WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

[Squarebanks]

ASU's plan is to start the process of forming a Pac-12 hockey conference. Plain and simple, going to the NCHC would be nothing more than a place holder until enough Pac-12 schools add hockey.

I'll admit, I'd love to see NCAA hockey in Oregon and Washington for many reasons, not the least of which is it might chase the WHL out of those states.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

You think Arizona State fans would be pumped to play St. Cloud, Western Michigan, and the wrong Miami? I can assure you the ASU fan base doesn't give two *****s about North Dakota or Denver.

The only way the NCHC might make more sense for them is travel distances. That's it. They would dwarf every NCHC or WCHA program regardless.

It makes more sense. It doesn't make complete sense, but only the Big 10 (yeah, right) would.

The reason the Nachos make more sense is 1) D1 schools. Yes, UND, Denver, Miami and Western are pretty small are fairly unknown, but they are still Division 1 schools in all sports. That matters to a school like ASU. Regardless of the fact that ASU is 10x the size, if not more, than DU. 2) The Nacho need ASU. They will openly campaign to get a team like ASU, because it will allow them to inch closer to that false-dream of actually being a nationally relevant entity, outside of the normal college hockey circles. The WCHA won't have the desire to add a team like ASU, like the Nacho will, and therefore won't make the same kind of concessions. 3) Like you said, travel. But you mentioned budget earlier, it isn't about budget, like you said, they won't care about how much it costs. They will care about ease of travel. It is a pain in the *** to travel to Michigan Tech, Lake State, Ferris State, Bemidji State, etc. The Nacho teams are located in cities that are much less of a pain in the *** to travel to.

[pdt1081]

I think Nacho might go after BGSU and ASU instead of Kato and ASU. Gives Nacho a D1 "big school" presence and gives Miami a conference rival. No offense to Kato, but the rebranding as "Minnesota State" doesn't change the fact they play football in D2.....

The majority of us here in BG hope that doesn't happen. Trading a large travel league for a larger travel league doesn't make sense. Miami and Western are both on the future non-con schedule as home and homes. Being in the same league isn't as big a deal as some make it out to be. At this point, the only way I see BG leaving the WCHA is for a more regionally based league.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I'm pretty sure the discussion of WMU and Miami leaving NCHC probably doesn't lead to BGSU and FSU going to NCHC, it leads to a new conference with Robert Morris and Niagara

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

It makes more sense. It doesn't make complete sense, but only the Big 10 (yeah, right) would.

The reason the Nachos make more sense is 1) D1 schools. Yes, UND, Denver, Miami and Western are pretty small are fairly unknown, but they are still Division 1 schools in all sports. That matters to a school like ASU. Regardless of the fact that ASU is 10x the size, if not more, than DU. 2) The Nacho need ASU. They will openly campaign to get a team like ASU, because it will allow them to inch closer to that false-dream of actually being a nationally relevant entity, outside of the normal college hockey circles. The WCHA won't have the desire to add a team like ASU, like the Nacho will, and therefore won't make the same kind of concessions. 3) Like you said, travel. But you mentioned budget earlier, it isn't about budget, like you said, they won't care about how much it costs. They will care about ease of travel. It is a pain in the *** to travel to Michigan Tech, Lake State, Ferris State, Bemidji State, etc. The Nacho teams are located in cities that are much less of a pain in the *** to travel to.

Not sure 1) is of any relevance to ASU. ASU is a Pac 12 school. Whoever they play, they'll never really feel like part of that conference, unless there's a Pac 12 hockey conference. It will just feel like someplace to play, because being an independent is a worse alternative. They won't feel any more kinship with Denver or NoDak then they would with Kato or Bemidji. More likely is for them to try to do like Pac 12 wrestling has done, and cobble together enough regional schools to call it a conference, even though its members aren't Pac 12 in other sports. 2) may be important to the Nacho, but isn't it equally important to the WCHA to be thought of as a "big time" conference?. 3) I think is a significant issue. Are Oxford and Grand Forks and St. Cloud podunk hick towns? Yes, but they're podunk hick towns a reasonable drive from major US cities. The same really can't be said for much of the WCHA. If ASU goes to join one conference or the other (and I still think their main effort will be to establish a Pac 12 conference with some other western schools, plus any full-fledged Pac 12 schools that want to add hockey), I think it will be the NCHC because of the travel issue.

[aparch]

I'm pretty sure the discussion of WMU and Miami leaving NCHC probably doesn't lead to BGSU and FSU going to NCHC, it leads to a new conference with Robert Morris and Niagara

That's what I was eluding to with my post.

I don't want to lose WCHA teams, but that's the most likely outcome.

[Freddie]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

The majority of us here in BG hope that doesn't happen. Trading a large travel league for a larger travel league doesn't make sense. Miami and Western are both on the future non-con schedule as home and homes. Being in the same league isn't as big a deal as some make it out to be. At this point, the only way I see BG leaving the WCHA is for a more regionally based league.

What he said

[gfmorris]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I don't want to lose WCHA teams, but that's the most likely outcome.

And then we get nervous again, because the Alaska schools have the exemption while we don't.

GFM

[manurespreader]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I don't think they really have their act together out there and it might get pushed out a year.

Travel is not an issue as I said in the other thread because most likely they will charter out as does the b1g to games so going to bemidji or Houghton is not different than going to kalamazoo or denver. They really need more than 32 million if you ask me, given the expenses involved in getting going, and I question the numbers they are using. From experience, people that want something to happen, get a pro forma built up that might not be as accurate as reality. No matter what league they get in to the other teams in that league will end up with higher travel budget no question.

[MaizeRage]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

And then we get nervous again, because the Alaska schools have the exemption while we don't.

GFM

You never know. ASU adds another travel orphan to the group out west, at least for the time being. If conferences were restructured again into something that made more sense geographically, it would be easier for each conference to take one Alaska school and either UAH or ASU while the other conference takes the other two.

[aparch]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

But the NCHC wasn't based on geographic sensibility.

[MaizeRage]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

But the NCHC wasn't based on geographic sensibility.

And how is that working out for them?

[aparch]

And how is that working out for them?

Well, until the tax returns are made public, they claim it's going well. But I'm also pretty sure they hired Baghdad Bob as a PR consultant.




Can anyone refresh my memory on the play-up rules/moratorium for D2 schools wanting D1 hockey? Are they still allowed to declare one sport as a play up or not? If not, is that holding back a lot of programs from making the jump?

[Dirty]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Well, until the tax returns are made public, they claim it's going well. But I'm also pretty sure they hired Baghdad Bob as a PR consultant.

On the plus side at least Baghdad Bob understands the need for timeliness of information and faux pas of all caps when tweeting.

[aparch]

On the plus side at least Baghdad Bob understands the need for timeliness of information and faux pas of all caps when tweeting.

The WCHA beat the NCHC in tweeting congratulations to the Sun Devils, and they even used proper capitalization!