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I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

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  • I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

    You may not like it, but it is happening.

    Over the past five or so years that this topic has been a source of hot debate (and parody and irony) on this board I have warmed to the idea considerably. There are two major reasons why I have grown more sanguine about it: 1. College hockey has been stagnating in its current conference alignments, and competing with Major Junior for talent has become a problem. 2. The Big Ten stinks in hockey this year, and has grown steadily more mediocre since Wisconsin and Michigan State won national titles.

    Now the inevitable has happened, and the Big Ten is going to be a reality. The question is: What realistic steps do we take to strengthen college hockey now?

    We know some things will change for good. Improvements include a presumably strong television package on the Big Ten Network, perhaps some increased national attention, and a significant increase in the number of non-conference games available for teams in each affected conference. This last issue is no small thing; we have long lamented that there are too few big non-conference games, and those games now have a larger chance to occur.

    The problem is, how do we strengthen the small schools that play hockey and encourage new ones to join? I hope that scheduling agreements will be reached between the CCHA and WCHA and their soon-to-be-former members. Several CCHA schools enjoyed exactly one home series against a Big Ten team this season; there is no reason they cannot continue to do so. WCHA teams are less tenuous, but there is little question that Wisconsin and Minnesota are among the biggest draws for teams like UMD and Mankato, so a scheduling agreement will help in that regard.

    But is there more that can be done? Would it be better for there to be massive realignment, or better to keep things the way they are? If ever a time existed to completely realign the college hockey landscape, this would be it--but is it worth the risk?
    Jesus Saves

  • #2
    Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

    one quick question. you DO remember Wisconsin was in the National Title game just last year right?
    Everything in its right place, Wisconsin Hockey National Champs!


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    • #3
      Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

      Yes, but Michigan only made the tournament with a miracle run while MSU, Minnesota, and Ohio State were irrelevant. This year the Big Ten landed fewer teams in the tournament than Hockey East, the WCHA, the CCHA, and the ECAC. And it wasn't a close thing. Earlier this decade every Big Ten team was vying for a berth every season and Frozen Fours regularly featured multiple Big Ten squads. The point is that the power teams in hockey are currently non-Big Ten teams--this will not destroy the competitive balance of college hockey.
      Jesus Saves

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      • #4
        Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

        It's been debated much longer than 5 years. This topic was discussed so many times, that it became part of the noob guide for uscho fan forum. It's kinda sad that we can't make any BTHC jokes anymore. All the old-timers on here will remember the good old days
        "Great things come in small packages"

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        • #5
          Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

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          • #6
            Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

            Originally posted by solovsfett View Post
            one quick question. you DO remember Wisconsin was in the National Title game just last year right?
            That's debatable
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            • #7
              Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

              I expect this conference to be about as successful as the ants that this is in reference to.
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              • #8
                Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                Originally posted by M-HockeyNet View Post
                That's debatable
                well played, touche
                Everything in its right place, Wisconsin Hockey National Champs!


                "but you're not as confused as him are you. it's not your job to be as confused as Nigel". Tap pt 1.

                "I think it's ****ing stock. What--? Which part of that is unclear to you? I think it sounds stock to my ears. I mean, do you want me to write it down?" Tap Pt. 2

                Who???! So What!!!! Big Deal!!!!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                  Originally posted by #1BCFAN View Post
                  It's been debated much longer than 5 years. This topic was discussed so many times, that it became part of the noob guide for uscho fan forum. It's kinda sad that we can't make any BTHC jokes anymore. All the old-timers on here will remember the good old days
                  Ahhh ... but now we have the proposed BHHC (Butt Hurt Hockey Conference) which can apply to any number of current proposed "realignment" scenarios since they're pretty much all based on being butthurt by the departure of the Big 10 schools from their current conferences.

                  One door closes but another one opens!

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                  • #10
                    Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                    In through the out door.

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                    • #11
                      If college hockey is going to continue on in the current 16 team NCAA format, we'll need the small schools to stay around. I think the best thing that would help that out would be somebody like College Hockey Inc would get together with a bunch of the bigger college hockey boosters out there and work on raising funds for endowments for college hockey at the smaller schools that could be in trouble. Not so much with getting the big boosters to bankroll smaller programs, but to help prime the pump to help those schools get their fundraising and promotions in order to help them stay afloat til better economic times.
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                      • #12
                        Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                        The clearest issue to me is that the Big Ten cannot count. Six teams in hockey, 12 in everything else. I thought they were all "good" schools.
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                        • #13
                          Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                          Originally posted by Caustic Undertow View Post
                          Yes, but Michigan only made the tournament with a miracle run while MSU, Minnesota, and Ohio State were irrelevant. This year the Big Ten landed fewer teams in the tournament than Hockey East, the WCHA, the CCHA, and the ECAC. And it wasn't a close thing. Earlier this decade every Big Ten team was vying for a berth every season and Frozen Fours regularly featured multiple Big Ten squads. The point is that the power teams in hockey are currently non-Big Ten teams--this will not destroy the competitive balance of college hockey.
                          I think that it is important to remember that things are cyclical, now is just a time when the B10 schools are down. The fear is that once the B10 schools get up, they will stay up (or in Michigan's case, remain up). I'm not sure that is what will happen, talent is but one ingredient in a championship caliber team and it's not like UMN, UW, or MSU are lacking in talent right now.

                          Overall, I'm far more worried about losing teams for financial reasons then I am about a losing competitive balance.

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                          • #14
                            Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                            Overlords? Not a chance that the Big Ten Hockey Conference will be the overlords of college hockey.
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                            • #15
                              Re: I For One Welcome Our New Big Ten Hockey Overlords

                              Originally posted by Eaglefan06 View Post
                              Overlords? Not a chance that the Big Ten Hockey Conference will be the overlords of college hockey.
                              Not a chance. Not even one in a billion?
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