably higher. And then there's Anchorage. And not travelling there. That's a savings (because they stopped paying travel costs for conference mates a couple years ago). And honestly, I expect UND will become somewhat like the UMs (Minnesota and Michigan). UND has the big rink. UND probably will not travel as much non-conference unless someone makes it worthwhile for UND. Not many have the wherewithall to do that.

SCSU brings nothing to the table that UMD doesn't already. This type of move is about "media footprints" and there's no sense in duplicating it. Notre Dame brings national name recognition. I'm not sold on WMU either. They had one good year and lost that coach already. They're calling it NATIONAL College Hockey Conference. Oxford, OH, to Denver, CO, really isn't "national". I wonder ...

Andy Baggot is a pretty sound resource and if he's willing to put it out there. What's the deal there? Why is anyone afraid of McLeod? Does he have photos of the SCSU doggy "gettin' busy" with the MSUM bull? Or is everyone afraid of being on the wrong side of one of his league decisions that leave teams, fans, coaches, administrators and the media all asking ... "What the ..." Fines? FINES? For discussing it? Uh, every conference agreement has "out" clauses in it. Two, no five, no a total of SEVEN current WCHA members are exercising the "out". Fine that Bruce.

My guess at the new conference name ... National Collegiate Hockey Conference

Honestly, MSU-Moorhead would be smart and well served to take a page from the "Trev Alberts book of athletic department operations". Dragon football stinks. Period. And it will always be behind NDSU (and UND) and Concordia in the FM market. Slay Dragon football once and for all. Drop Dragon wresting. It's a non-revenue sport in a place that doesn't have any revenue sports. Add hockey.

Saigo was part of the group that brought the policy and sanctions concept to the NCAA.

Winning puts butts in seats. The change in level of competition (more UAA and MTU, less UND and DU) should let them win more.

All of this, starting with "Jim Delany Television" (aka Big Ten Network) through this new hockey conference, has all been all about the Benjamins. The official announcement of the BTHC was March 21. On March 25 the UNO Regents officially voted to move full DI (and drop football and wrestling). Many things all happened there in rapid-fire succession.

Seriously? Dude needs a map. Notre Dame to ... Oxford, OH 225 miles Omaha, NE 547 miles Duluth, MN 562 miles Grand Forks, ND 816 miles Denver, CO 1080 miles Colorado Springs, CO 1150 miles Burlington, Vermont 817 miles Massachusetts

That would be an interesting twist on the situation. Imagine setting up a league where on Friday and Saturday nights a network could broadcast an early and a late game and have five hours of built-in programming each night.

So we blame the Big Ten (and its Network), Jim Delaney, and ultimately that evil donor that gave Penn State hockey start-up money. I'm good with all that.

There you guys go citing the hypcricy of those other folks. Cut that out.

If this new group is looking to run like a business and actually cut some decent media deals, you have to wonder how some of the eastern powers feel about it. Will BC and BU be pleased to hear that this new conference is negotiating for national (continental?) television deals? How will they respond? Yes, they are trying to lure Notre Dame their direction, but what if they don't get them? How will they respond then?

First grade is tough and he wasn't "promoted" this year so take it easy on him.

The remnants of the WCHA and CCHA are set up fairly well to create their own conference and align it with east and west divisions for ease of scheduling and travel. Add in UAH to boot. And that group won't be as intimidating to a start-up as say the current WCHA but will still have some credibility for calibre of hockey. Assuming the new conference is UND, DU, CC, UNO, UMD, MoOH, NDU, and WMU what is left is: HRC (Hockey Remnants Conference): West - SCSU, MSU-M, BSU, UAA, UAF, (new team here, say MSU-Moorhead) East - BGSU, FSU, NMU, MTU, LSSU, UAH This group is set perfectly to try to get schools to add hockey and split into two separate conferences later. Lindenwood in the west. Who knows, maybe another MAC school in the east.

I was just repeating what Anthony LaPantzme said during his broadcasts this past season. One trip. Oh boy. Check UND playing BSU (home or road) during the same past 11 years. Then tell me who's doing more to help young programs.

UND has done that consistently in the past and I don't expect that philosophy to change. In contrast, Minnesota's first ever trip to BSU was the past season.

I think you missed from about here to present in the Big Ten Hockey Conference thread.

For some reason I always think of him more as a Capital or Blackhawk than Jet.

Even the plus of Genoway will not remove the negative of recently acquired Dany Heatley in a Wild jersey. Between being a Badger and driving drunk and killing a teammate in the process Heatley isn't on my "players I'll pay to watch" list. Go Jets.

In a word, why? Need 3000 to 3500 seats? The Betty. Need 5000-6000 seats? Lower bowl of REA, or ... Need 8000-9000? Alerus Center (in BB config). Need 13000 seats for BB? REA. A 5000-6000 seat arena seems like duplication right now, unless it's an ice rink first (which Grand Forks always seems to need another sheet). Closing thought on this: Multiple events ... can you imagine the parking nightmares ... However, for UND right now the greatest need is an indoor training facility (or an on-campus, domed football stadium with enough seats to allow FBS play in the future).