UND's New Hockey Conference

[jodcon]

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

Yeah I can't pin that on you even in jest.

I'll go to the box for 2 minutes and, you know, feel shame.

[IrishSiouxFan]

How ya doin lakes?

Ouch, that's definitely a low blow.

[Rick]

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

You might be on to something there jodcon. I believe I've seen some posts that indicates that The Sicatoka has some connections or possibly lives in the Fargo area. I think you should get a "post writing expert" to see if there are some similarities in their writings. You never know, he might even be Joe Chapman in disguise.

[The Sicatoka]

You never know, he might even be Joe Chapman in disguise.

That's just as low of a blow as the other.

[gjw007]

That's just as low of a blow as the other.

Not quite. Lakes presents a negative image for NDSU, UND, the state of North Dakota, and the state of Minnesota in that order. JBB is not far behind.

[star2city]

Sounds like the Nanooks may be headed for the WCHA: Fairbanks New-Miner

The UAF administration, though, has not formally applied for membership for the Nanooks in the WCHA, Bruce McLeod, WCHA commissioner, said Tuesday by telephone.

There has been communication, though.

“We’ve had a number of correspondences and some paperwork going back and forth,” McLeod said.

Karr also said he, UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers and Nanooks head hockey coach Dallas Ferguson have had phone conversations, exchanged emails and written letters to administrators in the WCHA and chancellors and presidents of its member schools.

The Nanooks are scheduled to be discussed today when conference and school officials from the remaining five WCHA teams and new member Northern Michigan conduct the conference call.

While the AHA schools may be waiting for Alaska to leave before they commit to the new CCHA:

GoErie: Mercyhurst, CCHA weigh options

Reports indicate Notre Dame is debating between the new NCHC and the tradition-rich Hockey East Association. Western Michigan has been linked to the NCHC, while reports have Alaska possibly joining the WCHA, which already has rival Alaska Anchorage as a member. That leaves the CCHA with Bowling Green, Ferris State and Lake Superior State.

And as Gotkin said, who knows what those schools will do? Yet a league with Bowling Green, Ferris State and Lake Superior State as the lone holdovers s till would be intriguing, especially regarding travel.

It's possible that the survival of the Bowling Green and Ferris State programs may hinge on the WCHA accepting Alaska.

[redwing77]

I think Star is right on.

It would not surprise me at all that, if UAF goes to the WCHA to see those three programs fold.

And as soon as they do, we can get on with our usual lives: Blaming UND for everything.

[star2city]

I think Star is right on.

It would not surprise me at all that, if UAF goes to the WCHA to see those three programs fold.

And as soon as they do, we can get on with our usual lives: Blaming UND for everything.

I actually had it the other way around: the AHA four (Niagara, Canisius, Robert Morris, and Mercyhurst) want Alaska out of the CCHA before they join. If Alaska stays, what remains of the CCHA may very well be screwed. With a new CCHA consisting of those four AHA schools plus Ferris and Bowling Green and even Lake State, the travel for the AHA four would be much less than all their bus trips to New England, where most of the AHA schools are.

Even though Alaska would almost certainly continue subsidizing travel, the AHA schools probably aren't real interested in gaining a couple of extra games. The travel connections and hassles from Buffalo or Erie to Fairbanks would be crazy.

The WCHA needs to do the right thing for the good of hockey and take Alaska.

[UND85]

An article from the St.Clown Times on the new conference Article

[GeauxSioux]

There’s no easy answers for St. Cloud State and many other programs. Let’s say they get an invitation to join the NCHC at some point.

NO!!!

From a competitive standpoint, the Huskies would be better off staying in the WCHA and getting more chances to play in the national tournament.

Yes, but you still need to win the games, Jan.

Nice sour grapes piece.

[star2city]

WMU conference announcement within weeks

Beauregard has stated all along that WMU

[Sioux-cia]

An article from the St.Clown Times on the new conference Article

In essence, what he's saying is, the new league is full of top-ranked hockey programs, the WCHA is full of cupcakes and SCSU can only be successful in a lower ranked league. Gotcha...

[star2city]

WCHA's McLeod to visit Fairbanks

McLeod’s visit to Interior Alaska is no guarantee that the Alaska Nanooks are going to join the same conference as their intrastate rivals, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. It is, though, an indication that UAF’s program, which is among 11 teams in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, is at least being considered for WCHA membership as NCAA Division I hockey is experiencing league changes that will take effect in the 2013-14 season.

According to information Thursday night from UAF athletic director Forrest Karr, the University of Alaska Fairbanks spent about $2.4 million last year on hockey operations. The total includes salaries, team travel, guarantees for incoming team travel, scholarships, equipment, facility rental and all other costs associated with the program.

[star2city]

UAH seeks hockey funding, conference

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - University of Alabama-Huntsville athletic director E.J. Brophy said it's "business as usual" in the hockey program's search for a Division I conference following an email last week from the team's most famous alumnus stating that "the existence of the program is greatly threatened."

Jared Ross, who played for the Chargers from 2001-05 before going on to play in the NHL, sent an email (printed below in its entirety) last Friday to more than 150 accounts seeking pledges to support the program. In the email, Ross stated that " ... the University of Alabama Systems is currently dealing with major budget cuts on the Huntsville campus and are very seriously looking at the possibility of completely demolishing Charger Hockey." It went on to say: " ... we must present to (UA Systems) that we have financial backing to keep the program running without the (university's) help and have a plan to sustain it in the future."

Appears that the new CCHA may require travel incentives to include UAH. That type money would likely have to be raised, otherwise the program might be dropped.

Months of conversations have not yet led to a conference invite, even while the Central Collegiate Hockey Association - which rejected a bid for UAH to join two years ago - remains in limbo after losing a handful of its member schools. The CCHA met Tuesday with representatives from four teams in the Atlantic Hockey Association to discuss expansion but has yet to offer UAH a similar opportunity.

Brophy, who said he speaks regularly with CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch, has been told that UA-Huntsville is next in line for that sort of formal discussion. When that time comes, Brophy knows what the main topic of discussion will be.

"The elephant in the room is always the distance," Brophy said. "Any time you're talking about either one of the Alaska schools or UAH, the distance is always a major, major factor. In Division I hockey in this country, there are clusters of schools that are close to one another. UAH and those Alaskan schools are not in that cluster."

The hockey program alumni probably realize that the UAH administration won't subsidize travel, unless that money is raised privately.

Letter requesting funds for the UAH hockey program:

I hope this email finds everyone doing well. To say that UAH Hockey is at a time of desperation is an understatement. For those of you that have not yet heard the news, the existence of the program is greatly threatened. To break it down fairly short, the University of Alabama Systems is currently dealing with major budget cuts on the Huntsville campus and are very seriously looking at the possibility of completely demolishing Charger Hockey. I apologize for reaching out to everyone with such bad news, but the time to act is now for it is not yet to late.

[Chewey]

UAH seeks hockey funding, conference

Appears that the new CCHA may require travel incentives to include UAH. That type money would likely have to be raised, otherwise the program might be dropped.

The hockey program alumni probably realize that the UAH administration won't subsidize travel, unless that money is raised privately.

Letter requesting funds for the UAH hockey program:

I'd sure hate to see UAH go the way of the dodo. They need to join the CCHA or even the WCHA - why not? That program has a fairly decent hockey history. I suppose some sort of travel subsidy would be in order for a time. I am thrilled that UAF will likely be part of the WCHA. I look forward to seeing them in Mankato. It only makes sense for them to be in the WCHA.

[Sioux-cia]

UAH seeks hockey funding, conference

I hope they make it. They've shown tenacity in the face of adversity and deserve a place in a conference!

[dakota fairways]

UAH seeks hockey funding, conference

Why don't they apply to the WCHA?

[star2city]

Why don't they apply to the WCHA?

The WCHA doesn't even want Lake Sup State (until after they know the status of Moorhead). It's highly unlikely that the WCHA would touch UAH, especially with one, or even two, Alaska schools.

If the AHA loses four schools, it might take UAH.

There more chatter that Notre Dame wants its own league, with WMU, BC, BU, UNH, and Maine. That would really change things up with Hockey East down to six schools.

[dakota fairways]

The WCHA doesn't even want Lake Sup State (until after they know the status of Moorhead). It's highly unlikely that the WCHA would touch UAH, especially with one, or even two, Alaska schools.

If the AHA loses four schools, it might take UAH.

There more chatter that Notre Dame wants its own league, with WMU, BC, BU, UNH, and Maine. That would really change things up with Hockey East down to six schools.

10 leagues with 6 or 7 teams would certainly open the landscape to add more programs as they develop. That would be great for growing the sport.

[Smoggy]

The WCHA doesn't even want Lake Sup State (until after they know the status of Moorhead). It's highly unlikely that the WCHA would touch UAH, especially with one, or even two, Alaska schools.

If the AHA loses four schools, it might take UAH.

There more chatter that Notre Dame wants its own league, with WMU, BC, BU, UNH, and Maine. That would really change things up with Hockey East down to six schools.

This has been my thinking all along. The delay in making a decision just shouldn't take this long unless they are trying to get other programs to join them.

[mikejm]

An article from the St.Clown Times on the new conference Article

This is a horribly-written article that says, essentially, nothing.

[krangodance]

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

Looks like you may not have to only imagine it: http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/2011/07/university-of-alaska-fairbanks-to-wcha.html?m=1

[star2city]

Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune: WCHA / CCHA had merger talks in Chicago

Discussions regarding a merger of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association were held Tuesday in Chicago.

Representatives of the two leagues met for "exploratory talks" about a merged 10-team league, CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch said Tuesday.

Been reported in some blogs, but thought the discussion was appropriate here. Hope a CCHA/WCHA merger doesn't happen, as then college hockey would essentially go back to having "full" conferences (especially if WMU / Notre Dame go to NCHC).

UAH and Moorhead would be frozen out of any leagues. It would be so much better for the growth of college hockey if the AHA "four" moved over to the CCHA.

Blog - College Hockey Shuffle

[Chewey]

Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune: WCHA / CCHA had merger talks in Chicago

Been reported in some blogs, but thought the discussion was appropriate here. Hope a CCHA/WCHA merger doesn't happen, as then college hockey would essentially go back to having "full" conferences (especially if WMU / Notre Dame go to NCHC).

UAH and Moorhead would be frozen out of any leagues. It would be so much better for the growth of college hockey if the AHA "four" moved over to the CCHA.

Blog - College Hockey Shuffle

By the wording, guess UND isn't counted by Motzko as a friend of St Cloud.

Yes, but does anyone want to be friends with St. Clown? It's like being friends with the drunken trailer trash a block away.

[Big A HG]

If Notre Dame is looking to form a new conference with eastern powers, and they succeed in doing so, the NCHC will have a big struggle with them to gain any national TV exposure. North Dakota is the biggest college hockey name in the NCHC, and Miami (OH) is the biggest national brand name in the NCHC (when you consider all sports). That'd be going up against some big time names in Notre Dame, BC, etc.

One way it could work together is if a network decided to do an early eastern game with a later western game.