College Hockey Expansion

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

16 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

This bait and switch crap is unacceptable. They promise these kids that they'll pay for their college education if they choose them over the NCAA and when it is time to make good on it, the kids are told "Well, it just doesn't work that way here". This is the best argument for the NCAA over CHL.

ACHA should start allowing CHL alum to play, it'll raise the competition level in their league and give CHL players more options. 

[cberkas]

8 hours ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

ACHA should start allowing CHL alum to play, it'll raise the competition level in their league and give CHL players more options. 

I think they can.

[cberkas]

Louisville had a meeting to look at adding NCAA D1 hockey. Also sounds like there is a group that is willing to build Louisville a hockey arena.

Louisville can play at KFC Yum! Center where they also play basketball, but have to bring in temporary ice making equipment because their is no permanent system installed.

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2018/07/10/university-louisville-ice-hockey-campus/769693002/

Quote

“I don’t see it happening for quite a while,” Kentucky’s hockey club coach Tim Pergram said Tuesday. “You’d have to have a rink. You’d have to have a conference you play in. It’s very expensive. We don’t have the facilities to have an NCAA scholarship program.”

Now Rupp Arena has ice making ability and has had hockey games there. So Kentucky has an upper hand at starting a hockey program. 

If either Louisville or Kentucky added hockey that would be something the NCHC would explore to add either or both teams to make Miami and Western Michigan happier. This is still a long way from happening so we can just speculate.

[HockeyFan31]

Those are some interesting names to consider adding D1 hockey.

I do agree, they'd be interesting adds to the NCHC, though.

[SiouxVolley]

On 7/11/2018 at 9:28 AM, cberkas said:

Louisville had a meeting to look at adding NCAA D1 hockey. Also sounds like there is a group that is willing to build Louisville a hockey arena.

Louisville can play at KFC Yum! Center where they also play basketball, but have to bring in temporary ice making equipment because their is no permanent system installed.

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2018/07/10/university-louisville-ice-hockey-campus/769693002/

Now Rupp Arena has ice making ability and has had hockey games there. So Kentucky has an upper hand at starting a hockey program. 

If either Louisville or Kentucky added hockey that would be something the NCHC would explore to add either or both teams to make Miami and Western Michigan happier. This is still a long way from happening so we can just speculate.

On a NHL board, someone said there was a group that badly wanted an NHL team in Louisville.  College hockey would be much less expensive, even if they have to build an arena.  YUM Arena is way too big for college hockey.

[ArchyAlum11]

28 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

On a NHL board, someone said there was a group that badly wanted an NHL team in Louisville.  College hockey would be much less expensive, even if they have to build an arena.  YUM Arena is way too big for college hockey.

Great then the NCHC can be just as geographically spread out as the WCHA. I mean don't get me wrong its cool that more schools are interested though I worry about college hockey become too much like college basketball. But still, UND just switched conferences in all the other sports to decrease costs, adding Louisville would only up travel costs for the league as a whole.

[cberkas]

11 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

On a NHL board, someone said there was a group that badly wanted an NHL team in Louisville.  College hockey would be much less expensive, even if they have to build an arena.  YUM Arena is way too big for college hockey.

KFC YUM! Arena can hold hockey until a smaller arena is built by the group willing to build the school  hockey arena. 

[MafiaMan]

1 hour ago, cberkas said:

KFC YUM! Arena can hold hockey until a smaller arena is built by the group willing to build the school  hockey arena. 

I am personally opposed to playing hockey in any venue called the KFC Yum! Center.

[Blackheart]

15 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

I am personally opposed to playing hockey in any venue called the KFC Yum! Center.

That’s ok...your eligibility is used up anyway.;)

[SiouxVolley]

Looks like the Louisville hockey group was trying to get a meeting with U of Louisville for six months.  Their old AD Jurich and others had bigger, even criminal cases, to be concerned with.  The Iceland arena complex, where is current club team plays, has had serious money problems due to an embezzlement case.

http://www.wave3.com/story/37527462/goal-oriented-uofl-ice-hockey-aims-to-reach-division-i-status

[SiouxVolley]

13 hours ago, cberkas said:

KFC YUM! Arena can hold hockey until a smaller arena is built by the group willing to build the school  hockey arena. 

Schottenstein is a mighty vacant arena with tons of personality during Ohio St games.  Columbus fans can’t get enough.

[MafiaMan]

Heard thru the grapevine that Rick Pitino will head U of L's efforts in recruiting puck bunnies to campus...

[SiouxVolley]

Cal State Bakersfield is starting an ACHA Div 2 team.  Bakersfield has an AHL team that has an average attendance of over 5000.  The club team will play in the same arena as the AHL team, Rabobank Arena.

http://www.bakersfield.com/sports/new-csub-club-ice-hockey-team-a-natural-progression/article_48763958-8635-11e8-9201-23338f3fbde7.html

Bakersfield could be an outside shot of starting college hockey, especially if they get to play PAC12 teams.  Bake doesn’t have football, so it is one of those schools outside of the P5 where it is more financially feasible, especially with a useable and available rink.

[SiouxVolley]

Are Montana Tech and Carroll College in Montana sponsoring NAIA hockey?  They had club hockey last year.  Hockey isn’t listed on their athletic website like it has been for U of Providence in Great Falls.  One website lists those three plus Jamestown as an NAIA hockey division.

[cberkas]

13 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

Are Montana Tech and Carroll College in Montana sponsoring NAIA hockey?  They had club hockey last year.  Hockey isn’t listed on their athletic website like it has been for U of Providence in Great Falls.  One website lists those three plus Jamestown as an NAIA hockey division.

No for Montana Tech and Carroll College. I can't remember what I was told about the Carroll College team, it sounded like the team wasn't going to last. Providence in Great Falls has a lot of money that the other schools don't have. Providence is going to be in the ACHA not sure what division. Jamestown isn't list on the NAIA hockey site, but I did see a site that listed every NAIA school. As far as I know the NAIA is still under the ACHA and not an independent level.

[SiouxVolley]

Back in May, the Holy Cross women’s team was accepted into Hockey East.

https://www.uscho.com/2017/05/02/holy-cross-move-to-womens-hockey-east-a-long-process-starts-speculation/

Supposedly, the men’s team will follow, replacing Notre Dame.  Holy Cross plays some men’s games now  in the massive 15k DCU Center in Worcester, which also had an minor league team.   Seems like that alignment change is inevitable.  The AHA would be down to ten teams.

[MafiaMan]

On 7/20/2018 at 10:59 PM, SiouxVolley said:

Back in May, the Holy Cross women’s team was accepted into Hockey East.

https://www.uscho.com/2017/05/02/holy-cross-move-to-womens-hockey-east-a-long-process-starts-speculation/

Supposedly, the men’s team will follow, replacing Notre Dame.  Holy Cross plays some men’s games now  in the massive 15k DCU Center in Worcester, which also had an minor league team.   Seems like that alignment change is inevitable.  The AHA would be down to ten teams.

Great scoop, Sioux Volley!  From May of 2017!  

I have some good intel on who my favorite is to win last year's NCAA hockey title, too.  I don't want to completely give it away but it rhymes with "kenver."

[SiouxVolley]

10 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

Great scoop, Sioux Volley!  From May of 2017!  

I have some good intel on who my favorite is to win last year's NCAA hockey title, too.  I don't want to completely give it away but it rhymes with "kenver."

Saw this tweet so it was official on July 1st, just like UND and the Summit.

https://mobile.twitter.com/HCrossWHockey/status/1014206439542452226

UConn was a women’s member of HE well before the men were.  Holy Cross really seems to be stepping up it’s hockey.  The men now play a lot in the 15k seat DCU Center.  Worchester has almost a million in the area but a strange dearth of spectator sports.  That area seems natural for a HE men’s team.

[cberkas]

One guys suggestion on who should add hockey.

Alabama's old coach was pushing for them to go NCAA D1, not sure about the new coach that took over last year. 

https://www.barstoolsports.com/barstoolu/5-colleges-that-should-have-division-1-hockey-programs/?_branch_match_id=400520884182079116

[dden3]

In the Denver papers the last week or so it has been announced that Colorado College is building a new on campus hockey rink for their team/games.  Has capacity to seat only 3,000.  They have been playing at the World Ice Arena for many years and I have attended the North Dakota series for quite a few of those years.  There is usually a good following of North Dakota fans coming from far and wide and I question whether there will be much room for us in a 3,000 size facility.

If they were coming into the NCHC league today with such a small arena, would the NCHC give them much consideration?  Didn't Arizona State apply with a similarly sized facility?

[Siouxperfan7]

1 hour ago, dden3 said:

In the Denver papers the last week or so it has been announced that Colorado College is building a new on campus hockey rink for their team/games.  Has capacity to seat only 3,000.  They have been playing at the World Ice Arena for many years and I have attended the North Dakota series for quite a few of those years.  There is usually a good following of North Dakota fans coming from far and wide and I question whether there will be much room for us in a 3,000 size facility.

If they were coming into the NCHC league today with such a small arena, would the NCHC give them much consideration?  Didn't Arizona State apply with a similarly sized facility?

CC was part of the initial 6 that were set to join the NCHC.  If they were applying on their own, I doubt they would get in.  What helped them was having Denver in state joining the conference and they were looking to join as well.  Without Denver being a couple hours away, I doubt they get in today.

[cberkas]

11 hours ago, dden3 said:

In the Denver papers the last week or so it has been announced that Colorado College is building a new on campus hockey rink for their team/games.  Has capacity to seat only 3,000.  They have been playing at the World Ice Arena for many years and I have attended the North Dakota series for quite a few of those years.  There is usually a good following of North Dakota fans coming from far and wide and I question whether there will be much room for us in a 3,000 size facility.

If they were coming into the NCHC league today with such a small arena, would the NCHC give them much consideration?  Didn't Arizona State apply with a similarly sized facility?

Arizona State's is suppose to be 4,000.

The Denver and UND game are suppose to be played at World Arena still.

[HockeyFan31]

10 hours ago, cberkas said:

The Denver and UND game are suppose to be played at World Arena still.

That would make sense.

[Yote 53]

I picked up a tidbit of information while over in Wisconsin this past weekend.  Rumor is that one of the UW D3 schools is studying moving their hockey program to D1 status.  Applied for and were recently granted a waiver from the NCAA to have D1 hockey while remaining D3 in all other sports (I believe the other D1/D3 schools with this structure have grandfathered status), and the D1 study is being funded by the Minnesota Wild, so there is that NHL & College Hockey Inc. connection.  I cannot remember the name of which UW school it was, I want to say Eau Claire, but don't quote me on that.  

Word is this is just the first UW school looking at this and there may be more.  Thought was that if Minnesota could support 5 D1 hockey programs that Wisconsin could support about 3, so there are a few schools looking into D1 hockey.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

4 hours ago, Yote 53 said:

I picked up a tidbit of information while over in Wisconsin this past weekend.  Rumor is that one of the UW D3 schools is studying moving their hockey program to D1 status.  Applied for and were recently granted a waiver from the NCAA to have D1 hockey while remaining D3 in all other sports (I believe the other D1/D3 schools with this structure have grandfathered status), and the D1 study is being funded by the Minnesota Wild, so there is that NHL & College Hockey Inc. connection.  I cannot remember the name of which UW school it was, I want to say Eau Claire, but don't quote me on that.  

Word is this is just the first UW school looking at this and there may be more.  Thought was that if Minnesota could support 5 D1 hockey programs that Wisconsin could support about 3, so there are a few schools looking into D1 hockey.

Eau Claire and Stevens Point are the only ones that would make sense. Maybe River Falls.