Jump to content
SiouxSports.com Forum

College Hockey Expansion


cberkas

Recommended Posts

39 minutes ago, southpaw said:

Mankato applied, as did ASU.  Bowling Green was approached about applying but didn't.

Mankato scares me.  I think if Mankato left the wcha, it would really hurt bemidji and the stability of that league, which would be bad for college hockey.  Hope the nchc stays at 8 - if its not broken dont fix it.  That said, Mankato would be a great fit.

Not sure if BG is still looking into upgrading their rink, but jlg did a rendering for them.  http://jlgarchitects.com/projects/bowling-green-ice-arena?category=hockey

BG should probably go the Michigan Tech route and add suits and club seating on the end, given their poor attendance.  Looks like the jlg plan would turn bg's seating into a full bowl.  Can't see that happening.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 10:59 PM, cberkas said:

When I was in high school I played on a Midwest All-Star team that went to national type showcase tournaments.  On weekends we would get together for practices and would scrimmage the ISU club team.  We played a game against them at Hilton Coliseum circa 1990 or 1991.

I was recruited to go to ISU and play club hockey, a lot of guys I knew did go there to play.  The fact a bunch of high school kids were playing against and hanging with a college club team was enough to turn me off on the idea, just wasn't the level of hockey I aspired to.  Back then the internets did not exist and there was literally zero idea of what the pathway would be to college hockey when you grew up in Iowa.  I had the opportunity to play juniors but that idea was foreign enough to me that I opted to go to USD for football instead.

Long way of saying I played a game at Hilton back when it had ice.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 10:12 AM, southpaw said:

No, they won't receive reduced exit fees.  The exit fees were put in place because the NCHC saw how easily teams left the WCHA.  When you're starting a new conference, if there are some struggles early-on, you don't want teams looking for an easy exit.  WMU and Miami won't be leaving anytime soon.

Over the course of this season I have been to the Ralph, Mariucci, Compton Family Arena, and Lawson Arena on the WMU campus in Kalamazoo.  My first thoughts on entering the arena at WMU was that it had that old time hockey feel to it, that this would make a great Junior hockey arena.  Then I saw all the school logos hanging up and the NCHC banner.  At that point it hit me that WMU was in the NCHC.  How could that be possible?  No way this hockey program with this dumpy arena is in the NCHC.

My other take away from being there is that in order to start a D1 program it does not take a Taj Mahal of a facility.  A 3,000 to 5,000 seat hockey barn will work for D1 hockey.  Not all programs are the same and there are probably more D1 programs that play in hockey barns than in state of the art facilities like UND.  I imagine The Den at USD having an ice rink and that venue, as a hockey venue, would vault right to the top 1/4 of D1 hockey facilities in the country.  No ability to make ice there, done by design, so the issue never arises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, nodak651 said:

Mankato scares me.  I think if Mankato left the wcha, it would really hurt bemidji and the stability of that league, which would be bad for college hockey.  Hope the nchc stays at 8 - if its not broken dont fix it.  That said, Mankato would be a great fit.

Not sure if BG is still looking into upgrading their rink, but jlg did a rendering for them.  http://jlgarchitects.com/projects/bowling-green-ice-arena?category=hockey

BG should probably go the Michigan Tech route and add suits and club seating on the end, given their poor attendance.  Looks like the jlg plan would turn bg's seating into a full bowl.  Can't see that happening.

I have to say, this line of thinking really confuses me. No one really gave a damn about Bemidji and the stability of the WCHA 5 years ago. Why the concern now? 

Admittedly, as an MSU fan, I would love to see us go to the NCHC. It would revive our fan base and be much more entertaining. I was very against the conference re-alignments when they happened. I still think much of it was a huge mistake, but I came to realize that every school MUST think of what's best for themselves. There is too much money involved and that money is too centralized for any school to worry about anyone else.  The "good of college hockey" went out the window long ago. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, bale31 said:

I have to say, this line of thinking really confuses me. No one really gave a damn about Bemidji and the stability of the WCHA 5 years ago. Why the concern now? 

Admittedly, as an MSU fan, I would love to see us go to the NCHC. It would revive our fan base and be much more entertaining. I was very against the conference re-alignments when they happened. I still think much of it was a huge mistake, but I came to realize that every school MUST think of what's best for themselves. There is too much money involved and that money is too centralized for any school to worry about anyone else.  The "good of college hockey" went out the window long ago. 

Longer term, if Ariz St, UNLV and other western teams get in, the MAC schools will leave and probably Duluth and St Clown.  UND and Omaha would have to decide if they want to stay west, which I think they would.

Mankato and other could end up in a Norther Sun hockey league if more school like Mary and Minot start it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Longer term, if Ariz St, UNLV and other western teams get in, the MAC schools will leave and probably Duluth and St Clown.  UND and Omaha would have to decide if they want to stay west, which I think they would.

Mankato and other could end up in a Norther Sun hockey league if more school like Mary and Minot start it.

So now Duluth and St. Cloud are leaving the NCHC for a MAC hockey conference and another conference is going to start up too.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Longer term, if Ariz St, UNLV and other western teams get in, the MAC schools will leave and probably Duluth and St Clown.  UND and Omaha would have to decide if they want to stay west, which I think they would.

Mankato and other could end up in a Norther Sun hockey league if more school like Mary and Minot start it.

:blink:

WRONG!!!!!

Your "Big Sky to FBS via the WAC" theory has a better chance of happening than UND leaving SCSU and UMD to join any conference other than the Big Ten.  That's not saying much.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, cberkas said:

So now Duluth and St. Cloud are leaving the NCHC for a MAC hockey conference and another conference is going to start up too.

Well it is not happening today.  UND will leave the Big Sky because Denver and Omaha are important allies.  They will stick together.  Duluth, Mankato and St Cloud can join DI and not be left behind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Well it is not happening today.  UND will leave the Big Sky because Denver and Omaha are important allies.  They will stick together.

Yeah, that's why Omaha had the MVC come tour campus.  Wait!   That doesn't make sense...  Please tell us how UNO taking the time and resources to host a MVC tour really means that they would rather be in the Summit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, nodak651 said:

Yeah, that's why Omaha had the MVC come tour campus.  Wait!   That doesn't make sense...  Please tell us how UNO taking the time and resources to host a MVC tour really means that they would rather be in the Summit.

Never said that they are absolutely tied to the Summit.  Denver really pines for the WCC but won't get in until Gonzaga an BYU leave. The MVC has visited UMKC too and that visit went over like U N O visit did.   They both gave tours in a lead balloon apparently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/29/2018 at 6:41 PM, SIOUXFAN97 said:

what is taking the big pig10 so long to offer und an aff hockey membership...is kennedy holding out for 5 million a year?

My Gopher brother said that the Big7 is waiting to see if the NHL study gives enough money to Illinois to make a team. Personally I don't buy it. If the Big7 was going to make an offer it would have happened before we cut women's hockey. It would have given them leverage (we can save your women's program with Big money).

In any case I don't see why would would accept an affiliate membership. The pros just don't seem to balance out the cons. But who knows, it might be part of Kennedy's vision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Rebel_Sioux said:

My Gopher brother said that the Big7 is waiting to see if the NHL study gives enough money to Illinois to make a team. Personally I don't buy it. If the Big7 was going to make an offer it would have happened before we cut women's hockey. It would have given them leverage (we can save your women's program with Big money).

In any case I don't see why would would accept an affiliate membership. The pros just don't seem to balance out the cons. But who knows, it might be part of Kennedy's vision.

UND cutting women's hockey sent a statement to the B1Ghky in that we are not interested.  Another reason Faison was in favor of the WH cut,  he thinks of  the NCHC as his legacy? 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

UND cutting women's hockey sent a statement to the B1Ghky in that we are not interested.  Another reason Faison was in favor of the WH cut,  he thinks of  the NCHC as his legacy? 

Had more to do with costing $2 million then anything else.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

UND cutting women's hockey sent a statement to the B1Ghky in that we are not interested.  Another reason Faison was in favor of the WH cut,  he thinks of  the NCHC as his legacy? 

 

46 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Had more to do with costing $2 million then anything else.

I respnded to a ? about the  B1Ghky,

not the main reason why we gave up W hockey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

 

I respnded to a ? about the  B1Ghky,

not the main reason why we gave up W hockey.

UND wasn’t and isn’t going to get a thing from the B1G, no BTN money because of the Midco contract.

Cutting women’s hockey didn’t send a message to the B1G when only 4 B1G teams have a women’s hockey team. Even Frost said Minnesota was close to cutting women’s hockey if it wasn’t for a donor. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

Never said that they are absolutely tied to the Summit.  Denver really pines for the WCC but won't get in until Gonzaga an BYU leave. The MVC has visited UMKC too and that visit went over like U N O visit did.   They both gave tours in a lead balloon apparently.

Denver isn't getting into any other conference until they adjust their sports offerings. They would rather stick with what they have and be in the Summit than change. They made that clear when searching for a new conference and settling on the Summit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, cberkas said:

UND wasn’t and isn’t going to get a thing from the B1G, no BTN money because of the Midco contract.

Cutting women’s hockey didn’t send a message to the B1G when only 4 B1G teams have a women’s hockey team. Even Frost said Minnesota was close to cutting women’s hockey if it wasn’t for a donor. 

Usually many factors involved. We don't know if we were ever asked? Faison would of been against it.

In time, the B1Ghky will be the dominant hockey league in the west, not the NCHC. Taking UND out of the equation, their season average 7  hockey team  attendance is way above the other 7 team NCHC teams. People get a memory misfire when they stare at those playoff game pictures of the B1G, their changing that this spring to home games.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

Usually many factors involved. We don't know if we were ever asked? Faison would of been against it.

In time, the B1Ghky will be the dominant hockey league in the west, not the NCHC. Taking UND out of the equation, their season average 7  hockey team  attendance is way above the other 7 team NCHC teams. People get a memory misfire when they stare at those playoff game pictures of the B1G, their changing that this spring to home games.

People said that before the Big even came about, and while getting better, they are far from dominating.  It is also hard to judge attendance because butts in the seats is so out of line with paid attendance, and that goes for both leagues.  

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...