The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

I think Ferris is in better shape than Lake State. Ferris is in closer proximity to State/Ohio State and will most likely have a few games against those teams, and possibly Michigan. LSSU is at a disadvantage for being so far away from those schools, that if they want to play Michigan, itd be at Yost. Michigan will never make an appearance in the UP when they join the Big Ten.

The idea of the championship in Fort Wayne will not happen. Will it survive at the Joe? Probably not. Look how the weekends are wtihout Michigan or Michigan State there. Its very empty. But Fort Wayne is just too far for a majority of the teams. Maybe Grand Rapids to hopefully build support for Grand Valley adding hockey? In order to maximize revenue, do you play the semi-finals at school sites and play a best 2 out of 3 championship weekend? Or do you just let the Joe sit half full for a weekend or semis and title games?

I doubt that Olympia has any interest in continuing to host the CCHA tourney when there is no chance at Michigan or Michigan State showing up. My guess is that it will move to Grand Rapids, at least for the first few years. What happens after that will depend on how successful the thing is in GR.

[pinch]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

I think all 3 schools are fine... they will have a better chance of winning more often, and that is what drives attendance. The schools that are leaving did not boost attendance that much LSSU (avg 2103) only had 2 regular season games vs MSU 2720 +3360... Ferris (avg 1734) had 6 dates 1678, 1678, 2021, 2493, 1909, 2417, BG (avg 2169) 4 dates 1804, 1513, 2581, 2515.

I think winning will move attendance more than the opponents will.....that is what has driven the rise of Miamis program right?...you like the big games, but you like winning just as much

[fangers]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

Toledo has a new barn that might work better than the Joe size wise, be just as centrally located.

My fear is that if UAH not included last year due to finances, I'm not sure anything has changed - except the loss of the bthc school may make finances even bigger issue...

[Bill]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

The idea of the championship in Fort Wayne will not happen. Will it survive at the Joe? Probably not. Look how the weekends are wtihout Michigan or Michigan State there. Its very empty. But Fort Wayne is just too far for a majority of the teams. Maybe Grand Rapids to hopefully build support for Grand Valley adding hockey?

The Joe is just too big for what will be left of the CCHA. The Van Andel in Grand Rapids is a fairly logical alternative if they are interested in hosting. Fort Wayne is also a possibility if they are interested. Fort Wayne isn't much further than the Joe for most CCHA schools, and is actually closer for several. That said, I'd still prefer Grand Rapids over Fort Wayne but wouldn't mind seeing it in Fort Wayne occasionally.

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

This is the CCHA after they loose three teams

CCHA
Miami
Notre Dame
WMU
Ferris
LSSU
NMU
Bowling Green
UAF
Hope no teams leave, get a new trophy, schedule, and new playoff tournment site. Regroup quick to save the league.

[fangers]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

This is the CCHA after they loose three teams

CCHA
Miami
Notre Dame
WMU
Ferris
LSSU
NMU
Bowling Green

Hope no teams leave, get a new trophy, schedule, and new playoff tournment site. Regroup quick to save the league.

Thanks Captain Obvious....

[aparch]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

Toledo has a new barn that might work better than the Joe size wise, be just as centrally located.

My fear is that if UAH not included last year due to finances, I'm not sure anything has changed - except the loss of the bthc school may make finances even bigger issue...

What map are you *ing looking at that Toledo is centrally located to the 2013 CCHA?
http://www.cchaarenas.com/wp-content...locations1.jpg

Grand Rapids makes the most sense, and with the Griffins/Red Wings affiliation, a lot of the hand-off to Van Andel can take place easy with very little change in the support the Red Wings have offered the CCHA.



Your fear is correct though. I don't see UAH being accepted just to "save" them when a lot of saving still needs to happen within the CCHA. Poaching Mercyhurst and Bobby Mo could prop up the league, add Pittsburgh as a TV market for the CCHA, and give the league their 10 teams.

With the addition of those two, only then does Toledo become the center of the CCHA.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

This is the CCHA after they loose three teams

CCHA
Miami
Notre Dame
WMU
Ferris
LSSU
NMU
Bowling Green

Hope no teams leave, get a new trophy, schedule, and new playoff tournment site. Regroup quick to save the league.

What happened to UA(F)?

[fangers]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

What map are you *ing looking at that Toledo is centrally located to the 2013 CCHA?
http://www.cchaarenas.com/wp-content...locations1.jpg

Grand Rapids makes the most sense, and with the Griffins/Red Wings affiliation, a lot of the hand-off to Van Andel can take place easy with very little change in the support the Red Wings have offered the CCHA.



Your fear is correct though. I don't see UAH being accepted just to "save" them when a lot of saving still needs to happen within the CCHA. Poaching Mercyhurst and Bobby Mo could prop up the league, add Pittsburgh as a TV market for the CCHA, and give the league their 10 teams.

With the addition of those two, only then does Toledo become the center of the CCHA.

lol - I did say "just as centrally located", inferring it's location to Detroit not necessarily that it was central overall

[aparch]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

What happened to UA(F)?

They blew the Carlson Center off of Earth with their F18 and fantastic explosions.

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

Go after Michigan Tech. They have a pretty nice trophy ... The MacNaughton Cup.

*****http://www.gopherhockeyhistory.com/history/macNaughton/images/cupFrt02.jpg******

I know Tech fans (and probably the program) love the WCHA but there's lots for them to like in playing teams in their home state more regularly. I would mourn the loss of Tech more than Minnesota and Wisconsin but I think it makes some sense for them.

I don't know what incentives there might be available to the CCHA with which to entice them other than the in-state rivalry factor. A better chance at winning the their trophy?

The sad reality it is all about money for MTU to stay in the WCHA.

I think eventually the other WCHA teams will not want to play tech in the future and pressure them to leave the WCHA.

The problem is tech is not loyal to NMU, LSSU and Ferris which they play in all other sports .

Tech wil stick with the money in the WCHA and being accepted as a bottom dweller in the WCHA.

[nmu_27]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

The idea of the championship in Fort Wayne will not happen. Will it survive at the Joe? Probably not. Look how the weekends are wtihout Michigan or Michigan State there. Its very empty. But Fort Wayne is just too far for a majority of the teams. Maybe Grand Rapids to hopefully build support for Grand Valley adding hockey? In order to maximize revenue, do you play the semi-finals at school sites and play a best 2 out of 3 championship weekend? Or do you just let the Joe sit half full for a weekend or semis and title games?

I think the placement of the playoffs is an interesting question. Fort Wayne may be farther for some teams, but after the Big Ten teams leave, that puts Miami and Notre Dame as the figureheads of the conference (if it stays together). As such, I'm sure some thought may be given to placing the playoffs relatively close to those schools in an effort to boost likely attendance.

[bigmrg74]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

The idea of the championship in Fort Wayne will not happen. Will it survive at the Joe? Probably not. Look how the weekends are wtihout Michigan or Michigan State there. Its very empty. But Fort Wayne is just too far for a majority of the teams. Maybe Grand Rapids to hopefully build support for Grand Valley adding hockey? In order to maximize revenue, do you play the semi-finals at school sites and play a best 2 out of 3 championship weekend? Or do you just let the Joe sit half full for a weekend or semis and title games?

remind me to go pick up a mega millions ticket tonight.

Yeah, if the CCHA could get GVSU into the pool, then I would say that the conference tournement stays in Grand Rapids. One school pretty much right on the arena's doorstep, Ferris and Western Michigan an hour or so away, Norte Dame at 2 hours, Bowling Green at 3.5, Lake State at 5, Miami at 5.5, and Marquette at 7.5 hours. Alaska's stuck with a plane trip anyways, but travel wise, it wouldn't be that bad, and having that group of teams well within an hour of the arena, you would stand fairly good odds of one of them making it in the tournement, and bringing the fans with them. Average of the current schools now would be a 3.6 hour drive to GR, not too bad

Toledo wouldn't be that bad either. Bowling Green is just an half hour away, Norte Dame and WMU at 2.5, Miami at 3.5, Ferris at just under 4, Lake State at 6, and NMU at 8.5 Hours. Gain about a half hour on average, 3.9. But I really haven't hear any rumor about U of Toledo adding Hockey, and I believe Findlay is taking out the ice at their arena as well.

To me, short of Lansing building a nice minor league arena that sits around 10,000 or so, Grand Rapids is about the most centrally located location, and would have the most upside in a potential new member to the league as well.

[redhawk95]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

I think the placement of the playoffs is an interesting question. Fort Wayne may be farther for some teams, but after the Big Ten teams leave, that puts Miami and Notre Dame as the figureheads of the conference (if it stays together). As such, I'm sure some thought may be given to placing the playoffs relatively close to those schools in an effort to boost likely attendance.

Yeah, this is going to be a mess. The Joe won't work...Ft. Wayne, Toledo or Grand Rapids seem the most logical choices. Dayton doesn't have a decent arena unless you consider the Nutter Center and I don't believe there is hockey there anymore. The Bombers folded and the CHL's Gems play at Hara Arena -- a true barn. Cincinnati has a decent facility ('96 Frozen Four notwithstanding) but attendance would be a huge issue I'd think.

The Huntington Center in Toledo might be the perfect size at around 8,000+ seats and it's brand new.

[aparch]

Re: The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

Is the Huntington Center the home of the ECHL Walleye?