UND's New Hockey Conference

[star2city]

We obviously don't want to sit with a 6 team conference for too long. We've speculated about all the Western schools, but is there any way that any or all of the four Atlantic Hockey schools that looked into jumping to the CCHA (Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Robert Morris) might move to the NCHC now that the CCHA is all but gone? And for that matter, would we want them? On the positive side, they seem eager to spend more on hockey.

The problem with those four schools is that none of them have a rink with seating of more than around 2000 people. To gain CCHA entrance, Niagara would expand their rink to include seating on two sides, but it still wouldn't be large. Canisius doesn't have it's own rink (it plays at Buffalo State, a DIII school), but Terry Pegula and the Buffalo Sabres may help finance one on campus. Those four AHA schools have facilities that would have fit in decently with BGSU, WMU, Ferris, and LSSU's, but not with the NCHC schools.

The NCHC should be in larger Great Lakes markets like Buffalo and Detroit: fans at major public universities in those cities like SUNY-Buffalo and Oakland have been clamoring to add hockey, but it never seems to happen.

[star2city]

Just to make sure I have an understanding of what is going on with St. Cloud....They thought they were going to be involved in the talks for the new conference talks which they would have turned down anyway, so now they are campaigning to be invited again so they can officially turn it down?

Exactly. Further documentation that St. Cloud officials are the king of doublespeak and hypocrisy.

[dagies]

Remaining upright is an adventure for many, no matter the surface.

That's why they cancelled homecoming at SCSU.

[Goon]

That's why they cancelled homecoming at SCSU.

SCSU is a school that oozes mediocrity, only a second rate school would cancel home coming. I wouldn

[Blackheart]

Why get over the 20 idiots it adds to the stupidity of going to a game there.

Yup, 20.protesters...and at least 3 of them had to miss work to do so...

[star2city]

The WCHA's membership offers to WMU and Bowling Green expire next week.

Bowling Green Still mulling WCHA

Bowling Green in the WCHA doesn't help BGSU much from a perception issue with its fans (the new WCHA is a GLIAC/N Sun hybrid), unless the WCHA also includes WMU and the AHA-4. What Bowling Green seems to from the WCHA is room for up to 16 schools and two divisions. In the best of all worlds, BGSU would save the CCHA and it's autobid, but can't control what happens to WMU.

That leads to speculation the WCHA and the CCHA could be talking with four Atlantic Hockey schools - Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Robert Morris - about joining the WCHA.

The CCHA and the four Atlantic Hockey schools first met July 26 to discuss future options for both sides.

Alabama-Huntsville, an independent, also may be involved in the talks. The Chargers were turned down for CCHA membership in 2009.

"I'm not ready to completely shut the doors on the CCHA," Christopher said.

For BGSU, a league of BGSU, WMU, UAH, and the AHA-4 makes the most sense, but WMU probably prefers the WCHA if they don't get in the NCHC. Without WMU, a six team league with UAH is too risky for BGSU.

[IrishSiouxFan]

I think Notre Dame got wind of the possibility of Texas A&M moving to the SEC and all the realignment aftermath that comes with it and that's why they haven't made a commitment to a conference. If the super conferences come to fruition they will most likely have no other choice other than to join the Big 10 and would end up playing hockey in that conference. I think that due to Baylor and other Big 12 schools blocking A&M that Notre Dame will not choose a conference until next summer. Just my opinion, I could be totally wrong.

[star2city]

I think Notre Dame got wind of the possibility of Texas A&M moving to the SEC and all the realignment aftermath that comes with it and that's why they haven't made a commitment to a conference. If the super conferences come to fruition they will most likely have no other choice other than to join the Big 10 and would end up playing hockey in that conference. I think that due to Baylor and other Big 12 schools blocking A&M that Notre Dame will not choose a conference until next summer. Just my opinion, I could be totally wrong.

The latest rumors on that are crazy: OU and Okla St to the PAC12, Texas, Texas Tech and ND to the ACC, and Kansas/KSU/Missouri/Iowa St to the Big East. With all the threats of lawsuits, who knows when this will be resolved.

[GeauxSioux]

For lack of a better place to ask this question, has anyone heard any info about Rhode Island taking their hockey program to Division I? I was reading their board a while back where some of the fans were knocking the idea around.

[SIOUXFAN97]

why in the world would the big east want a school like iowa state?

[PhillySioux]

why in the world would the big east want a school like iowa state?

What exactly does "a school like Iowa St" mean?

[SIOUXFAN97]

What exactly does "a school like Iowa St" mean?

a remote school that is known mosty for their wrestling program?

[PhillySioux]

a remote school that is known mosty for their wrestling program?

I can't argue about geography. But football wise, the BigEast can use all the help it can get.

[Goon]

The WCHA's membership offers to WMU and Bowling Green expire next week.

Bowling Green Still mulling WCHA

Bowling Green in the WCHA doesn't help BGSU much from a perception issue with its fans (the new WCHA is a GLIAC/N Sun hybrid), unless the WCHA also includes WMU and the AHA-4. What Bowling Green seems to from the WCHA is room for up to 16 schools and two divisions. In the best of all worlds, BGSU would save the CCHA and it's autobid, but can't control what happens to WMU.

For BGSU, a league of BGSU, WMU, UAH, and the AHA-4 makes the most sense, but WMU probably prefers the WCHA if they don't get in the NCHC. Without WMU, a six team league with UAH is too risky for BGSU.

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I don't want to see SCSU in the NCHC.

Notre Dame still hasn't announced what league it will join or if it will become an independent, but it is not returning to the CCHA. If the Fighting Irish join a league, they most likely would move to the NCHC or Hockey East.

In addition to ND, the most-mentioned schools to round out an eight-team NCHC are St. Cloud of the WCHA, and BG and Western.

BG and Western are the only CCHA schools left for the 2013-14 season when all of college hockey's realignment takes affect.

[dakotadan]

Seriously, do we need to pull a lakesbison and start an email campaign to keep a school out of our league?

[SIOUXFAN97]

Seriously, do we need to pull a lakesbison and start an email campaign to keep a school out of our league?

yes

[star2city]

For lack of a better place to ask this question, has anyone heard any info about Rhode Island taking their hockey program to Division I? I was reading their board a while back where some of the fans were knocking the idea around.

There's been speculation that URI dropped scholarships in football (from 63 to 40 by dropping from the CAA to the NEC), so that it could afford to add men' and women's hockey. More likely, URI just needed to save money and deal with Title IX issues. If URI started hockey, it would be in the AHA, as its small rink doesn't meet Hockey East standards and the AHA only allows 12 scholarships.

But if URI is interested, that's all the more reason that the western AHA-4 need to leave, giving room for the AHA to add URI, and maybe even Navy and Liberty (two other schools with long-time rumors).

[star2city]

why in the world would the big east want a school like iowa state?

Iowa State is an AAU school, and actually does very well from a ticket-selling perspective, not only at home but for bowl games. The Big 10 isn't interested in Iowa State because it already has the state of Iowa covered with Iowa.

For the Big East, Iowa State would be a bridge between Illinois (DePaul) and Kansas (KU / KSU). But now with Pitt and Syracuse and probably Notre Dame leaving the Big East, the Big East itself is in trouble.

[star2city]

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I don't want to see SCSU in the NCHC.

According to some St Cloud posters on USCHO, SCSU's Potter will know this coming week whether SCSU is in the NCHC.

NCHC either adds Notre Dame and stays at seven (a Notre Dame demand)

or adds WMU and SCSU. Bowling Green gets left out.

[dakota fairways]

According to some St Cloud posters on USCHO, SCSU's Potter will know this coming week whether SCSU is in the NCHC.

NCHC either adds Notre Dame and stays at seven (a Notre Dame demand)

or adds WMU and SCSU. Bowling Green gets left out.

FAIL.

Certainly hope that BG is added over SCSU. Make it a National Conference as the name says, not WCHA-II.

[gjw007]

FAIL.

Certainly hope that BG is added over SCSU. Make it a National Conference as the name says, not WCHA-II.

Agreed. SCSU made its bed, it needs to learn to live with it. If it becomes a 6 former WCHA teams plus Miami, then why even split from the WCHA?

[Redneksioux]

According to some St Cloud posters on USCHO, SCSU's Potter will know this coming week whether SCSU is in the NCHC.

NCHC either adds Notre Dame and stays at seven (a Notre Dame demand)

or adds WMU and SCSU. Bowling Green gets left out.

What happened to st cloud having no interest in the nchc?

[IrishSiouxFan]

There are several teams I would rather see join the NCHC before St. Cloud. Surely the NCHC isn't serious about picking SCSU over Bowling Green, at least BGSU adds a national championship to the NCHC's record not to a mention a bigger name and better academics.

[Homeguy]

Agreed. SCSU made its bed, it needs to learn to live with it. If it becomes a 6 former WCHA teams plus Miami, then why even split from the WCHA?

That's the big question isn't it. Why form the NCHC with no league TV deal and a conference playoff structure that made money for everyone? What was the rush? Why not wait until you had everything in place? Seems like some large egos were exposed here. Notre Dame kicked this off when it was afraid of being left in the CCHA and sponsored a clandestine meeting with the present NCHC schools, enticing them to leave the WCHA. Now Notre Dame is playing the NCHC against the eastern conferences for some special terms. They are also caught up in the super conference realignment trying to stay independent or get a special deal with the Big Ten. It would be nice if this works out for UND and college hockey but I don't see were anything has been gained.

[Snake]

Agreed. SCSU made its bed, it needs to learn to live with it. If it becomes a 6 former WCHA teams plus Miami, then why even split from the WCHA?

Again, this isn't just about getting the "power" and "like-minded" schools together...it's also about getting strong leadership that was non-existent in the current WCHA.