WCHA should've let Bemidji in

[Smoggy]

I've been saying for a long time that it'd be nice to have BSU and Omaha (have we even played them?). As much as I like them and the tradition with the league, it seems Tech fits better with the CCHA. Of course, we'd have to keep the cup.

Anchorage and Fairbanks need to be together in a league. This could allow a team to travel there and play them both. Might be pricey to stay for a week, but maybe then a team would only need to travel there once every three years.

If the WCHA went to 12, I don't like the east-west alignment unless the WCHA is helping to pay for travel to Colorado. Those CO schools would need to be split up in that type of alignment, or maybe a North-South arrangement would work better. Some flights for both and some bus rides. Plus a school like umtc can fly for much cheaper to CO than UND can.

As for the schedule, everyone hates it. I've been saying on here for years that the top five play four against the top five and the bottom tier play four against each other. This would have the effect of allowing teams to shuffle because the better schools aren't getting fat off the crappy schools. Otherwise drop to 8 schools and this stabilizes the CHA.

[Riverman]

I've been saying for a long time that it'd be nice to have BSU and Omaha

I agree, the WCHA goofed up big time by NOT letting UNO join our league.

But we did get MSU-M what a bargain.

I was almost giddy when MTU wanted to jump to the CCHA a few years back.

Damn that Bruce McCloud!!!

Do the schools vote on this or does the WCHA front office have supreme power?

[DLW4GOPHERS]

I could be wrong, but I believe that UAA pays for much (if not all) of the travel expenses for teams to go up there. If that is the case, your theory on draining WCHA budgets is out the window.

I am not 100% sure on this...anyone else know?

EDIT: I found a site where it says:

The expansion would continue, with the addition of Alaska-Anchorage in 1993. UAA's membership further reinforced the mold of the WCHA as a "plane" league, although UAA's membership was contingent on helping to pay for teams to come visit the Seawolves.

Now what percentage that is, I have no idea.

plus two extra home games each year we play up there. For Mn. that is 10,000 seats times $30 = $300,000 per game. Minus a few $ for the studnt section. Thats still about $250,000 per game. I don't think having the Alaska teams are much of a drain.

[tnt]

plus two extra home games each year we play up there. For Mn. that is 10,000 seats times $30 = $300,000 per game. Minus a few $ for the studnt section. Thats still about $250,000 per game. I don't think having the Alaska teams are much of a drain.

I think the NCAA should let go of that policy regardless. It ultimately favors one league over another, because it is allowing every team in a league to get extra games for playing a team in their league. I know the philosphy is to grow the game of hockey, but at some point it basically becomes a bribe to play a team. Oh, that's right the NCAA lives by the bribe. Ask Florida State, they have them in their back pocket--literally.

[BringDeanBack]

Their women's team is in.

Another case of the rich trying to keep everyone else poor.

Why should we let them in? So the Sioux only get to play the Gophers once every three years at home rather than every two years like it is now? The league is already borderline too big as I think Anchorage should be kicked to the curb.

[siouxnami]

plus two extra home games each year we play up there. For Mn. that is 10,000 seats times $30 = $300,000 per game. Minus a few $ for the studnt section. Thats still about $250,000 per game. I don't think having the Alaska teams are much of a drain.

Great Observation

*** I feel so dirty ***

250k ought to pay for a charter

[Goon]

First, the I would never actually make that trade. You might have noticed the laughing icon...

Second, others lecturing about Wisconsin is getting a little old, don't you think? You don't like it, so be it, as far as I am concerned I will stop ripping the style that Wisco plays ONLY when the stop playing it...

I agree, if you don't like the comments about wisconsin don't read the thread.

[Wreckincrew]

Why should we let them in? So the Sioux only get to play the Gophers once every three years at home rather than every two years like it is now? The league is already borderline too big as I think Anchorage should be kicked to the curb.

Actually, it's three out of four years at home and the same for away. The pattern is H & A, then H, then H & A, then A, etc...

[BringDeanBack]

Actually, it's three out of four years at home and the same for away. The pattern is H & A, then H, then H & A, then A, etc...

I stand corrected. But I think my point still stands. If they keep letting teams in pretty soon it will be like the Big Ten in football where some of the biggest rivals don't even play each other in a year. Now if they want to let Bemidji in and kick Anchorage or Mankato out, I would not complain.

[Goon]

I stand corrected. But I think my point still stands. If they keep letting teams in pretty soon it will be like the Big Ten in football where some of the biggest rivals don't even play each other in a year. Now if they want to let Bemidji in and kick Anchorage or Mankato out, I would not complain.

They won't but the affected teams will. The WCHA is the premo division in college hockey.

[star2city]

Within the year, the NCAA will have a final decision on if it will allow Canadian schools. If the answer is "yes" as expected, the two western Canadian schools that have publicly stated that they would pursue NCAA DI hockey, British Columbia and Alberta, would very likely be granted WCHA membership.

With the academic reputation of those two schools, the potential fan base, their arenas, and the $'s the WCHA could make from including them, it would be very difficult for the league to say "no" to those schools. For the same reasons, it's easy for the WCHA to say "no" to Bemidji.

[GeauxSioux]

$77 million for Bemidji events center

Leo A. Daly, the architectural firm hired to design the Bemidji Regional Events & Convention Center, has turned in a preliminary budget projecting the cost for the facility at $76.8 million in 2009 dollars.

"This is obviously a big concern for a project that was originally requested from the City Council to be a $50 million project," said Moose Richards, chairman of the Events Center Facility Subcommittee.

Johnson pointed out BSU President Jon Quistgaard's Feb. 15 speech announcing the need to cut $5 million from the university budget over the next three years. Quistgaard said in that speech that the survival of the men's hockey program rests on the acceptance of BSU by the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and raising $2.5 million in pledges by May 2008.

On May 1, the WCHA sent out a release stating the organization wouldn't expand beyond the current 10 teams and BSU wouldn't be able to apply at this time.