UND's New Hockey Conference

[Sioux-cia]

Wow! The possible advantages for college hockey due to the Super League spinning off the WCHA (IMO) are just starting to come to light. I expect to see more positives as a result in the future. Wonder if UND will get the 'blame' for them as well?

[Goon]

Wow! The possible advantages for college hockey due to the Super League spinning off the WCHA (IMO) are just starting to come to light. I expect to see more positives as a result in the future. Wonder if UND will get the 'blame' for them as well?

Some buffoon suggested this week on my blog that we are responsible for LSSU's plight.

[Sioux-cia]

Some buffoon suggested this week on my blog that we are responsible for LSSU's plight.

Yeah, and Minnesota's budget problems are our fault, too. There aren't enough Sioux vs Minnesota team games in the state for Fighting Sioux fans to support their economy. Now that we may not be playing as many games in Minnesota as in the past look for more severe deficit problems in Minnesota in the future.

[The Sicatoka]

The "Fighting Sioux" moniker caused all of this, from social problems on the reservations to LSSU being SOL with the CCHA. It probably causes potholes and chronic halitosis too.

[star2city]

This is going to be huge. As we all know by now, Pegula doesn't mess around when it comes to getting things done. He got the ball rolling at Penn State and has single-handedly erased the "small-market mindset" of the Buffalo Sabres.

Canisius' campus is located in midtown Buffalo, right next to one of Buffalo's Metrorail stations. If done right, this arena could become a hub of activity........and host hockey games, basketball games, concerts, conferences, trade shows, and other popular events (in other words, become a smaller-scale version of BU's Agganis Arena). A state-of-the-art venue, backed by Pegula dollars, could inject life into Midtown Main Street, which is mostly devoid of activity compared to the thriving Elmwood Strip. It should also boost local interest in college hockey, in a city where the college brand has been largely an afterthought. As much as I hate to say it, Canisius could be a sleeping giant in college hockey. I never thought I'd ever utter those words in my lifetime, but with Pegula providing financial backing for facility upgrades, anything is possible.

From a Niagara board, sounds like Terry Pegula may match up to $15 mill in Canisus donations. The Lake Sup State and even Ferris fans may moan about the potential new teams in the CCHA, but in the end the CCHA has a chance to prosper with new teams in Erie, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo.

How would RIT respond to four Atlantic Hockey teams moving over to the CCHA? RIT is a huge school to be in the DIII ranks. Any chance it would move to DI?

[The Sicatoka]

How would RIT respond to four Atlantic Hockey teams moving over to the CCHA? RIT is a huge school to be in the DIII ranks. Any chance it would move to DI?

I'm assuming you mean "all sports", not just hockey.

[IronFist]

From a Niagara board, sounds like Terry Pegula may match up $15 -20 mill in Canisus donations. The Lake Sup State and even Ferris fans may moan about the potential new teams in the CCHA, but in the end the CCHA has a chance to prosper with new teams in Erie, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo.

How would RIT respond to four Atlantic Hockey teams moving over to the CCHA? RIT is a huge school to be in the DIII ranks. Any chance it would move to DI?

NU/CC/MC/RMU switching conferences would have its pros and its cons from an RIT standpoint. The biggest advantage, obviously, would be having a much better shot at winning an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament. As we are unable to offer scholarships, we are currently at an inherent disadvantage vis-a-vis those four "AHA West" schools. Among the downsides would be: the loss of nearby conference rivals, an even crappier league schedule, and an increased possibility of the AHA moving its championship game and semifinals away from Rochester. For now, RIT's administrators seem to be waiting it out until Notre Dame reveals its hand. The best-case scenario would be for Notre Dame to head to Hockey East and take an ECAC team with them (RPI? QU?). This would open up a spot in the ECAC, which is RIT's dream destination. We would be a great fit in the ECAC, both institutionally and on the ice. We have a lot in common with the other non-Ivy, NYS-based members. Most of our sports will be playing in the Liberty League with St. Lawrence, Clarkson, RPI, and Union......so there's already some common ground between RIT and a few ECAC members. Also, our inability to offer scholarships wouldn't be much of an impediment because we wouldn't be the only school with this disadvantage. Personally, I could live with RIT playing in the ECAC or AHA. In the latter case, we would be a big fish in a small pond (along with Air Force). The CCHA wouldn't be our best option because of scholarship and travel concerns (especially if UAF discontinues providing travel subsidies).

There have been talks about RIT moving up to D1 in all sports, though I haven't heard anything lately. This move, if it were to happen, would likely coincide with the completion of our new arena. RIT at the very least wants to move its women's hockey program up to D1 (if the NCAA allows for it). The Lady Tigers played for the D3 national championship last season. Personally, I would love to see RIT go D1 in all sports and take on the best of the best in men's lacrosse. That is another sport in which we could be competitive from the get-go. Our D3 team was ranked #1 for a good part of last season and was one win away from playing at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

[star2city]

NU/CC/MC/RMU switching conferences would have its pros and its cons from an RIT standpoint. The biggest advantage, obviously, would be having a much better shot at winning an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament. As we are unable to offer scholarships, we are currently at an inherent disadvantage vis-a-vis those four "AHA West" schools. Among the downsides would be: the loss of nearby conference rivals, an even crappier league schedule, and an increased possibility of the AHA moving its championship game and semifinals away from Rochester. For now, RIT's administrators seem to be waiting it out until Notre Dame reveals its hand. The best-case scenario would be for Notre Dame to head to Hockey East and take an ECAC team (like RPI or QU) with them. This would open up a spot in the ECAC, which is RIT's dream destination. We would be a great fit in the ECAC, both institutionally and on the ice. We have a lot in common with the other non-Ivy, NYS-based members. Most of our sports will be playing in the Liberty League with St. Lawrence, Clarkson, RPI, and Union......so there's already some common ground between RIT and a few ECAC members. Also, our inability to offer scholarships wouldn't be much of an impediment because we wouldn't be the only school with this inherent disadvantage. A new, 3-4k arena is in the works for us. We may not have Pegula's financial backing, but we have raised a bit of cash towards this end. Personally, I could live with RIT playing in the ECAC or AHA. The CCHA wouldn't be our best option because of scholarship and travel concerns (especially if UAF decides to discontinue its reimbursement policy).

There have been talks about RIT moving up to D1 in all sports. This move would likely coincide with the completion of our new arena. RIT at the very least wants to move its women's hockey program up to the D1 level (if the NCAA allows for it). The Lady Tigers played for the D3 national championship last season. Personally, I would love to see RIT go D1 in all sports and take on the best of the best in men's lacrosse. That is another sport in which we could be competitive from the get-go. Our D3 team was ranked #1 for a good part of last season and was one win away from playing at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Good info!

Any chance that Syracuse could take the men's hockey plunge, join with Notre Dame and take a Hockey East offer? However much RPI or Qunnipiac would love to tag team with Notre Dame, just can't see Notre Dame going that direction without a another name school (like UConn).

Hopefully, openings are created for college hockey to grow. What are the chances that Rhode Island and/or Navy join Atlantic Hockey.

A new CCHA may finally give some other Michigan DII's, like Grand Valley and Saginaw Valley, a conference opening they've never had before.

[IronFist]

Good info!

Any chance that Syracuse could take the men's hockey plunge, join with Notre Dame and take a Hockey East offer? However much RPI or Qunnipiac would love to tag team with Notre Dame, just can't see Notre Dame going that direction without a another name school (like UConn).

Hopefully, openings are created for college hockey to grow. What are the chances that Rhode Island and/or Navy join Atlantic Hockey.

A new CCHA may finally give some other Michigan DII's, like Grand Valley and Saginaw Valley, a conference opening they've never had before.

Regarding Syracuse, I'll repost what I wrote on Niagara's forum a while back.......

"As for Syracuse adding a men's hockey program, there have been rumors, but I'm not getting my hopes up about PSU being the impetus that will get the ball rolling at SU. The women's hockey program was started to fulfill Title IX requirements......no more, no less. Adding a men's squad would require scholarships (unless they wanted to half-ass it like UConn has been doing), adding another women's sport, and having an adequate arena. The 350-seat Tennety Ice Skating Pavilion is too small for D1 men's hockey, even per AHA standards, and the dumpy War Memorial is too far off-campus and wouldn't have scheduling priority. SU has been spending money on upgrading facilities like the Manley Field House, and in another decade or two, they will likely need to replace the aging Carrier Dome. With these upcoming capital expenditures, they probably won't have the funds to build a state-of-the-art arena suitable for big-time men's ice hockey. They decided to drop their swimming and diving programs after concluding that these programs would require a new complex that the university did not want to spend $30+ million on. For comparison's sake, $30 million is roughly how much RIT's new hockey arena is projected to cost. Based on UConn's lack of success, hockey at a "name brand" school isn't automatically a smashing hit. In UConn's case, it has been an utter disaster both on and off the ice. They are one of the worst programs in D1, have no fan support, and between their men's and women's programs have been operating deep in the red. As with UConn, a hockey team at SU would be competing with the most popular sport on campus, men's basketball. Everything considered, I don't see SU adding D1 hockey unless they a) receive a massive donation similar to the one that PSU received from Terry Pegula, and b) were guaranteed immediate inclusion into the Hockey East. And even then, it wouldn't be a tap-in putt. The best they can hope for is the construction of an on-campus basketball arena in the future, that would double as a hockey arena similar to the Mullins Center at UMass."

"I don't see SU even considering men's ice hockey unless Notre Dame and Providence helped create a Big East Hockey Conference.......and even then, it wouldn't be a slam dunk. At this time, I don't see BC agreeing to play in a Big East Hockey Conference that would presumably include UConn. However, a few years from now, BC's opinion may change. Let me explain. The Big East's current television contract, which is a joke, expires in 2013. From what I've read, there is a good chance that the BE will secure better terms than the ACC did last year. When the ACC and ESPN reached a 12-year deal that netted each school $13M/yr., everyone thought that the ACC got a really good deal. This isn't the case anymore. If the Big East were to top the ACC's deal (or if they established a lucrative network of their own, using the Big Ten's model), one of BC's primary incentives for playing in the ACC is removed. At that point, I could very well see them heading back to the Big East, in spite of there being leftover grudges from the 2003 raid. With BC in the fold, a BEHC would have enough sex appeal as a secondary sport, a la Big East lax. But like I said, the very earliest I could see a BEHC forming is 2013-14. And SU won't even consider men's ice hockey until then, if they consider it at all. There's just not enough money to be made when you consider the costs. That's the bottom line, and Doc Gross knows this."

As you can see, I tend to write long-winded posts over there

I haven't heard much about Navy or URI. From what I understand, Navy does have an on-campus rink in which their club hockey team plays. It holds about 1,000 and is expandable according to one poster on USCHO's forum. They would be a great addition to the AHA, despite being a bit of a geographical outlier. Air Force, Army, and Navy all playing in the same conference would be an awesome setup. Based on Frank Serratore's recent interview, it appears as though Air Force is committed to Atlantic Hockey for the time being.

[GeauxSioux]

SCSU hockey program leaders, fans hopeful for strong future despite conference changes

I once heard that Boston College and Boston U were asked and rejected the offer. Later I heard that wasn't true. So is he talking about?

[GeauxSioux]

Big announcement coming tomorrow from WMU .... Wow Western

I'm thinking it is conference related. I doubt you would put out such a production for a new coach being named??

Guesses on what it is.... Some Guesses on What Western Michigan’s Big Announcement Is

I like this one....

To get into the NCHC, they’re changing the school name to the University of North Dakota at Kalamazoo.

Edited July 25, 2011 by GeauxSioux

[PhillySioux]

Big announcement coming tomorrow from WMU .... Wow Western

I'm thinking it is conference related. I doubt you would put out such a production for a new coach being named??

Guesses on what it is.... Some Guesses on What Western Michigan’s Big Announcement Is

I like this one....

Coaching Announcement

Ron Rolston?

[Fighting Sioux Fan]

To get into the NCHC, they

[MissSioux85]

Big announcement coming tomorrow from WMU .... Wow Western

I'm thinking it is conference related. I doubt you would put out such a production for a new coach being named??

Via Schlossman on twitter

Expect Western Michigan to name Andy Murray as head coach tomorrow.

That's a big name for Western. Murray coached 10 years in NHL with LA Kings and St. Louis Blues.

[Cratter]

That would work out perfect with the timing of them joining The National. They need a top notch coach to compete with the boys of the Super Conference!

[farce poobah]

That would work out perfect with the timing of them joining The National. They need a top notch coach to compete with the boys of the Super Conference!

That plus its not conceivable that Andy Murray would take a job coaching a team destined for the remnants of the CCHA.

[GeauxSioux]

The WCHA blaming UND continues....

A big part of the problem is that college hockey is too busy fighting and scheming against itself these days to even worry about fighting against the CHL. Why should JT Miller or Connor Murphy think playing in the WCHA or CCHA for the next two years is worth their time when their own schools made it pretty clear that those conferences aren't good enough? Even College Hockey Inc., which was designed to help present a unified message for college hockey, has been neutralized this summer, since they work directly under college hockey's conference commissioners, and thus have had to keep fairly quiet on the current reorganization. It's another instance of North Dakota thinking they could do things better on their own, and, at least initially, being wrong, and another consequence to the sport that was apparently overlooked in the 20 minutes of planning that went into the Secondary Six.

The Long Summer Continues

[Just Curious]

The WCHA blaming UND continues....

The Long Summer Continues

The guy that writes this blog is a joke though! He takes every chance he can to insult UND. He continually uses the Secondary Six names instead of the chosen conference name. While he gives some good info from time to time, he likes to paint the picture with UND always being the bad guy! There are 6 teams in the new conference, and yet UND is the only one to blame?

[PhillySioux]

The WCHA blaming UND continues....

The Long Summer Continues

First of all, no one with a brain thinks that but for the NCHC, JT Miller would be a Sioux.

An interesting take from the comment section of the piece though.....

USA Hockey

The # 1 supplier of Americans to the CHL/Major Junior is USA Hockey

[jodcon]

The WCHA blaming UND continues....

The Long Summer Continues

Bitter much?

Like I said before, you can't take anything this guy says seriously because it's all going to be anti-NCHC from here on out, and everything that happens is going to be spun into a "it happened because they left the WCHA " story. His premise that Miller decided not to come to UND because UND is leaving the WCHA in 2 years is moronic...the NCHC will be a top conference in college hockey.

As far as him thinking he's cute with his "Secondary Six" nickname, what would he label the 5 teams that will be staying in the WCHA after the NCHC/BTHC teams leave? The Futile Five? Have some respect for your conference and concentrate on what they need to do rather than constantly pointing a sour finger at everybody else, it's history.

[Goon]

It's another instance of North Dakota thinking they could do things better on their own, and, at least initially, being wrong, and another consequence to the sport that was apparently overlooked in the 20 minutes of planning that went into the Secondary Six.

A big part of the problem is that college hockey is too busy fighting and scheming against itself these days to even worry about fighting against the CHL. Why should JT Miller or Connor Murphy think playing in the WCHA or CCHA for the next two years is worth their time when their own schools made it pretty clear that those conferences aren't good enough? Even College Hockey Inc., which was designed to help present a unified message for college hockey, has been neutralized this summer, since they work directly under college hockey's conference commissioners, and thus have had to keep fairly quiet on the current reorganization. It's another instance of North Dakota thinking they could do things better on their own, and, at least initially, being wrong, and another consequence to the sport that was apparently overlooked in the 20 minutes of planning that went into the Secondary Six.

This summer has been a strange and sad juxtaposition of two competing leagues that both wanted to get more serious about their image and their brand. In college hockey, that meant a group of teams conspiring and holding a self-congratulatory press conference to say that they were better than the rest of college hockey, and ultimately, did more to sell the virtues of some old hotel in Colorado than it did to sell the game of college hockey, while in the OHL, particularly in their western division, it meant doubling their efforts to acquire the best players available. One of those strategies seems to have really worked well. The other, not so much.

This has to be one of the silliest things I have ever read, now Chris is blaming UND for the rest of the problems in college hockey?

[The Sicatoka]

His premise that Miller decided not to come to UND because UND is leaving the WCHA in 2 years is moronic...

... because there's no guarantee a first-round draft pick will stay in college more than two years to begin with.

[The Sicatoka]

This has to be one of the silliest things I have ever read, now Chris is blaming UND for the rest of the problems in college hockey?

See all the bad things the Fighting Sioux moniker causes.

[jodcon]

See all the bad things the Fighting Sioux moniker causes.

How ya doin lakes?

[The Sicatoka]

How ya doin lakes?

You can call me a lot of bad things, but you need to take that one back.