Big Time for BSU?

[AZSIOUX]

Some perspective-

Duluth/Superior- Population 112,497 (2004 US cenus est.)

DECC- 5,333 (4.7%) Proposed arena- 6,630 (5.9%)

Bemidji- Population 13,016 (2004 US census est.)

Glas Fieldhouse- 2399 (18.4%) Proposed arena- 3,500 (27.9%)

IMO, its not the size that matters, but the quality.

i understand this, thanks for the info, i lived in bemidji for half of my life and go back 3 times a year so i am aware of how big it is. i guess my point is if they were to be a wcha team, the bigger teams such as mn, UND, wisc and so forth could fill that place with their fans alone. thats what i was getting at. i should have clarified that.

[Kermit]

I'm impressed by Bemidji's team and the atmosphere in their arena. But there is no way they should be in the WCHA..

[AZSIOUX]

I'm impressed by Bemidji's team and the atmosphere in their arena. But there is no way they should be in the WCHA..

they can hang with and beat half of the teams in the wcha as of now..they swept duluth and mankato this year. played the sioux tough both nights, could give tech, st clown and alaska a run for their money as well easily..the only reason they should not be in right now is the arena factor. otherwise it makes sense. location wise, they can play with wcha teams so i dont see any reason in the near future they should not be in.

[Kermit]

they can hang with and beat half of the teams in the wcha as of now..they swept duluth and mankato this year. played the sioux tough both nights, could give tech, st clown and alaska a run for their money as well easily..

Absolutely. Bemidji is a very competitive team. They can play with anyone.

the only reason they should not be in right now is the arena factor. otherwise it makes sense. location wise, they can play with wcha teams so i dont see any reason in the near future they should not be in.

Money makes the world go around in college athletics. The WCHA is the premiere league in college hockey in large part because the level of fan support has led to big budgets, big new arenas, TV coverage, etc. Bemidji State is far, far behind St. Cloud, Duluth, and Mankato to say nothing of UND, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Denver, and CC. You can argue that Bemidji is closer to the level of Michigan Tech or UAA, but that isn't a reason to invite them to WCHA. Omaha on the other hand..

Edited December 19, 2005 by Kermit

[Smoggy]

First off, no to Bemidji unless things change in the WCHA. DI hockey needs that small start up conference.

I wouldn't mind having the two Alaska schools together in a conference. Schools could make it a week long trip and play both which might just cut down on costs for everyone. I would also like to see Omaha in the WCHA for the NCC thing.

The scariest and worst thing for college hockey in the WCHA and CCHA would be the Big Ten conference. I think attendance and revenues would plummit. Those big schools wouldn't ever play a non-conference game on the road. The only road nonconference for Minny I can think of in the last few years is going to Boston to open their rink last year. Michigan is the same way, though I don't follow them closely.

I do think the CCHA should ask a few teams to leave. I have no idea how they make a 12 team conference work. If two leave their, then the CHA is stable.

Though I don't like the idea of a conference kicking schools out. We had a bad stretch. Wisconsin had a bad stretch, Duluth wasn't anything special through the '90s. Mansucko and PCU have never done much. Yet, we won a title in '97, UW has been strong under Eaves, and Duluth made the FF a few years ago. I guess the difference with UAA and Tech is that it's been a looooooong stretch of crappiness.

I guess what I'm getting at is that a person never knows when a school will make a turn around. Just ask our friend from Jersey about Rutgers.

Edited December 20, 2005 by Smoggy

[Smoggy]

This is interesting to read:

WCHA INCH Mid-Season Report

Will the college hockey world look this way to save College Hockey America? For more than a decade as the Huskies have struggled on the ice, there

[AZSIOUX]

This is interesting to read:

WCHA INCH Mid-Season Report

[dakotadan]

[Air Force One]

And as mentioned before, good-bye McNaughton Cup.

[AZSIOUX]

[Goon]

This is interesting to read:

WCHA INCH Mid-Season Report

[Smoggy]

[siouxnami]

As much as I'd hate to lose the MacNaughton, Mich. Tech may sell that if they were to leave. Or the WCHA could surely afford to build a new cup for the champs.

I hear the Nickle Trophy isn't being used... :D

[bigmrg74]

Sorry...not a CRUISER like you? (you need to hook up with BigMrG - he doesn't have a lot to do either! )

So screw UAA! That's another money-draining roadtrip - I say bring on UNO and BSU! These are actually ROADTRIPS we can make!

Mankato has had more recent success that either UAA or Michigan Tech - and BTW - Tech couldn't GIVE AWAY more than 1600 at $6 a seat in their last "big" series...what the hell else is there to do on a weekend night in Houghton??? Thats cheaper than a movie!

Hey now, I resemble that remark!! Hell, I've cut back on my cruisings lately, mostly due to how busy some of my other haunts have been.

[bigmrg74]

[CVCL]

And as mentioned before, good-bye McNaughton Cup.

Hey, maybe Fargo has an 'in' with this one. If Tech takes the McNaughton Cup, NDSU can step up to D1 and offer the soon to be heralded, "McLaughlin Cup", home of the Bison RV's.

[Goon]

Yeah, I could go along with that idea. It helps keep my personal dreams of GVSU adding their own hockey team alive by keeping the CHA alive. You can't tell me me that the CHA wouldn't be a lot better off if they had Michigan Tech, Wayne St. and perhaps GVSU, making for a few short bus trips for a couple of the season games. Plus, would help out some of the poorer sisters of the CCHA wouldn't mind having schools like us around for non-conferance games. GVSU-Ferris and GVSU-Western Michigan could be fairly big draws for local area alums in the West Michigan Area.

Whatever you guys do, just keep in mind that for the good of College Hockey, you guys need the CHA.

I am not so sure if we want MTU to leave the WCHA, its basically 4 points every time we play them.

Also, I could care less if they take the McNaughten cup with them or not. I am sure we could find something else. Isn't the Sitting Bull Throphy available?

[redwing77]

Hey, maybe Fargo has an 'in' with this one. If Tech takes the McNaughton Cup, NDSU can step up to D1 and offer the soon to be heralded, "McLaughlin Cup", home of the Bison RV's.

Well played.

[siouxnami]

I may be in the minority here (and I usually am), but I would hate to see Tech leave the WCHA. Tech is one of the reasons why the WCHA is the best conference in Hockey. They have won numerous championships and have had some of the greatest college players ever. There is alot of history there. Rather I hope that someday the school/alumni provide a cash infusion and upgrade facilities such that the school can get more top recruits. I would hate to see NDSU (or some other loser school) in the WCHA, because they will suck forever and never really contribute to making the league better.

[redwing77]

I may be in the minority here (and I usually am), but I would hate to see Tech leave the WCHA. Tech is one of the reasons why the WCHA is the best conference in Hockey. They have won numerous championships and have had some of the greatest college players ever. There is alot of history there. Rather I hope that someday the school/alumni provide a cash infusion and upgrade facilities such that the school can get more top recruits. I would hate to see NDSU (or some other loser school) in the WCHA, because they will suck forever and never really contribute to making the league better.

I agree. Here's my personal pros and cons of MTU leaving:

Pro:

1. Geographically better suited to CCHA or even CHA.

2. Moving to the CHA and perhaps even the CCHA might give MTU a more competitive edge and with that, a possible return to glory?

3. Easier to compete with CHA teams for recruits than WCHA teams.

Cons:

1. McNaughton and all the history behind it.

2. MTU hasn't always been a patsy. We'd be getting rid of an "old" WCHA franchise.

3. In the "game" of "fairness" the last one in should be the first one gone, and henceforth, MSU Mankato should be the one gone. Life isn't fair, but anyways...