UConn to apply to Hockey East

[sterlippo1]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I am somewhat aware on BC's position with regards to Lowell's membership in HEA.

which is?

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I'm not sure about financial side, I do know that they're maxed out on title IX and instead of adding another sport, they're just adding more scholarships for woman. They also just signed a better deal for woman's basketball and have a new AD. I agree with you that XL center shouldn't be a soloution esp considering that it's gonna cost I think 20k a game to play there but I'm not sure how long renovations/new on campus arena will take.

Bottom line is, I dont think Uconn accepts the invite if they are just gonna be happy to play in an empty xl center. That will make them look bad.

UCONN will join. Word on the street, so to speak, is that Freitas will be expanded in the next 5 years (and UCONN probably doesn't join until 2014-15 season, a year after Notre Dame, so there is ample time to begin a fairly modest fundraising effort ($10-11 Million compared to $35m for basketball and $50m for football). it is unofficial, but the plan I am told is of a projected 17 game home schedule, UConn will play 5-7 games,all or mostly non-conference, on campus and 10-12 including its Hockey East contests, at the XL Center until the upgraded arena is ready. Once that is available, the balance will shift, with some Hartford games each season, most likely the biggest games (BC, BU, a major power like Minnesota or Michgan are likely Hartford games for example). I was told that's the plan. there are also discussions about a slightly smaller arena since Freitas can be expanded to close to 4000 reasonably. 5000 is much more complicated. Given that Merrimack, Providence, Vermont, and Northeastern are all less than 5000, and with the Civic Center available if necessary, that isn't going ot be a huge issue.

[Vooter]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I also believe that HCC/XL is a non-starter. Sounds nice, but its not practical.

Why? UConn plays football in Hartford, and the XL folks have expressed nothing but enthusiasm for the idea...

[BU2K]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Once that is available, the balance will shift, with some Hartford games each season, most likely the biggest games (BC, BU, a major power like Minnesota or Michgan are likely Hartford games for example).

I am sure Minnesota and Michigan already have penciled in the trip...

[MUhawks628]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Notre Dame should join Big 10 hockey. I'm really kind of surprised the league commissioner didn't have the foresight to invite them initially.

The Big 10 does not accept partial membership.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

The Big 10 does not accept partial membership.

And Notre Dame's football TV contract is the stumbling block. It is very lucrative and they are not about to share it with anyone.

[Lazyking]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I'm all for Uconn joining, they're a school that drives to be the best at what they do and living in the state, as a huge fan of the school and hockey, I'm looking forward to it. Like I said earlier though, I don't like the thought of games being played at XL center... but its not like the state is gonna build a state of the art arena anytime soon so I'll deal.

[Craig P.]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Notre Dame should join Big 10 hockey.

ND joining the BTHC would require ND joining the Integer in all sports, and right now, I think that's ND's option of last resort, behind something approaching standing all-sports invitations from the Big XII and the ACC.

And Notre Dame's football TV contract is the stumbling block. It is very lucrative and they are not about to share it with anyone.

ND's TV contract puts the overall media revenue for the Irish in the same ballpark as the other top-drawing schools. Although ND appears to value the partnership generally, from purely a revenue point of view, I don't think it's an impediment to the Irish going anywhere if it turns out that they need to go.

If there were some sort of contractual stumbling block, I think it would more likely be over stuff like internet rights for games.

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I am sure Minnesota and Michigan already have penciled in the trip...

I don't think the 2017 schedule is out yet...

[jjmc85]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I'm all for Uconn joining, they're a school that drives to be the best at what they do and living in the state, as a huge fan of the school and hockey, I'm looking forward to it. Like I said earlier though, I don't like the thought of games being played at XL center... but its not like the state is gonna build a state of the art arena anytime soon so I'll deal.

A UConn fan in favor of this?!?!?!?!?!?!?! We get why UConn would want this. Why should anyone else want this, except to make it 12 teams instead of 11? And if we just don't want 11, there better be a "as soon as Notre Dame leaves, UConn's out too" clause.

[schiegs]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

A UConn fan in favor of this?!?!?!?!?!?!?! We get why UConn would want this. Why should anyone else want this, except to make it 12 teams instead of 11? And if we just don't want 11, there better be a "as soon as Notre Dame leaves, UConn's out too" clause.

Every single HE team benefits from the addition of UConn. Yes, including BC. Forget the current on-ice product, it will be completley different in five years than the present incarnation. The conference as a whole just added the second largest New England media market to its footprint, two new rivalries, and the second largest student body in New England. To assume their attendance and fan support for HE games would remain the same as it is today is myopic. The "12th team" benefit is simply the bow on the wrapping.

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Unless UConn puts in place a plan to have a on Campus Arena(4500-5000 cap)...bring in a Coach...like a Bennet from Union or take a chance and go for very Motivated man in Jim Montgomery and put their program squarely in his docket...take the Hockey recruiting to another level and branch out in all directions to push the sport then this is a disaster waiting to happen...and look for Notre Dame by year 4 in Hockey East to be looking for greener pastures and bolt to the NCHC.

[Lazyking]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Unless UConn puts in place a plan to have a on Campus Arena(4500-5000 cap)...bring in a Coach...like a Bennet from Union or take a chance and go for very Motivated man in Jim Montgomery and put their program squarely in his docket...take the Hockey recruiting to another level and branch out in all directions to push the sport then this is a disaster waiting to happen...and look for Notre Dame by year 4 in Hockey East to be looking for greener pastures and bolt to the NCHC.

I'll take this one by one.

The plan at first is to look into upgrading the on campus arena, play at XL in meantime.

I'm not sure about coaching but lets remember the program right now is running on zero scholarships yet they've gotten players that signed to the NHL like Cole Schneider

Which brings me to the next point, they will be adding full scholarships to the hockey program if this goes through.

As for branching out, I'm not sure what that means...

I really don't see how this will be a disaster, Uconn isn't a school that throws away a sport.

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I've got good and bad news for Uconn fans.

Bad news is that Uconn is never going to be any good in hockey. Ever.

Good news is that since no one will be going to these games and no one will be watching on tv, no one will see them lose all these games.

There's always a silver lining folks!

[Fishman'81]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

In-person support for a team is a different thing entirely from potential support from a broader market area. In a way, they are quite orthogonal to each other; a person in the arena is, by definition, someone to whom a television network cannot advertise.

Witness the passing over of East Carolina football by the Big East in two successive expansions.

(Not sure that East Carolina is much of an example... No pertinent conference wants them in any sport.)

My point is that if ND is already in (a bad fit, yes,) then UConn's addition might ameliorate the situation a bit.

I'm confident that the latter's attendance won't be the problem that so many think it will be, considering their proximity to the core of HE.