SiouxVolley

Georgia St would be the favorite if CUSA only followed media size. Ga St has pathetic athletic teams and low support in Atlanta. La-La and maybe Ark St fit athletically but don't help CUSA media markets. CUSA would be wise to add strong programs, not media markets. Georgia So would be a good program in a state that CUSA needs. JMU wants in to be with ODU. Guess they can claim a tiny bit of the D.C. market. Rumors are that the UAT board wants to shut down the UAB undergraduate programs too and add the students to Tuscaloosa's campus. Bear Bryant Jr has a major vendetta against the deceased Gene Bartow, who built UAB athletics programs. Its crap like the that makes me despise the Tide. They are so underhanded. Bryant has to retire soon and it's his last chance to kill a dead man.

This thread has gotten way off track. First of all, the NCHC would never invite NDSU because it doesn't offer any new media coverage. The WCHA would, but NDSU wouldn't start hockey unless they could be on par with UND. So the whole issue would be a mute point. The issue with Arizona State is that would they be committed to the NCHC for more than a couple of years. Should the NCHC bring aboard Arizona St, and the Arizona, USC, and Stanford, if they intent of those schools is to eventually break from the NCHC and start a PAC12 hockey league. I think it would well be worth the media attention it would give to college hockey and the NCHC. It would grow the game and benefit all schools in the NCHC.

They have to drive to Salt Lake for an airplane, so if its snowing it not a pleasant trip, even without Hardee.

Idaho State barely beat NAU 3-2, UNC beat Idaho State in Pocatelllo before.

The refs always seem to make strange call in favor of the South Dakota teams when we're down there. Could have closed out this game with FTs.

UNC 25-18 UNC wins 3-0 Nice season UND, but its over. UNC was just to athletic.

UNC 8-3 in third set, not looking good UNC 18-13, UND not looking organized UNC 21-14

UNC wins second set, 25-23 UND's back is up against the wall. 2-0 UNC

UNC 8-5 , Bears have the momentum UNC 16-14, Dooley has been overhitting, Champion for UNC has been killing UnD 18-18 now, Moser has been keeping UND in the game UNC back ahead 20-18, Strong and Champion have been tough. UNC 24-21, Robinson serving

UND loses first set, 25-23 UND was ahead 20-16, but UNC outscored UND 9-3 down the stretch..

22-14 St Francis Video is better after closing some windows,

Terrible start again St Francis (NY) 20 UND 4 Video is a good picture from Towson, but it stops and starts

With the new Sanford Arena in Sioux Falls, its almost crying out for a college hockey team. I doubt USD could swing it, as USD would have to add 24 women's scholarships as USD is only 40% or so men. Besides that, football and bb are crying out for more funds. I doubt the NCHC would extend an invite, but the WCHA would. If I was the Augustana admin, I would seriously consider DI hockey. It would be a way to get in the DI circles, and it would locally usurp USF. The WCHA would almost certainly take the Vikings. It would be a good sell throughout the Sioux Falls area.

Amen.

Looks like Cleveland St will add mens lacrosse. With that addition, a Midwest conference, other than the Big10, may soon be available. Detroit, Bellarmine, and Air Force also have teams. Just need a couple more. Interesting reasons for the add: getting better academic recruits and for enrollment growth. Lax only allows 12.6 schollies, but need 60 recruits. Most lax players have to pay their way. Its kind of like club hockey, where players have no full rides. The cost for Cleveland St is estimated at $900,000 a year. Cleveland St has been trying to upgrade their graduation rate and academics more, as they've had improvements over the last few years. Lax helps in that goal, as most lax players are suburbanites. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/11/cleveland_state_university_wil_5.html But I do think there's a strategic reason for keeping baseball. If an FBS Big Sky ever comes about, with UND, it would have the necessary six teams for an autobid league: Sac St Cal Poly UCDavis NDSU SDSU UND

The old guard Teammakers would never allow hockey at SU. Hockey is a four letter word at Teammakers. Its only for Canadians, Minnesotas, and Arizonans. Minot State will be DI in hockey before SU. The students would have to not show up at the FargoDome for SU football. ... Oh wait. their bored with SU football and don't show up anyway.

If it makes more money and more publicity. there is no telling what the pinheads in Twamley decide. Generally, we want conference affiliation to give media exposure in the Twin Cities, Denver, and Phoenix, as that is where large alumni numbers are located. The Big Sky gives two out of three. The NCHC gives two out of three. PAC12 hockey would give two out of three.

Where would Buffalo go if they started hockey? The ECAC is full. Atlantic Hockey would probably be beneath them. The WCHA is a possibility, but BGSU and Buffalo want to be with similar schools. With western AHA schools and Ferris St, they could easily break away and form their own bus league. What league would Simon Fraser go to? The WCHA would want them to have an Alaska division. But the NCHC would likely want them too because of Canadian cable TV and recruiting. Where would Rhode Island go? The AHA has a slot, but the Rams would want to be in Hockey East with all the other New England flagships. If URI starts hockey, it would be an easy excuse for Notre Dame to go west with the NCHC. The most natural NCHC expansion schools might be Iowa State, Oklahoma, and Texas. Notre Dame would like to tango with that trio. Their could be a lot of moving pieces. We just don't know who is serious.

The PAC12 almost goes about collecting sports to sponsor. Its incredible how many sports Stanford or UCLA sponsor. In wrestling, they have Boise St and Fresno St as affiliates. In men's soccer, San Diego St. In Field Hockey. they team with America East schools. In M/W water polo, a bunch of Big West and West Coast school. They are many more. http://pac-12.com/sport/mens-soccer/standings

There's an article and blog on why the Big 10 could be a home. I've reached the limit on articles I can access to the Star and Sickle, and I'm not going to pay them to access it.

For a 2016 recruit, look out for 6'4" MH Macey Kvilvang of North Star/Cando. That kind of height you can't teach. She might be a basketball recruit to look out for too.

Wouldn't doubt that the Pig 10 is in the conference sweepstakes for ASU hockey. The Star and Sickled insinuated as much. ASU isn't AAU, so they don't meet the Pig 10's academic standards. But the Pig 10's real standard is money. The Pac12 and the Big10 consider themselves brother conferences, so the Big10 could come up with a scheme to incubate new Pac12 teams.

If the PAC12 hockey conference comes to be, would UND and Denver be admitted as affiliates? The PAC12 is much more liberal with affiliates than the B1G. A Cal grad like Kelley would be creaming his pants at the opportunity to play Stanford and USC on a regular basis. It would help UND's academic perception.

There just aren't many LDS kids playing hockey. There's a group In southern Alberta of LDS that moved up from Utah 100 years ago, but not enough to get a quality DI team. Maybe there's LDS kids playing hockey in California or Arizona. The youth hockey played in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah where lots of people are LDS is very low caliber. Hockey just isn't a cultural part of LDS life as often the parents aren't going to travel when they have many other kids. An LDS family gives their kids a basketball because its cheap and the kids can find their own pickup games. Non-LDS DI caliber hockey players are just not going to enroll at BYU. BYU passes on hockey. Utah has a rink from the Olympics not very far from campus and Utah is a half "gentile" school. Utah would add hockey if it eventually made money.. Liberty approached the Atlantic Hockey for admission, but were rejected because of distance is my understanding. If Navy joins, and some other teams leave for a new CCHA, Liberty might have interest from the AH. No way would the ECAC or Hockey East take Liberty, for much the same social reasons the Sun Belt rejected them.

They would want teams in recruiting regions. The B1G has that. UND has Winnipeg, NW Minn, and the Twin Cities in its backyard. PAC12 teams want more than California hockey that produced Rocco. Don't count out Utah, Washington, or Arizona. All of them have rinks near their campuses.