The CCHA: Where do we go from here?

[Squarebanks]

That won't happen. Only way any team in the conference leaves will be of their own accord.

How about UAF and UAA split and form our own conference. We can restart athletics at UAS and Alaska Pacific, then get Mat-Su College, Kenai Peninsula College, UAA's Eagle River campus and UAF's Chukchi campus in Kotzebue to start sponsoring hockey. We can call it the AFUCHA.

(hey, it's as realistic as some of the other ideas we've seen on USCHO lately).

[hockeyenthusiast]

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

I think that's just too few conference games and you'd run into the UAH problem of finding available opponents to play. CCHA teams may wind up scheduling themselves as non-conference opponents. It's confusing enough during tournament play, but to introduce that during the regular season?

You could schedule non-Ivy ECAC teams, who face the same problem every year.

[aparch]

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

EZAC players do understand that by flying West that they can't leave the rink at 10pm on the team bus and be tucked into their own beds by 11:30, right?

[redhawk95]

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

My guess is that Niagara would be first in line to apply for a spot. I suspect RMU would also be interested.

Yes, with Niagara's interest in a full allotment of scholarships, I think you're right. I was just thinking Mercyhurst because Erie is even closer than Buffalo. Buffalo might also be a good market for the league.

[redhawk95]

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

This is a bit outside the CCHA realm (for now), but I wonder if the prospect of contraction becomes real, if that will encourage the NCAA to move up action on admitting Canadian schools?

[bronconick]

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

Yes, with Niagara's interest in a full allotment of scholarships, I think you're right. I was just thinking Mercyhurst because Erie is even closer than Buffalo. Buffalo might also be a good market for the league.

In Buffalo's case it would help if the MAC allowed teams not to play baseball, which is a massive waste in the north.

[Squarebanks]

This is a bit outside the CCHA realm (for now), but I wonder if the prospect of contraction becomes real, if that will encourage the NCAA to move up action on admitting Canadian schools?

That is already happening to some degree. Simon Fraser in Vancouver already competes in Division II athletics.

[Alaska Hockey]

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

How about UAF and UAA split and form our own conference. We can restart athletics at UAS and Alaska Pacific, then get Mat-Su College, Kenai Peninsula College, UAA's Eagle River campus and UAF's Chukchi campus in Kotzebue to start sponsoring hockey. We can call it the AFUCHA.

(hey, it's as realistic as some of the other ideas we've seen on USCHO lately).

UAA likes it right where it is.

[komey1]

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

Yes, with Niagara's interest in a full allotment of scholarships, I think you're right. I was just thinking Mercyhurst because Erie is even closer than Buffalo. Buffalo might also be a good market for the league.

What about RIT? They are currently working on a capital campaign for a newer/bigger arena. They have already established themselves as a top team in the AHA. Certainly it would be a step up in competition, but I don't think RIT would have the commitment to be a good team in the league and go after a championship.

[Tundra]

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

How about UAF and UAA split and form our own conference. We can restart athletics at UAS and Alaska Pacific, then get Mat-Su College, Kenai Peninsula College, UAA's Eagle River campus and UAF's Chukchi campus in Kotzebue to start sponsoring hockey. We can call it the AFUCHA.

(hey, it's as realistic as some of the other ideas we've seen on USCHO lately).

Yeah we can always go back to independent or even back to DII or 3. But I think CCHA will be fine. I would take the NCAA auto bid over stronger competition. although there is the question of money.

Maybe we should ask our governor Parnell to build new rinks (for everyone) instead of flushing it down the oil companies toilet. $1.8billion/yr could build a lot of hockey rinks and money left over to finish the "bridge to no where" and the gas pipeline.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/...s_8363025.html

Parnell's plan would, by one state estimate, result in up to $1.8 billion a year in revenue losses, though critics, including House Democrats, say the figure could be much higher.

Parnell has said reserve funds could offset revenue losses and balance future budgets.

Parnell said Thursday that the major problem he heard from the industry concerned the progressive surcharge trigged when a company's net profits top $30 a barrel.

[AnchorsAway]

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

LSSU is a small school so I can see where the existence questions could theoretically arise, however Lake State has started on a 5 million dollar renovation of it's hockey arena/locker room/weight training facility for the Lakers...In my opinion that's about as substantial of a "we're here to stay statement" as is possible at this point.

I look forward to a smaller league that offers the opportunity for more non-conference games, I'd much rather see the Lakers trade series with the likes of Bemidji, Minnesota State, and other smaller schools than play the big boys all the time, the league as a whole should be more competitive in a top to bottom sense and eliminate some of the "tiers" that have been around in the past.

[redhawk95]

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

What about RIT? They are currently working on a capital campaign for a newer/bigger arena. They have already established themselves as a top team in the AHA. Certainly it would be a step up in competition, but I don't think RIT would have the commitment to be a good team in the league and go after a championship.

Man, I don't know. That's a haul from the UP. And, it's every bit of 8-9 hours drive from Oxford. Great up-and-coming-program, though.

[I Want Shegos]

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

The media attention surrounding the CCHA always seems so Michigan/Michigan State centered, so I wonder how much of media attention would be gone? Would FSN Detroit be that inclined to show CCHA hockey without them?

As a Ferris fan, my worry would be if Notre Dame or Miami tried to jump ship to somewhere else. I have no idea how feasible any of that is, but you never know. Plus, with Minnesota/Wisconsin out, what would the chances of anyone leaving/joining the WCHA/CCHA be?

Does the 8 team lineup really hold up in terms of credibility? Miami has been a legitimate power for a while, Notre Dame is usually solid, but then after? Ferris, Alaska, and Northern usually find ways to be average, Western was terrible until this year, Bowling Green is bad, and Lake State isn't looking too good either. It could be a rocky slope.

I suppose you could try to convince new schools to join, and hope that some of the other MAC (Toledo? CMU isn't happening anytime soon) or GLIAC (GVSU?) schools decided to jump in. But it doesn't seem likely. I know Alabama-Huntsville wanted the 12th spot this year, I don't know if they would get put in.

These are the questions. It'll be an interesting few years for the CCHA. Especially for the small schools like Ferris. As a Ferris fan, I wonder if this puts the program at all in jeopardy? We'll see.. The worry is that the recruits slowly go away from the conference as a whole, and everyone gets weaker within.

[Buck LeVasseur]

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

Man, I don't know. That's a haul from the UP. And, it's every bit of 8-9 hours drive from Oxford. Great up-and-coming-program, though.

It really isn't all that much different than Nebraska-Omaha being in the CCHA. The trip for Lake State to Omaha is 15-16 hours, from Rochester to Marquette you're looking at 12-13. Granted, it's far from an ideal situation, but when you consider that for Miami to get to Northern it's a good 11 hours then it doesn't really look so bad. I'm not saying I'm a proponent of RIT joining the CCHA as I haven't done enough research, I just don't think that the distance is really that big of a factor at this point. When schools are already driving 9-11 hours to get to Marquette, what's an additional 2 or 3 for RIT? That said, I think the CCHA would need to add another school from the Erie/Ontario corridor to help to balance the league out and to give RIT a conference rival. I think Niagara and RIT would make the most sense at face value to join as a pair, but like I said, I need to do some more research on the subject.

[Rhett]

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

RIT cannot give scholarships (like Union, they moved up too late to be grandfathered for scholarship purposes). I think they are happy to be in a limited scholarship league. ECAC Hockey is probably their dream location.