Formation of the NCHC - 3 part series

[SiouxVolley]

Just wanted a thread for the three-part history series on the Formation of the NCHC.

Part 1:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/hockey/4512561-nchc-series-part-1-how-nchc-was-formed

Part 2:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4513130-nchc-part-2-building-league-and-re-do-commissioner

[SiouxVolley]

Didn’t realize that the NCHC had early talks only including the six DI schools:  UND, DU, Notre Dame, BGSU, Miami, and WMU.  Obviously that changed, but it’s something that show being DI is important.  Omaha later moved to DI and UMD, St Cloud St and CC weren’t included for early on.  Must have realized the importance of a central tournament in the Cities.

Notre Dame was probably very particular about only DI schools.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Schlossman does it again, putting together stories that other beat writers around the country could only dream about. 

[SWSiouxMN]

This was a damn good read.

Can't wait for the other two parts

[tnt]

9 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

Didn’t realize that the NCHC had early talks only including the six DI schools:  UND, DU, Notre Dame, BGSU, Miami, and WMU.  Obviously that changed, but it’s something that show being DI is important.  Omaha later moved to DI and UMD, St Cloud St and CC weren’t included for early on.  Must have realized the importance of a central tournament in the Cities.

Notre Dame was probably very particular about only DI schools.

Notre Dame was very particular about having their own TV package.

[tnt]

Remember the vilification heaped on UND and some of the others that left the WCHA?   Listening to fans of some of the Big Ten teams was particularly funny as to the forming of the new conference.   With the small time thinking of some of the schools left in the WCHA, and even more concerning an extension for Bruce McCloud rather than a vote of no confidence, it is not surprising that they made this move.  One cringes to think where we would be right now if we stayed in the WCHA.   

[Goon]

Mick and Jess join the Inforum. 

[Sodbuster]

Sounds like Faison was a vital entity in the formation of the NCHC.

[SiouxVolley]

3 hours ago, tnt said:

Notre Dame was very particular about having their own TV package.

Which is why Notre Dame didn’t want to degrade their image by playing DII and DIII schools.  MAC schools as well as UND and DU were even just minimally acceptable.  Even in Hockey East, all of its former DII schools, Merrimack and UMass-Lowell, have gone DI.

[Vegas_Sioux]

2 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Which is why Notre Dame didn’t want to degrade their image by playing DII and DIII schools.  MAC schools as well as UND and DU were even just minimally acceptable.  Even in Hockey East, all of its former DII schools, Merrimack and UMass-Lowell, have gone DI.

Poor leaping leprechauns weren’t going to get their way. 

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

4 hours ago, tnt said:

Notre Dame was very particular about having their own TV package.

Notre Dame was already in a multi-year TV contract. Something like for at least two more years after the new conference would start?

[tnt]

49 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Which is why Notre Dame didn’t want to degrade their image by playing DII and DIII schools.  MAC schools as well as UND and DU were even just minimally acceptable.  Even in Hockey East, all of its former DII schools, Merrimack and UMass-Lowell, have gone DI.

Why have they scheduled Minnesota Duluth the past few years then?  If it's o.k. to schedule them non conference, then it shouldn't be that degrading to play them in conference.  But then again, it's Notre Dame, and they think they are better than they really are. 

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

I think the deal falling through with Notre Dame was primarily TV related. And its hard to blame them, they had their games on NBCSN just like NHL games and it is a pretty widely available channel.  Look at what the NCHC ended up with- CBS sports, which was in far fewer homes.

[SiouxFanatic]

3 minutes ago, andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!! said:

I think the deal falling through with Notre Dame was primarily TV related. And its hard to blame them, they had their games on NBCSN just like NHL games and it is a pretty widely available channel.  Look at what the NCHC ended up with- CBS sports, which was in far fewer homes.

Yep, it was. They didn't want to make sacrifices and do what would benefit the whole conference. Notre Dame only cares about itself and wasn't willing to give up its NBCSN deal. I'm glad the rest of the NCHC didn't bend over for Notre Dame and accommodate them when everyone else was on board.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

4 minutes ago, SiouxFanatic said:

Yep, it was. They didn't want to make sacrifices and do what would benefit the whole conference. Notre Dame only cares about itself and wasn't willing to give up its NBCSN deal. I'm glad the rest of the NCHC didn't bend over for Notre Dame and accommodate them when everyone else was on board.

I just wish Notre Dame would have convinced NBCSN to do a deal with the whole conference.  

[SiouxVolley]

4 hours ago, tnt said:

Why have they scheduled Minnesota Duluth the past few years then?  If it's o.k. to schedule them non conference, then it shouldn't be that degrading to play them in conference.  But then again, it's Notre Dame, and they think they are better than they really are. 

Minn Duluth has been a recent champion.  The one home game doesn’t sully Notre Dame’s image like being in a conference with mostly midwest dregs (including UND in that).

[SiouxVolley]

1 hour ago, keikla said:

I found the part about the behind-the-back McLeod extension cringeworthy.  No wonder schools wanted to jump from the WCHA after that move.  Just like Faison said, that would have been it for me.

Tech and Anchorage were probably the biggest McLeod boosters.

Here’s part II:

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4513130-nchc-part-2-building-league-and-re-do-commissioner

[UNDBIZ]

 

[UNDBIZ]

At the time, you had coaches in the league like George Gwozdecky, Scott Owens, Dave Hakstol, Dean Blais. . . those guys are very tied into the way things had always been done, but they also recognized that change had to happen. They were committed to making it work. They proudly wore their NCHC gear. They talked about the league in incredibly positive ways.

What does wearing gear have to do with anything? Are they saying that affected fan acceptance of the new league? 

[Blackheart]

1 hour ago, UNDBIZ said:

 

 

What does wearing gear have to do with anything? Are they saying that affected fan acceptance of the new league? 

Go Fighting NCHC's!

[tnt]

7 minutes ago, keikla said:

I think it's more saying that the coaches completely bought in and accepted the new league.

Don't think that is where he was going with that.

[UNDBIZ]

3 minutes ago, keikla said:

I think it's more saying that the coaches completely bought in and accepted the new league.

Context in the article is regarding fan acceptance of the new league. Schloss makes it sound like coaches buying in and accepting something affected fan acceptance.