Big Ten Hockey Conference

[star2city]

One of the big unknowns:

Will Greg Shepherd bolt to the BTHC as its new Supervisor of Officials, and take his Shepherds with him?

[Sioux-cia]

One of the big unknowns:

Will Greg Shepherd bolt to the BTHC as its new Supervisor of Officials, and take his Shepherds with him?

One can only hope!

[sioux rube]

One of the big unknowns:

Will Greg Shepherd bolt to the BTHC as its new Supervisor of Officials, and take his Shepherds with him?

If anything comes good out of this fiasco that would be it.

[Ole in MSP]

One of the big unknowns:

Will Greg Shepherd bolt to the BTHC as its new Supervisor of Officials, and take his Shepherds with him?

I think Derek is still trying to get his whistle out of his throat after this last gig on Saturday at the Xcel. Never saw so many non calls as in the game against DU.

[star2city]

Randball: The thought of the Gophers not being in the WCHA is just plain weird

Those of you know know us at least a little know that we grew up watching UND hockey. The old Ralph was the greatest arena in the world as far as we're concerned. The Hrkac Circus came to power when we were 10, with North Dakota winning the 1987 NCAA title. We couldn't imagine anyone but UND winning. It's a good thing the squad did.

The Gophers were the chief hated rival, of course, during all those years. We saw dead gophers flung onto the ice. We witnessed the selling of glossy photographs of gophers impaled on hockey sticks outside the old Ralph. Times were good.

[star2city]

Huntsville Times: Big Ten hockey may benefit UAH's conference search

UAH coach Chris Luongo said Monday that the Chargers will be involved in talks about new potential conferences.

"We're excited things are starting to roll, since this has been on the horizon," he said. "There's going to be a lot of discussion among Division I hockey schools, and we plan on being in those."

Strange how UAH's coach talks about "new conferences", and not necessarily the CCHA.

Miami OH, Notre Dame, and Bowling Green are all closer to Huntsville, AL than to Marquette, Michigan. The CCHA may have to add Moorhead State and Minot State to its Michigan DII schools just to survivie.

[xI Hammer Ix]

When Michigan Tech was in the CCHA, the McNaughton went with it.

Knew that, but I was wondering more so to why they couldn't just leave it with the WCHA? Entrust it to a winner in the conference. I don't think they'll be winning it anytime soon.

[Matt]

The issue is that the huge demand for Gopher and Badger game tickets at the Ralph help create demand for other games. In order to assure Gopher tickets, one almost has to buy season ticket (and also donate to the Fighting Sioux Club) . Without the Gophers or Badgers on the schedule, there's a chance that people will buy tickets for only 4 series or so, instead of season tickets. Moreover, Gopher single tickets cost twice what non-conference tickets cost. There will be a direct effect on UND's budget, and with the WCHA no longer gaining $'s from sold out playoff games at Mariucci and the Kohl Center, the WCHA will return much less to member schools. UND will now be the main cash cow for the WCHA, instead of it being a shared responsibility.

I do however find it interesting that Hakstol led the charge for the Fighting Sioux name, even at the apparent risk of losing the Gopher and Badger rivalry. Perhaps that risk isn't as great as some would have us believe. Gopher fans will turn on Maturi and their administration when they realize the stupidity of their own university's decrees.

I think that has happened...see the FB and BB programs.

[Goon]

One of the big unknowns:

Will Greg Shepherd bolt to the BTHC as its new Supervisor of Officials, and take his Shepherds with him?

If your remotely religious consider praying that he does. Maybe he could team up with Matt Shegos and the refs from the CCHA.

[Goon]

I'm not sold. If UBC does find its way to the WCHA, I think you are exaggerating its impact. No way UBC would be able to deliver a TSN contract. An entire nation of Canadian hockey fans are not going to suddenly prefer NCAA hockey to Canadian major juniors just because UBC joins the NCAA. I think a regional Vancouver television contract would be the best to hope for in that situation, and I'm not even sure if UBC and NCAA hockey carries enough weight for that. Also, I just don't see the BTHC being the catalyst for expansion, except for maybe within the Big Ten itself.

I am going to have to agree where with you on that one.

[GeauxSioux]

The result of the Big 10 Hockey conference will be a shake-up of some sort. i'm sure the hockey minds at UND have known for quite some time that this was coming and have been planning for the other side of this announcement. Maybe Miami and Notre Dame are being courted, as some have mentioned. Notre Dame did come to GF this season and Miami last season. Perhaps they were brought in to get a lay of the land.

I have read in a couple of different places in the past few days that North Dakota is in a good position, due largely to the great fan base. The Sioux travel well and will have something to say about how things shake out in the end.

Obviously the BTHC isn't good overall for college hockey and they are looking out for themselves. I think UND needs to have somewhat of the same mindset. UND needs to protect what has been built the past 75 years and may mean that UND's move isn't the best for college hockey as a whole, but benefits UND.

[mikejm]

Obviously the BTHC isn't good overall for college hockey...

Please explain your thoughts here ^.

[GeauxSioux]

Please explain your thoughts here ^.

Maybe what I thought was obvious, isn't.

I think the WCHA is impacted far less than the CCHA. Losing the two Michigan schools and Ohio State has to be a major impact to some of the smaller Michigan schools. I imagine that attendance greatly increases when Michigan comes to Marquette than Ferris State.I don't pretend to know the dollar figures of each of the CCHA athletic departments, but losing likely the three biggest draws for attendance cannot be good. I can see Tech being in the same boat to a lesser extent.

[mksioux]

Actually the Badgers and Gophers can only play 34 games if they don't add an Alaska team. And they need 20 home games for $ reasons. With 10 games OTR for Big Ten play, that leaves them only 4 road games each year (two series). So who will they reciprocate with? And which WCHA teams will be happy to come to the John without a reciprocating agreement?

Ummm, I think that's pretty much what I said. Minnesota and Wisconsin are not going to enter into a scheduling alliance with the WCHA that would commit them to more than the 28 conference games they have now. With 20 Big Ten conference games, that means 8 games per year against WCHA teams under the scheduling alliance. That means Minnesota and Wisconsin will travel for no more than 4 games per year against WCHA schools. My point is that while the talking points about scheduling alliance sounds good, there really isn't going to be much to it. There will not be enough games to maintain traditional rivalries.

[The Sicatoka]

I'm not weeping, nor gnashing my teeth. So far I have refrained from shredding my clothing.

I think I'll be okay.

Just in case keep the sack cloth and ashes handy.

[ScottM]

Interesting comments ...

"Our rivalry with Wisconsin is well-documented," he said, "and it will be nice to play Michigan and Michigan State more than once a year. It will also be exciting to create new rivalries with Ohio State and Penn State."

Good luck filling Mariucci with Buckeye and Nittany Lion fans, Don.

"When a prestigious institution like Penn State and other large schools combine to form a conference," Kelly said, "it will get a lot of media attention, better TV exposure, and all of that is a positive for the sport. It likely will prompt other Big Ten schools to look at [hockey] like Indiana, Illinois and Northwestern."

Sure, they'll look at it and vomit from the costs of maintaining two (M & W) D1 hockey programs. And the only TV exposure will be on the B10 network, it's not like FS or ESPN will drop everything for you.

"

Is it a money-driven thing? Are you going to tell me Iowa is going to add hockey because it's a Big Ten sport now? Come on up, show me the money."

Good point.

Strib updated

[mikejm]

Just in case keep the sack cloth and ashes handy.

Thanks.

Let the rodents both leave; they'll soon find out the BTHC isn't the bed of roses they have been led to believe. Minn is in trouble attendance-wise as evidenced by lots of empty seats in Mariucci and the grumbling is getting louder about the coming season ticket price increases and re-seating there. Wisconsin only sold out the Kohl twice this year. Tell me home series against Ohio State and Penn State are going to help the declining attendance in those rinks.

BTHC made all kinds of statements about how it was going to help college hockey. This has nothing to do with any hockey programs except the six members there. This is an opportunity for the WCHA to show itself as a true supporter of college hockey at-large: I say remain as a 10-team conference (so as to not cannibalize the CCHA) and schedule road games against some of the weaker sisters remaining there to help them with their revenues.

With the WCHA's rotating schedules, we don't get Minn or Wisc at home every year, so making up that lost revenue is not that critical. In fact, at least in UND's case, the only "lost" revenue is the few single-game tickets made available for the Gopher games. The Ralph has a waiting list for season tickets again, and I doubt very much that our season ticket prices will be reduced once the BTHC begins play.

As I said, let them leave. This is whole thing is about money for the Big Ten Conference led by Barry Alvarez and Jim Delany. I think the schools themselves will come to see this development as a net-loss on their own campuses. Unfortunately for them, there is nothing they can do about it. The real power schools in the WCHA, however, can make this a big win by showing support for struggling existing teams and by encouraging other schools to get into college hockey.

[mksioux]

Strib updated

We still don't know how many games per year this scheduling alliance will be, but we now know it will involve all 10 remaning WCHA schools equally.

WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod said the conference has a tentative verbal agreement on an interlocking schedule with the Gophers and Wisconsin when they switch conferences. It calls for them to play all 10 remaining WCHA teams on a rotating schedule.

That's the final nail for maintaining a real Sioux-Gopher rivalry.

[mksioux]

Thanks.

Let the rodents both leave; they'll soon find out the BTHC isn't the bed of roses they have been led to believe. Minn is in trouble attendance-wise as evidenced by lots of empty seats in Mariucci and the grumbling is getting louder about the coming season ticket price increases and re-seating there. Wisconsin only sold out the Kohl twice this year. Tell me home series against Ohio State and Penn State are going to help the declining attendance in those rinks.

BTHC made all kinds of statements about how it was going to help college hockey. This has nothing to do with any hockey programs except the six members there. This is an opportunity for the WCHA to show itself as a true supporter of college hockey at-large: I say remain as a 10-team conference (so as to not cannibalize the CCHA) and schedule road games against some of the weaker sisters remaining there to help them with their revenues.

This is about maintaining visibility, exposure, recruiting advantages, and staying a DI national power. It's also about aligning yourself with your institutional peers, or more specifically who you want to be considered as your institutional peers. I'm sorry, but staying in a NSIC/DII dominated league is not the way to achieve any of these goals. This is not about being a charitable organization. The BTHC killed the close-knit relationship amongst the college hockey community. UND needs to adapt to the new reality and sink or swim.

As I said, let them leave. This is whole thing is about money for the Big Ten Conference led by Barry Alvarez and Jim Delany. I think the schools themselves will come to see this development as a net-loss on their own campuses. Unfortunately for them, there is nothing they can do about it. The real power schools in the WCHA, however, can make this a big win by showing support for struggling existing teams and by encouraging other schools to get into college hockey.

Big win? I think I'd rather agree with Dean Blais who "doesn't see any positives" for the WCHA out of this. And Dean is the only person I've seen quoted so far that I can trust is going to say exactly what he believes. The rest of the prepared quotes from the other people came straight from a public relations firm.

The move has its critics, including Nebraska Omaha coach Dean Blais, a University of Minnesota alum who also coached North Dakota for 10 seasons. Blais questioned if the move would help Minnesota and Wisconsin and said he "doesn't see any positive" for the WCHA with the departures.

[ScottM]

This is about maintaining visibility, exposure, recruiting advantages, and staying a DI national power. It's also about aligning yourself with your institutional peers, or more specifically who you want to be considered as your institutional peers. I'm sorry, but staying in a NSIC/DII dominated league is not the way to achieve any of these goals. This is not about being a charitable organization. The BTHC killed the close-knit relationship amongst the college hockey community. UND needs to adapt to the new reality and sink or swim.

I tend to agree. The B10 schools have no "loyalty" to their current conferences, or to the game itself. College hockey will be treated like a red-headed stepchild under the B10, and the hockey schools will probably see little benefit from playing each other most of the season. I really doubt the revenues Minnesota and Wisco see from their hockey programs when their "rivals" play in Mariucci and Kohl will be replaced by a host of B!0 games or TV $$$. I can't imagine the B10 will subsidize hockey when the big money sports of football and bouncyball will demand more dollars over time.

IMHO, I'd rather UND look after its own interests, and if they mesh with other schools', so much the better. I see no reason to maintain any affiliation with a depleted WCHA.

[mikejm]

This is about maintaining visibility, exposure, recruiting advantages, and staying a DI national power. It's also about aligning yourself with your institutional peers, or more specifically who you want to be considered as your institutional peers. I'm sorry, but staying in a NSIC/DII dominated league is not the way to achieve any of these goals. This is not about being a charitable organization. The BTHC killed the close-knit relationship amongst the college hockey community. UND needs to adapt to the new reality and sink or swim.

This is college hockey we're talking about. There are only 58 teams. "Institutional peers" hardly matters.

Competitive peers at this point is the key, and the WCHA clearly is the top of the heap. Minnesota has become irrelevant competitively. Wisconsin is more stable, but I still am not hitting the panic button over this.

[The Sicatoka]

What's even funnier to me about this? Minnesota is not the "treasured M" in that conference. That belongs to Red's boys in Ann Arbor.

Here are your {insert year here} final BTHC standings:

1. Michigan
   
2. Minnesota/Wisconsin/Michigan State <- rotate order on yearly basis
   
3. Ohio State
   
4. Penn State
   

[Millsy]

I would not be so sure about Miami jumping over. I read somewhere this morning (I went looking for it to cite it) that Miami would probably have financial issues with traveling to WCHA barns. Right now, most of their conference games are bus trips up into Michigan. Joining the WCHA would require a lot of flights, and one of the things cited was the size of their arena, 3200 seats, limiting the amount of $$$ they can get in.

Also, the many of the remaining schools in the CCHA are in the MAC with Miami for their other sports.

[The Sicatoka]

Also, the many of the remaining schools in the CCHA are in the MAC with Miami for their other sports.

Actually, only three CCHA schools are MAC members.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Collegiate_Hockey_Association#Membership

[mizzou/sioux]

Didn't we face Wisco in Mens hoops this very year?

Yes, we did, at Madison. Plus, I believe our women's softball team is scheduled to play Bucky again in Madison this spring.