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  • Hockey Expansion

    It's not even the off season and yet it's time to let the speculation begin. The article has a fair amount of baseless enthusiasm about several possibilities. I've pulled out what I felt were a few more interesting quotes.

    http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/296003651.html

    "At least three Big Ten schools are considering, quietly in most cases, adding hockey, and the conference has had talks with Arizona State about a hockey-only alliance."

    “What has been most exciting is, since the Arizona State announcement, the number of people that have contacted us … about what needs to be done to have [hockey] happen at ‘our school,’ ” said Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc., a company funded by USA Hockey and a grant from the NHL with a mission to promote the sport. “There is enough percolating out there to keep us motivated and believing that we can make this contagious if it isn’t already.”

    "A source told the Star Tribune multiple Big Ten schools are quietly exploring adding the sport."

    “I think being in a conference with like institutions is important,” Heppel said. “[Arizona State] is going to have to think about that from an institutional and sport perspective. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have a historic relationship."

    "Battista would not comment on talks he has had, honoring the discretion of such a process, but he did say at least four schools are very close to making a decision on whether to add the sport."
    Last edited by slowe; 03-12-2015, 08:15 AM.

  • #2
    If I had to guess, I would go with Nebraska and Illinois as two for sure schools. The third, I'm not sure. Iowa? Hockey seems popular there but they currently play at a mall. Northwestern? Big private money but Chicago seems dead for college hockey. Indiana? Cuban could donate some big bucks but Im not sure now big hockey is there.

    Really outside of UNL and Illinois I can't think of another.
    Last edited by Spartanforlife4; 03-11-2015, 09:43 PM.
    Go Green! Go White! Go State!

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    • #3
      Re: Hockey Expansion

      http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/bus...nding-20150311

      No more mall hockey for U of Iowa?
      Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
      Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

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      • #4
        Re: Hockey Expansion

        A 7K arena 1.5 miles from campus? Hmm. IU and/or Purdue would probably also be candidates.
        ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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        • #5
          Re: Hockey Expansion

          Originally posted by Spartanforlife4 View Post
          If I had to guess, I would go with Nebraska and Illinois as two for sure schools. The third, I'm not sure. Iowa? Hockey seems popular there but they currently play at a mall. Northwestern? Big private money but Chicago seems dead for college hockey. Indiana? Cuban could donate some big bucks but Im not sure now big hockey is there.

          Really outside of UNL and Illinois I can't think of another.
          And, as I have pointed out in other threads on this topic, the University of Nebraska, at a point in the construction where they could still make the addition, added the necessary piping for ice making at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the construction of which was completed in time for last year's basketball season:

          http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/D...ank-Arena.aspx

          And, on just this past December 12th, the university began construction of the Breslow Center Ice Arena, right next door to Pinnacle Bank Center in Lincoln:

          http://facilities.unl.edu/projects/j...e-hockey-arena

          So, the Huskers can play in Pinnacle Bank Arena, where I would guess they would rival North Dakota right out of the box in average attendance, and practice right next door at the Breslow Center, since Pinnacle Bank Arena is a multipurpose facility, as the basketball team also plays there and concerts are held there. And, they have built-in rival 50 miles away in Omaha.

          UNL AD Shawn Eichorst has given some lip service to there not being any plans for Husker Hockey in the foreseeable future. He also said this not long after he took the AD job and I wonder if really understands that this is not going to be up to him, really, on any level. If the right boosters want this to happen, its happening whether Shawn Eichorst likes it not, He is the tail, not the dog down there. Money talks and Shawn Eichorst is going to do what it tells him do.

          Think Huskerfan has not noticed the magnificent new edifice that UNO is nearing completion of in Aksarben Village in Omaha? Or that, try as they might, they are never going to be a basketball power in men's basketball no matter what they do?

          Think Huskerfan doesn't know that the Big 10 Hockey Conference, at 6 teams, doesn't "work"?

          I think UNL playing Big 10 hockey is inevitable and I think Huskerbooster movers and shakers are having p*nis envy now that they are getting a look at what UNO is up to and I think this may very well move this along faster than I thought it might. The article link posted above in an earlier post seems to buttress that thinking.

          The University of Nebraska has removed one of the giant hurdles to doing this. The necessary facilities. That is the single most expensive facet of this for any school.

          The next roadblock for Nebraska is Title IX. UNL is already upside down on men's vs. women's scholarships. My guess (just my gut feel and not really based on anything I have heard) is that they will add womens' hockey as well, since that would make the whole undertaking apples-to-apples.

          And, dollars and cents are not an issue in this matter at UNL at all. The NU Foundation is sitting on a warchest of over a billion dollars. Endowing the necessary scholarships at UNL is chicken feed.

          My bet is men's hockey is a revenue sport at UNL starting the day they play their first game.

          There is no other school in the entire country that is farther down the infrastructure road than Nebraska is as far as adding a hockey program.

          The biggest negative that I can see is that I doubt the USHL Lincoln Stars would survive a UNL foray into hockey, much less, them adding both men's and women's hockey. I think there is just so many hockey dollars in Lincoln and I think many Stars fans would abandon that team in droves for a Husker Hockey team.
          Last edited by Red Cows; 03-12-2015, 01:09 AM.

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          • #6
            Re: Hockey Expansion

            That's a LOT of Kool-Aid to drink.
            Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
            Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

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            • #7
              Re: Hockey Expansion

              Originally posted by slowe View Post
              "At least three Big Ten schools are considering, quietly in most cases, adding hockey, and the conference has had talks with Arizona State about a hockey-only alliance."
              My thoughts, already expressed, about the Big 10 adding "affiliates" in college hockey:

              http://board.uscho.com/showthread.ph...=1#post6046932

              I'll believe it, when I see it. It would be completely and totally unnecessary.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Spartanforlife4 View Post
                If I had to guess, I would go with Nebraska and Illinois as two for sure schools. The third, I'm not sure. Iowa? Hockey seems popular there but they currently play at a mall. Northwestern? Big private money but Chicago seems dead for college hockey. Indiana? Cuban could donate some big bucks but Im not sure now big hockey is there.

                Really outside of UNL and Illinois I can't think of another.
                Was an ice plant included in the Assembly Hall renovation? Last I knew, it wasn't and their current ice rink is like 150' x 250' or some weird dimension like that and only seats 500.

                Doubt Illinois is one of the teams.

                And Chicagoland is an absolute college hockey wasteland. Notre Dame has tried repeatedly to host games in the area with poor attendance, and the Hockey City Classic hasn't been warmly received.
                “Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

                Live Radio from 100.3

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                • #9
                  Re: Hockey Expansion

                  Originally posted by Brenthoven View Post
                  Mall games might be a thing of the past if and when the new facility is built. But as per your link, the new building would take on a heavy schedule of multiple sports at multiple levels, plus concerts. Methinks Mall practices would continue.

                  There is a serious side to this. I've actually seen the rink at the Coralville Mall, and it's not a bad facility. And having practice at a Mall isn't unprecedented. IIRC, the Oilers used to practice occasionally at the rink in the West Edmonton Mall. (the original megamall that inspired the Mall of America) But I've got to believe that elite level coaches are going to occasionally insist on holding closed practices. Tough to do at the Mall unless you schedule practices well outside retail operating hours.

                  Though if the Iowa program stays at the club level, this is probably a non-issue...
                  Last edited by pgb-ohio; 03-11-2015, 11:06 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Hockey Expansion

                    Practice is one thing.

                    Edit: I've also seen the rink in person.
                    Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                    Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

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                    • #11
                      Re: Hockey Expansion

                      We already know that Northwestern is one of the three per a comment from Mike Eaves. I'll guess the other two are Illinois and Nebraska. Illinois is more hope than guess I suppose.

                      "According to Eaves, former UW defenseman Chris Chelios is involved in the group studying the feasibility of adding men’s hockey at Northwestern."

                      http://m.jsonline.com/sports/blogs/274926991.html

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                      • #12
                        Re: Hockey Expansion

                        Originally posted by slowe View Post
                        We already know that Northwestern is one of the three per a comment from Mike Eaves. I'll guess the other two are Illinois and Nebraska. Illinois is more hope than guess I suppose.

                        "According to Eaves, former UW defenseman Chris Chelios is involved in the group studying the feasibility of adding men’s hockey at Northwestern."

                        http://m.jsonline.com/sports/blogs/274926991.html
                        If you trust Eaves...just saying.
                        Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                        Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by slowe View Post
                          We already know that Northwestern is one of the three per a comment from Mike Eaves. I'll guess the other two are Illinois and Nebraska. Illinois is more hope than guess I suppose.

                          "According to Eaves, former UW defenseman Chris Chelios is involved in the group studying the feasibility of adding men’s hockey at Northwestern."

                          http://m.jsonline.com/sports/blogs/274926991.html
                          No on campus venue. Other than 1500 seat municipal rinks, only arenas in the area are the United Center, Allstate Arena, and the Sears Center.

                          If I were to put a crisp $20 on which Chicagoland school makes the D1 jump, I would put it on NIU.
                          “Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

                          Live Radio from 100.3

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                          • #14
                            Re: Hockey Expansion

                            Rocky Wirtz being a Northwestern grad is definitely something to consider on that front. But someone told me that apparently Illinois State is considering moving up, although I wouldn't say it was a reliable source.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Hockey Expansion

                              I'm not sure if Iowa has the fan base for a hockey team. The Roughriders attendance is okay, I've been there when they've sold out but have been there when it's half full.

                              The first thing I thought of when I saw the Coralville Arena story was Big 10 Hockey in Iowa.

                              There's a nice Marriott and Backpocket Brewing right in the area of the arena. On the flip side, I've been told Coralville is in a lot of debt because they built this area, the Marriott, Von Maur and so forth.

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