UND's New Hockey Conference

[krangodance]

There are more and more reports stating that four AHA schools, Robert Morris, Canisius, Niagara, and Mercyhurst are looking at sliding over to the CCHA, shifting that conference east and centering it around Lake Erie. That's all the more reason for NMU to leave. Lake Sup St could still live with that geography. Since Atlantic Hockey only allows 12 scholarships, that kind of move would be good for college hockey, as four more programs would be "all in".

CCHA:

Lake Sup St

Ferris St

Bowling Green

W Mich (maybe)

Mercyhurst

Robert Morris

Canisius

Niagara

UAHuntsville (hopefully)

Perhaps Grand Valley State could add hockey too, giving that league manageable divisions.

If Atlantic Hockey is down to 8 schools, they would have room to add Navy and Rhode Island, which have both been long rumored as possible additions. Except for RIT and AFA, Atlantic Hockey would then be an I-95 conference.

Sounds like there's a lot of opportunity for growth in the sport. Hopefully some of these things come to be because I think we can all agree that more college hockey teams is a great thing.

If college hockey grows as a result of this shake up I'll gladly eat crow for being one of those stating that the BTHC would negatively impact the future of college hockey.

[krangodance]

And a lot of UND fans are blaming UM and UW when in reality they had no choice, while UND DID have a choice. I have NO problem at all with UND's decision but they certainly had a choice unlike UM and UW.

Ha! Welcome to reality.

It's well documented that UW was leading the drive in the creation of the BTHC and UM certainly is allowed to think for themselves.

Nobody's buying the "they had not choice" argument.

I don't care anymore though. I think the future is bright for college hockey <knock on wood>.

[krangodance]

Certainly isn't UMNs fault that Penn State started a program that made this thing a go from the start. Anyway, pointing fingers does nothing. I'm missing Bison-Sioux football games, I hope the same doesn't happen to Gophers-Sioux hockey.

If both of these conferences stay at six members then I'm confident that the Gopher-Sioux rivalry can survive. 16 non-conference games (eight series) is a lot.

If either conference grows it will be tougher to keep that rivalry going but I'd be surprised if they didn't meet up in the regular season at least every other year and certainly often in the post season.

[The Sicatoka]

I don't think they can force a team to move from an established conference to a new conference of their creation by force, but again, if you can provide that from the Big Ten bylaws it would be helpful.

Providing the by-laws might show that UMTC and UW might have been able to change or get an exemption to the Big Ten "if six play we play Big Ten" rule ... but they didn't.

[buckysieve]

Ha! Welcome to reality.

It's well documented that UW was leading the drive in the creation of the BTHC and UM certainly is allowed to think for themselves.

Nobody's buying the "they had not choice" argument.

I don't care anymore though. I think the future is bright for college hockey <knock on wood>.

Reality? From a Sioux fan? Thats funny.

[Southernmn]

So if the Big Sky picks up hockey in a few years, UND will be obligated to drop out of the new conference and play hockey in the Big Sky or get kicked out in all sports?

I don't think they can force a team to move from an established conference to a new conference of their creation by force, but again, if you can provide that from the Big Ten bylaws it would be helpful.

The difference is the University of Minnesota is a member of the Big 10, not each individual sport.

The UND hockey program is (currently) a member of the WCHA, the football program is a member of the Big Sky, the University as a whole, is not aligned with any single organization.

[krangodance]

So if the Big Sky picks up hockey in a few years, UND will be obligated to drop out of the new conference and play hockey in the Big Sky or get kicked out in all sports?

Of course not. The Gopher argument on this matter is ridiculous.

Oh, and by the way, I'm fine with the BTHC now that it appears things are shaking out alright. I mean, if the formation of the BTHC ends up being a catalyst to UAH finding a home and other teams starting up hockey then GO BTHC! (well - I mean go and exist, I won't be rooting for those teams very often).

[krangodance]

Reality? From a Sioux fan? Thats funny.

You're saying that if somebody chooses to attend University at UND they will automatically lose touch with reality, regardless of any other aspect of his/her life.

Well in that case: All people who bowl on Tuesdays hate cilantro.

Sure, why not? As long as we're making illogical generalizations here.

The irony is you used a completely unrealistic comment to argue against a claim that you're out of touch with reality. Classic!

[almostheavenin2011]

I am sorry if I am bringing something up that has already been discussed but I really do not want to go through 27 pages to find out. I have been on vacation through all of this. My question is how good would it be for the new conference do play an interlocking schedule with the Big Ten with the games counting in each league? Wouldn't this be good for the college hockey game? Like one home series every other year between each team. I would like to see UND play Michigan, UW, UM and Michigan St.

[The Sicatoka]

I am sorry if I am bringing something up that has already been discussed but I really do not want to go through 27 pages to find out. I have been on vacation through all of this. My question is how good would it be for the new conference do play an interlocking schedule with the Big Ten with the games counting in each league? Wouldn't this be good for the college hockey game? Like one home series every other year between each team. I would like to see UND play Michigan, UW, UM and Michigan St.

You'd burn up just about all your space for non-conference games.

[TheEagle]

I don't blame Minnesota (or Wisconsin for that matter) for going to the Big 10. It sucks for us WCHA rubes, but why wouldn't they? It's in their best interests. More Wisconsin than Minnesota, but Minnesota has been made a ton of money from other Big 10 schools in football and basketball. It's about time they contribute. I never criticized them for leaving.

I don't blame UND for going to the NCHL. Again, it sucks for us WCHA rubes, but it was in their best interest--especially if Notre Dame joins.

I do think conferences will be aligned more properly with like-minded institutions--rather than situational convenience. As much as we like to talk about the history of the WCHA, it's changed a lot over the years. It will look a lot different going forward, but it currently looks a lot different than it did 35 years ago. I imagine it will stick around, and I think a conference with SCSU, Mankato, Bemidji, perhaps Moorhead, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Alaska-Fairbanks, and Alaska-Anchorage makes a lot of sense on a lot of different levels.

[jodcon]

Oh, and by the way, I'm fine with the BTHC now that it appears things are shaking out alright. I mean, if the formation of the BTHC ends up being a catalyst to UAH finding a home and other teams starting up hockey then GO BTHC! (well - I mean go and exist, I won't be rooting for those teams very often).

This whole shakeup could very well end up being a good thing in the long run, if the CCHA can keep going (I'm assuming the WCHA is on solid ground) and new teams are created by the openings the BTHC and the NCHC have created by their departures, it could be a plus down the road. If there would be enough new teams joining to put all the conferences at 8-10 teams, that would be great. Of course the Big Ten would have to get schools like Iowa, Illinois, or Indiana to jump in, but who knows...yesterday it was Penn State...tomorrow?

Some people scoff at schools like Moorhead testing the waters but now that we're at this point schools like that have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to jump into D1 hockey, and if we want college hockey to continue to flourish we need them to make the jump.

On the contrary side, if the CCHA goes belly-up and we end up losing a few teams over the next few years, these moves won't look as rosy.

[TheEagle]

Minnesota and UND fans are both to blame for flaming the other school. The only thing that bugs me are those Minnesota fans that try to act like UND made a bad move. I've heard everything from: they'll have a harder time recruiting (please), they won't get games against WCHA or BIG 10 schools (unlikely, teams will follow the money; assuming the nickname situation gets settled), the TV contract won't pan out (at worst, I see UND having the same type of TV deal they do know, but if the NCHL adds Notre Dame, all bets are off).

[dakota fairways]

I am sorry if I am bringing something up that has already been discussed but I really do not want to go through 27 pages to find out. I have been on vacation through all of this. My question is how good would it be for the new conference do play an interlocking schedule with the Big Ten with the games counting in each league? Wouldn't this be good for the college hockey game? Like one home series every other year between each team. I would like to see UND play Michigan, UW, UM and Michigan St.

The BTHC (Alvarez, I think it was, or maybe it was Delaney) has already said they are not willing to do that.

[GeauxSioux]

WCHA to Formally Accept Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan will be officially approved for membership in the WCHA next week, according to a statement released by the league today.

Executives from the five schools that will remain in the WCHA as of 2013-14, met today in Minnesota to discuss the leagues future. The decision on Northern Michigan came out of that, and follows NMU's Board of Trustees approval earlier in the week for such a move.

[yzerman19]

My perfect world:

BTHC:

UMN

UM

UW

PSU

MSU

OSU

NCHC:

UND

DU

CC

UMD

UNO

Miami

ND

W.Mich

WCHA:

SCSU

MSU-Mankato

MSU-Moorhead

BSU

UA-Anchorage

UA-Fairbanks

CCHA:

MTU

LSSU

N.Mich

Ferris St

BGSU

UAH

I know some people don't like the idea of both Alaska schools in the same conference but, geographically speaking, this makes the most sense. Plus it would be nice for those two schools to have two conference series within their own state every year, one series at home and one on the road.

Even if one of the Alaska schools were swapped with one of the CCHA schools in my break-out, that would be cool too. The thing I'd most like to see is keeping the WCHA and CCHA at six teams each. That way they'd each have a 20-game conference schedule, giving them 16 games to schedule outside of the conference. That many non-conference games will allow them to play at least a couple teams that they'll need to play in order to boost their PWR.

Two Alaska teams in the same conference makes zero sense...imagine having to make 2 trips up to Alaska in the same season...

[Sodbuster]

Faison is dreaming if he thinks that a national TV deal will put every Sioux game on television. Home games, yes. This is already the case. Away games? Perhaps some, but hardly all of them. The League may get a "Game of the Week" kind of deal, and one or two games every week may be on television (Eastern and Mountain time zones will help with possible double headers, but every Sioux game is not going to be on television. Maybe every league game. Maybe. Fox College Sports is the likely candidate to bite on a deal. Maybe it will be one of the obscure ESPN channels. Once the television networks crunch the numbers on audience size and ad revenues, reality will set in, at least on the perceived many television exposure claims regarding the new venture. The league will still need fans in the stands, and the best way to ensure that is to practice the old blackout game.

Wow, Faison has sure made a quick trip from the outhouse to the penthouse, eh? I wonder if Gino Gasperini still has the energy to pick up the Commissioner's role?

When you dream, dream big. (Never say never) Six years ago I would have never dreamed every Sioux home game would be televised either.

[almostheavenin2011]

The BTHC (Alvarez, I think it was, or maybe it was Delaney) has already said they are not willing to do that.

Thank you.

[jodcon]

Two Alaska teams in the same conference makes zero sense...imagine having to make 2 trips up to Alaska in the same season...

True but when you consider that UAA makes 8 or 9 trips down here every year it doesn't sound so bad. If you could play one team on a Sat and Sun and then stay in Alaska and play the other one the next Fri and Sat it would make sense, but then you'd have expenses for food and lodging plus schoolwork issues, so budget wise it would probably not be much better, but at least you could avoid that long trip twice.

It wouldn't totally surprise me if they ended up in the same conference with this shakeup, but either way it won't concern us joining the NCHC.

[IrishSiouxFan]

True but when you consider that UAA makes 8 or 9 trips down here every year it doesn't sound so bad. If you could play one team on a Sat and Sun and then stay in Alaska and play the other one the next Fri and Sat it would make sense, but then you'd have expenses for food and lodging plus schoolwork issues, so budget wise it would probably not be much better, but at least you could avoid that long trip twice.

It wouldn't totally surprise me if they ended up in the same conference with this shakeup, but either way it won't concern us joining the NCHC.

As crazy as it sounds, the Alaska schools would benefit the most if they could persuade 2 more Alaskan schools to add D1 hockey and a couple of Canadian schools. I realize that will never happen but it would be better on Anchorage and Fairbanks if something like that could happen.

[Runninwiththedogs]

True but when you consider that UAA makes 8 or 9 trips down here every year it doesn't sound so bad. If you could play one team on a Sat and Sun and then stay in Alaska and play the other one the next Fri and Sat it would make sense, but then you'd have expenses for food and lodging plus schoolwork issues, so budget wise it would probably not be much better, but at least you could avoid that long trip twice.

It wouldn't totally surprise me if they ended up in the same conference with this shakeup, but either way it won't concern us joining the NCHC.

The teams would have to receive NCAA exemptions to do so. Not saying they couldn't, but if UAA and UAF are already getting exemptions, is the NCAA going to want to give them to six more teams?

[jodcon]

The teams would have to receive NCAA exemptions to do so. Not saying they couldn't, but if UAA and UAF are already getting exemptions, is the NCAA going to want to give them to six more teams?

I didn't realize it was a big deal to do that, the way that basketball teams attend tournaments for a week at a time I thought it was more common, so maybe that's not an option after all. Sounded good though.

[Runninwiththedogs]

I didn't realize it was a big deal to do that, the way that basketball teams attend tournaments for a week at a time I thought it was more common, so maybe that's not an option after all. Sounded good though.

That's basketball, which makes the NCAA lots of monies! They could eat a baby before every game and the NCAA would be like wooo!

[UND92,96]

Interesting column in the St. Cloud Times today:

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110717/SPORTS04/107170005/DeLand-column-Huskies-left-only-questions?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Umbrella|s

[passit_offthegoalie]

Interesting column in the St. Cloud Times today:

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110717/SPORTS04/107170005/DeLand-column-Huskies-left-only-questions?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Umbrella|s

Good. The fact that they made Aaron Marvin the captain, last year, showed how serious they are as a program.

They should be happy to stay in the WCHA with their buddy, Bruce McLeod, and his ridiculous suspensions and the beer league refs.