Jump to content
SiouxSports.com Forum

Big Ten Hockey Conference


dakota fairways

Recommended Posts

Recap of Maturi

-Wished it would have stayed the same

-Can't express his opinion cuz it will make his colleagues mad

-Where as Minnesota needs Ohio state, Penn state in football, They need gophers in hockey

-hopes to continue the rivalry, mascot is still an issue

-loves the logo,loves the nickname

-avoided the question about whether the nickanme will bar the gopehrs to play the sioux

-said by the time, it will settle down and we should be able to play each other

-two way street on scheduling

-Get worse before it gets better

-

Somebody tell Maturi that we do not have a mascot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Barry Alvarez got this one rolling with Wisconsin and he got Delany on board. Michigan had publically said they didn't want to leave the CCHA (knowing what it could mean to the smaller schools) and Minnesota sounds like it didn't want to leave the WCHA (rivalries and travel). But once Barry got Delany on board, they could play the "If six schools offer a sport, then the Big Ten can sponsor a championship and schools have to be there" card. Michigan and Minnesota were stuck.

Plus, Barry was the one who put an end to the College Hockey Showcase between the Michigans and Minny/Wisconsin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody tell Maturi that we do not have a mascot.

Wrong. We don't have a mascot in the most common reference to the term of someone dressing up in a costume and performing stunts to encourage fan support. We DO have a mascot in the sense of the definition whereas our "thing" is a logo that represents the symbol portion of the definition...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wrong. We don't have a mascot in the most common reference to the term of someone dressing up in a costume and performing stunts to encourage fan support. We DO have a mascot in the sense of the definition whereas our "thing" is a logo that represents the symbol portion of the definition...

Negative ghost rider.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Barry Alvarez got this one rolling with Wisconsin and he got Delany on board. Michigan had publically said they didn't want to leave the CCHA (knowing what it could mean to the smaller schools) and Minnesota sounds like it didn't want to leave the WCHA (rivalries and travel). But once Barry got Delany on board, they could play the "If six schools offer a sport, then the Big Ten can sponsor a championship and schools have to be there" card. Michigan and Minnesota were stuck.

Plus, Barry was the one who put an end to the College Hockey Showcase between the Michigans and Minny/Wisconsin.

So how long before the BTHC teams realized their 6 team league sucks, no one in the Big Ten moves up and they start begging for a league to play in?

  • Downvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So how long before the BTHC teams realized their 6 team league sucks, no one in the Big Ten moves up and they start begging for a league to play in?

I don't think they have a choice, pal; Big Ten rules. As long as there are 6 BT teams in a sport, I think the conference has to be there.

I haven't paid any attention lately, but I'm guessing there are some grumblings at GPL. There are some pretty smart hockey fans over there who see the folly of this whole mess and what it could lead to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was a great little video.

We've all known the Big 10 conference was coming. It is now about how do we position ourselves as UND on the go-forward.

We are blessed with ridiculous tradition and the finest facility on Earth for amateur hockey. We have a history of developing pro players including two players that right now (when healthy) would be considered among the 20 or so best players in the world (Toews and Parise).

So what do we do?

Well, my first concern is with recruiting and what it means to lose the potential of upwards of 8-11 games against MN and WI per year (includes playoffs). That's a lot of very visible hockey where future SIoux see what Sioux hockey is all about. Especially those future Sioux living in Minnesota, of which our championship teams are littered with...Can we recruit when we are not on FSN for an average of 4-5 games per year playing the Gophers as the big green menace? I don't know, but I would worry about it...

Can you keep a rivalry where you might only see the other team in the national playoffs or a scheduled tournament or a non-conference game? I think not...Minnesota and Michigan or Michigan State comes to mind right now...They aren't MN rivals. Ask a MN fan who their biggest rival is and you'll get two answers: Wisconsin will say the avid MN sports fan. North Dakota will say the MN hockey fan. Michigan and Michigan State aren't even on the list to anyone...MN can't compete with those teams in football or hoops, so many don't even think about them.

Let's talk about history: The Wisconsin battles of the early 80's were epic. The Minnesota battles of the 2000's were just as epic. Those rivalries built a legacy of tradition that resulted in multiple national titles and a rabid (yet relatively small) niche of fanatics. Those teams HATED each other, the games were filled with unbelievable heroics-Broten, Wheeler, Porter, gross barbarism- water bottle incident, FInley and Wheeler, and tremendous skill (Vanek, Parise, Chelios) . The mutual hate was supplanted only by mutual respect. I still stand by the best college hockey game that I ever saw was MN vs UND at the X for the 2004 (I think) Final Five championship...MN won a one goal, high scoring, race horse game. In the new world, that game doesn't happen. How many college hockey fans did that game produce?

Our goal does not change based on conference alignment. Our goal remains to field the finest amateur hockey team in the world. This is just another barrier to overcome in doing so.

That, and the Big 10 can go to hell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats when all was good with the NCAA, no one knows what is going to happen now. We could just as easily get back on the sanctions list and Minnesota and Wisconsin have an easy answer for not wanting to get beat by us, the NCAA sanctions list.

Oh my god...lets just drop the name now if we can't play the gophers or badgers in Hockey...what were we thinking???!!!????? :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is pretty good stuff right there...

I just wasted a few seconds that I will never get back again... I have a hard time believing that UMN would rather play SCSU, UMD, MSU-M than UND... I think Hammy is off the mark... The Big Ten is all about money, UND is going to draw more to the arena than the aforementioned schools.

Edited by Goon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wrong. We don't have a mascot in the most common reference to the term of someone dressing up in a costume and performing stunts to encourage fan support. We DO have a mascot in the sense of the definition whereas our "thing" is a logo that represents the symbol portion of the definition...

Sorry, but respectfully disagree. When I was at UND Thunder the Bleacher Creature was our "Mascot". Horrible yes...offensive?...well you can decide for yourself...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has likely already been noted elsewhere, probably here, before but I am too lazy to look.

The Gopher faithful, absent as they are already from great WCHA rivalry games in their own rink, will certainly not get too excited about playing a full one-third of their season against Penn State, Ohio State, and even Michigan State. That's twelve games. NCAA rules allow thirty-four games total. Unless one travels to Alaska, and we all know that the Gophers are not going to do that.

A twenty-game league schedule leaves fourteen non-conference games. The Gophers need twenty home games to meet their budget. Ten Big Ten games, ten non-conference games. That leaves room for four non-conference road games. Do the math. The Sioux, Denver, CC, UMD and Bemidji with their new arenas, and even Saint Clown and Mankato are not going to ingratiate themselves to playing the Gophers in The John unless there are some reciprocal arrangements. Their non-conference schedule will not improve much beyond what it already is. Maybe a holiday tournament with the Minnesota schools will work, but all will want to share in whatever gravy that would bring.

Pigs get fat. Hogs get slaughtered. Barry Alvarez just hosed the Gopher hockey program. Big Time. Big Ten Big Time. For a long long time. Players are not going to develop very well, at least until PSU, OSU, Illinois, and Iowa, all gel and solidify, or even form for that matter. The Gophers will not play many competitive games every year. Teams play up, or down, to their competition.

Right now, I could not care less if we only meet them in the future only in the Regionals. Unless they commit to come to The Ralph first, where their psyches will be bruised forever. If they have not been already.

I am over it. I, for one, think that the WCHA, even with its ten remaining teams, will do plenty plenty fine. Solid teams all, top to bottom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wrong. We don't have a mascot in the most common reference to the term of someone dressing up in a costume and performing stunts to encourage fan support. We DO have a mascot in the sense of the definition whereas our "thing" is a logo that represents the symbol portion of the definition...

The only statement on topic that matters is that of the omnipotent NCAA.

Their Executive Committee report on Native American Mascots states the following (pay special attention to the bolded words):

· Nickname: Sioux; Fighting Sioux

· Mascot: None

· Logo/Imagery: 2006-06-15-sioux.jpg

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Listened to Lou Nanne on the radio yesterday (on KFAN).

His thought: UM needs to fill their arena to keep the budget working. Penn State and Ohio State won't do that.

Nanne's idea:

- Dodge Holiday Classic becomes: UM, BSU, SCSU, MSU-M

- Play both UMD and UND annually (one at home, one on road) to get a full annual weekend gate at Mariucci.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Listened to Lou Nanne on the radio yesterday (on KFAN).

His thought: UM needs to fill their arena to keep the budget working. Penn State and Ohio State won't do that.

Nanne's idea:

- Dodge Holiday Classic becomes: UM, BSU, SCSU, MSU-M

- Play both UMD and UND annually (one at home, one on road) to get a full annual weekend gate at Mariucci.

A good idea to be sure. Unfortunately, McLeod is not going to let it happen.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/blogs/118471889.html

Trouble is, the WCHA doesn't want the Gophers or Wisconsin just playing their elite, high-profile teams.

No. If the Gophers want 10 or so games against WCHA teams, they will have to play all of them. On a home and away rotation, WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said on Monday.

McLeod said the WCHA has reached a tentative verbal agreement with the Gophers and Wisconsin on such a rotating schedule.

From the WCHA's standpoint, such an arrangement is the only kind that makes sense. McLeod wants all the conference's teams to prosper and have the chance for a big home gate against Minnesota and a chance to play at Mariucci once in a while.

At best, you will see a 10-game scheduling alliance, which means Minn and UND will play every-other-year. Which means Minn. is in Grand Forks once every four years. If it's an 8-game scheduling alliance, it would be once every five years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good idea to be sure. Unfortunately, McLeod is not going to let it happen.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/blogs/118471889.html

At best, you will see a 10-game scheduling alliance, which means Minn and UND will play every-other-year. Which means Minn. is in Grand Forks once every four years. If it's an 8-game scheduling alliance, it would be once every five years.

UND needs to protect what has been built over the past 75 years. If that includes staying in the WCHA, fine, but Fighting Sioux hockey is not a minor player and shouldn't take a "little guy" role. UND and Denver are in the elite status. I'm not trying to knock the other Minnesota schools or CC, etc., but look at the history and what has been accomplished at North Dakota. As I said before the BTHC isn't news and hopefully the hockey brain trust at UND has been planning for the other side of this issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good idea to be sure. Unfortunately, McLeod is not going to let it happen.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/blogs/118471889.html

At best, you will see a 10-game scheduling alliance, which means Minn and UND will play every-other-year. Which means Minn. is in Grand Forks once every four years. If it's an 8-game scheduling alliance, it would be once every five years.

What is also being assumed here is that the Big Ten will stay at six teams, when numerous reports indicate that at least two other schools are considering hockey. If and when the Big Ten goes to 7 schools, that means 24 conference games. With 8 schools, 28 conference games, like the schedule the WCHA formerly had. Nothing that the Big Ten is "offering" will ever be subject to long-term contracts.

Even for the short-term, why is the WCHA demanding that all it's teams play Minnesota. Wouldn't it be better for CC, Denver, UAA, and MTU to play Wisconsin, while the Minnesota schools and UND play UM?

Here's the status of Indiana's new arena, which is planned to be hockey capable:

On June 22, 2007, Indiana University trustees approved the demolition of Assembly Hall and the construction of a new basketball arena "when appropriate." Populous was hired to assess the benefits of renovating or replacing Assembly Hall. The trustees decided against renovating the stadium for $115 million because construction of a new arena would cost $130 Million. Construction of the arena has not begun because funding has not been secured. Sources within the IU Athletic Department have said that Louisville's KFC Yum! Center, Maryland's Comcast Center, Wisconsin's Kohl Center and Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center are being studied as possible blueprints for the Hoosiers' new arena. [3]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even for the short-term, why is the WCHA demanding that all it's teams play Minnesota. Wouldn't it be better for CC, Denver, UAA, and MTU to play Wisconsin, while the Minnesota schools and UND play UM?

Is that a rhetorical question? Because the answer is quite clear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...