College Hockey Expansion

[SiouxVolley]

3 hours ago, northernraider said:

"Though their sights are set on making Boise State’s hockey club a Division I program, a lack of funding will halt the Broncos’ plans of playing at such a high level. Instead, much of the Broncos’ attention will be geared towards coming back from a recent playoff failure."

Sounds D1 hockey is on the radar, but still long ways to go

https://arbiteronline.com/boise-state-hockey-aims-to-bounce-back/

Boise St and UNLV are G5 programs, so they are less likely to start hockey because of financial issues.  Maybe if they get closer hockey relationships with the PAC12 that pays, as that will be an incentive.

The last programs added were P5 and non-football schools.  FCS and G5 are generally too concerned about fb costs.  UND is a rare exception.  See UC-Irvine much more likely than Boise or UNLV.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

26 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Boise St and UNLV are G5 programs, so they are less likely to start hockey because of financial issues.  Maybe if they get closer hockey relationships with the PAC12 that pays, as that will be an incentive.

The last programs added were P5 and non-football schools.  FCS and G5 are generally too concerned about fb costs.  UND is a rare exception.  See UC-Irvine much more likely than Boise or UNLV.

Did you just say Penn State and ASU are non-football schools.......?

[zonadub]

16 minutes ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

Did you just say Penn State and ASU are non-football schools.......?

Doesn't the statement here mean that they were either P5 or non-football

[SiouxVolley]

The schools that are serious about starting hockey are either P5’s, like Illinois, Penn St, Arizona St and maybe others like Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, and  Pitt, or non-football schools like High Point, Sacred Heart or low FCS like Robert Morris that don’t have football dreams of going bigger.

There probably will be exceptions like Liberty that has so much money they need more sports, or Navy which has essentially an unlimited budget.

UNLV will be moving to the new Raiders stadium so that might entice the PAC12 to include them just for $ signs, but football gets its place first.  Both UNLV and Boise are not wanted by the academic side of the PAC12.

UConn probably resents going all in on hockey as it is no longer a P5 or even AAC and the whole athletic program is taking a major debt bath because of it.

[SiouxVolley]

Defending champion Minot State is the preseason#1 ACHA DI club team according to the rankings.  Jamestown is #17.

Minot State just moved their women’s team to DI in club.  Think both U Mary and Minot St will both move their clubs to varsity when the WCHA breaks up.  If Bemidji State can, why not Minot? 

http://achahockey.org/view/achahockey/acha-hockey-news/news_525282

[NDSU grad]

On 10/1/2019 at 9:04 PM, SiouxVolley said:

Defending champion Minot State is the preseason#1 ACHA DI club team according to the rankings.  Jamestown is #17.

Minot State just moved their women’s team to DI in club.  Think both U Mary and Minot St will both move their clubs to varsity when the WCHA breaks up.  If Bemidji State can, why not Minot? 

http://achahockey.org/view/achahockey/acha-hockey-news/news_525282

I think Minot State could pull that off if they dropped football.  That would be a hard sell in the community.

[SiouxVolley]

7 hours ago, NDSU grad said:

I think Minot State could pull that off if they dropped football.  That would be a hard sell in the community.

Minot State would probably be expelled from the Northern Sun if they attempted that.  Perhaps associate with Montana State-Billings and the GNAC with no football.

[SiouxVolley]

On 5/1/2019 at 5:45 AM, IrishSiouxFan said:

Looks like Clarksville, TN is teaming up with the Nashville Predators and Austin Peay State University (APSU) to build a downtown event center that includes ice.  I'm a UND alumni currently working at APSU.  We are a small institution strapped for cash.  However, downtown Clarksville is literally across the street from campus (not even a mile), so I can't help but think there might be some interest in the sport (hockey is extremely popular in Nashville right now and the state doesn't have a college D1, D2, or D3 team to pull for).  Regardless of what happens, it'll be nice to see hockey grow in this area!

https://eu.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2019/04/25/clarksville-event-center-6-things-know-plan/3555012002/

Saw someone posting about Austin Peay U being sponsored by the Predators for hockey.

The recent news of High Point U building on an campus arena may make a southern league feasible.

High Point U just isn’t throwing tens of millions to become a DI independent.

High Point U, Liberty U, UAH, Lindenwood, FGCU, and someone else just might make it feasible in a couple years.

SEC schools would not lower themselves to that crew.

[cberkas]

https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2019/10/4/20891321/university-of-st-thomas-looking-at-move-to-division-i

They got accepted into the Summit League.

[Godsmack]

17 hours ago, cberkas said:

https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2019/10/4/20891321/university-of-st-thomas-looking-at-move-to-division-i

They got accepted into the Summit League.

https://letsgodu.com/2019/10/04/breaking-news-st-thomas-university-invited-to-join-summit-league/

I read that too. Sounds like some DU fans would also like to see them elevate their hockey program as well. A good fit for the WCHA? 

[Vegas_Sioux]

1 hour ago, Godsmack said:

https://letsgodu.com/2019/10/04/breaking-news-st-thomas-university-invited-to-join-summit-league/

I read that too. Sounds like some DU fans would also like to see them elevate their hockey program as well. A good fit for the WCHA? 

The star tribune article brought that up. Would slot in with the 7 schools leaving the WCHA because of the geography. 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

They need a rink on/near campus. Their home sheet only seats 1k. Not sure what Mac/Ham/etc. do for hockey but a shared rink could work. What is the Wild practice rink's capacity? Could be a placeholder.

[cberkas]

8 hours ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

They need a rink on/near campus. Their home sheet only seats 1k. Not sure what Mac/Ham/etc. do for hockey but a shared rink could work. What is the Wild practice rink's capacity? Could be a placeholder.

The Whitecaps use the Wilds practice rink.

[SiouxVolley]

8 hours ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

They need a rink on/near campus. Their home sheet only seats 1k. Not sure what Mac/Ham/etc. do for hockey but a shared rink could work. What is the Wild practice rink's capacity? Could be a placeholder.

Thought a newspaper rumor was that a ~5000 seat rink would be built by Allianz Field.  Can’t find the link.

The D3 board says St Thomas is looking at acquiring residential property for a 6500 - 10 k seat rink.

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4550.93375

[SiouxVolley]

Can see the day that UST gets into the NCHC if they have their own arena and if they have a strong program.  Mankato would be forever left out.  Arizona State would probably get in with them.

All the schools like the idea of being in the MSP market.

[SiouxVolley]

If UST gets approved by the NCAA, Augie will be left out of the Summit for now.  Wouldn't surprise me if Augie starts hockey, as the Sioux Falls USHL team draw big crowds.  At least then Augie will DI in something and join Mankato and Bemidji as NSIC DI members in one sport.  Maybe Minot St to make 10 WCHA members.  UMary when UST upgrades for the NCHC.

.

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

Crookston to hire their coach this month, recruiting will start immediately to fill roster for next season. Will play a few ND schools. 

[bale31]

On 10/6/2019 at 3:26 AM, SiouxVolley said:

Can see the day that UST gets into the NCHC if they have their own arena and if they have a strong program.  Mankato would be forever left out.  Arizona State would probably get in with them.

All the schools like the idea of being in the MSP market.

Admittedly, I'm looking at this through purple and gold colored glasses, but I'm not sure that ASU really makes the most sense for the NCHC. I mean, the "big name school for tv purposes" theory has kind of been blown out of the water by the Big Ten, hasn't it? Everyone thought they would dominate the TV ratings because no one wanted to watch the little schools, but instead BTN has pulled back their programming. Do the big name schools make sense?

From all I've heard, MSU was shocked when the NCHC didn't accept them. I've also heard that it had nothing to do with MSU and everything with ASU. If there had been a viable second school, MSU was a shoe in. It seems to me that UST and Mankato coming in to the NCHC make a lot more sense. In fact, I think it makes more sense than UST going to the WCHA. Just my two cents.

[SiouxVolley]

2 hours ago, bale31 said:

Admittedly, I'm looking at this through purple and gold colored glasses, but I'm not sure that ASU really makes the most sense for the NCHC. I mean, the "big name school for tv purposes" theory has kind of been blown out of the water by the Big Ten, hasn't it? Everyone thought they would dominate the TV ratings because no one wanted to watch the little schools, but instead BTN has pulled back their programming. Do the big name schools make sense?

From all I've heard, MSU was shocked when the NCHC didn't accept them. I've also heard that it had nothing to do with MSU and everything with ASU. If there had been a viable second school, MSU was a shoe in. It seems to me that UST and Mankato coming in to the NCHC make a lot more sense. In fact, I think it makes more sense than UST going to the WCHA. Just my two cents.

ASU's tiny rink was the reason and their new rink changes everything.

If UST had a DI program when the NCHC started. they would have been in.  And SCSu would have been out.  St Cloud was a closer substitute for MSP than Mankato.

The NCHC would have to have the periphery teams exit before a fourth Minny teams gets in.

[bale31]

37 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

ASU's tiny rink was the reason and their new rink changes everything.

If UST had a DI program when the NCHC started. they would have been in.  And SCSu would have been out.  St Cloud was a closer substitute for MSP than Mankato.

The NCHC would have to have the exterior teams exit before four Minny teams gets in.

You say that, but my question would be why? This idea that bigger is better was disproven by the Big Ten. Name recognition in a niche sport doesn't change that it's a niche sport. What does ASU add other than name recognition? Being the "National" conference is good in theory, but it's not necessarily realistic to think it leads to anything productive. 

I acknowledge that ASU's rink was what caused everything to follow up. That does change everything, but things have changed in the last 4 years. ASU has to WANT to be part of the conference too. I'm not convinced they want to be part of anything other than the Big Ten or a new PAC-12 conference.

[SiouxVolley]

4 minutes ago, bale31 said:

You say that, but my question would be why? This idea that bigger is better was disproven by the Big Ten. Name recognition in a niche sport doesn't change that it's a niche sport. What does ASU add other than name recognition? Being the "National" conference is good in theory, but it's not necessarily realistic to think it leads to anything productive. 

I acknowledge that ASU's rink was what caused everything to follow up. That does change everything, but things have changed in the last 4 years. ASU has to WANT to be part of the conference too. I'm not convinced they want to be part of anything other than the Big Ten or a new PAC-12 conference.

The NCHC has been the most successful league with teams in three time zones.  That pretty much refutes your Big Ten argument.  No need to become limited in geography like the NSIC.

ASU might prefer a PAC12 type league which may be started by the Alaska(s).  But so could DU and CC if there are big name schools.

[bale31]

2 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

The NCHC has been the most successful league with teams in three time zones.  That pretty much refutes your Big Ten argument.  No need to become limited in geography like the NSIC.

ASU might prefer a PAC12 type league which may be started by the Alaska(s).  But so could DU and CC if there are big name schools.

I guess, my point is being missed here. I'm gonna bow out. 

[UNDBIZ]

15 minutes ago, bale31 said:

I guess, my point is being missed here. I'm gonna bow out. 

I think a lot of people just aren't real excited about adding another MNSCU...

[SiouxVolley]

35 minutes ago, bale31 said:

I guess, my point is being missed here. I'm gonna bow out. 

Think SCSU was extremely fortunate by the timing of the NCHC.  Mankato just missed by a sliver two times.  But you'll will win WCHA titles as a result.  If periphery NCHC teams leave, the whole situation changes,

[SiouxHawkGuy]

If not Mankato, how about UST and Bowling Green?