It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

[Jimjamesak]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

Seriously people, the only team that is joining is Penn State, and we all know where they're going. Talking about schools joining when they haven't expressed serious interest is just plain stupid.

You must be new, welcome to USCHO!

[Jim]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

I've said for a long time that the only way it makes any sense for new teams to come up, unless they are major schools like Penn State, is to do it as a group. The original AHA/MAAC group upgraded with something like 8 schools all at the same time and were able to do so as their own league. It allowed them to have a ready made schedule, guarenteed home games, and frankly reasonalby comparable competition. Several of hte original teams, Fairfield, Iona, Quinipiac are no longer par tof the league. Q went on to the ECAc while the others dropped hockey, but they've been replaced over time and the league was large enough to withstand some comings and goings. To me that is what makes sense for an expansion. Unless you're a Penn State, maybe a Syracuse or Rhode Island, major universities with fairly massive athletic departments- The Big Ten operating budgets range from $40-90 million annually compared to about $15 million in the MAC, and my guess is it is MUCH lower at D-2 and D-3 schools-who doesn't have to worry about travel costs and home attendance, comin gin with a ready made league makes some sense. In effect it is what Penn State did, too for that matter. If I were looking to expand, I'd be approaching a couple of the D-3 leagues and particularly the D-2 teams about upgrading as a group and following the AHA cost containment model. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there are any D-2 leagues beyond the Northeast 10.

[Rover]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

Making I've taken a dose of the Crazy or missed the boat on this, but what would be the problem with the conferences continuing on with their current members after the BTHC schools split? It's business as usual in HEA, AHA and ECAC. Big 10 could have an interlocking schedule with CCHA if need be. Nobody HAS to take Huntsville just because they're available.

I guess I could see the possibility of the two western most AHA schools moving to the CCHA and having the two conferences at an even 10 (even after RM just moved to the AHA), but other than that I sincerely doubt we'll see any changes in the coming years.

I'm all for that (which I sorta proposed) with one exception which is the CCHA. I can certainly see Notre Dame and Miami-Ohio (both with new arenas signaling a committment to the program) staying in the CCHA as why have to go through North Dakota, Denver, etc etc every year for a tournament bid if you don't have to. However, I'm concerned about those smaller schools dropping hockey when the big schools take off. If the CCHA becomes a 5 team conference its doomed. That means relying on the Bowling Greens and Ferris St of the world to keep up their commitment. If they don't Notre Dame and Miami would bolt and the conference dies.

Now if you can put a couple of schools in there who aren't in danger of dropping hockey, while not screwing the AHA at the same time, I think you need to do it. To me that's the only change that has to happen and its a relatively minor one IMHO. Then give players a weekend in a warm climate drinking pure Alabama moonshine by sending Alabama-Huntsville to the AHA. None of this should be too disruptive.

[Jim]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

I don't think Huntsville is going to the AHA. The schools there are already travelling to Air Force, who has no interest in leaving by the way. They aren't adding a trip to Huntsville Alabama. It simply isn't happening. Like it or not AHA remains committed to the principal of cost containment. Adding another program 1000 miles from the nearest competitor is totally inconsistent with that philosophy.

[HungryHungryHuskies]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

I've said for a long time that the only way it makes any sense for new teams to come up, unless they are major schools like Penn State, is to do it as a group. The original AHA/MAAC group upgraded with something like 8 schools all at the same time and were able to do so as their own league. It allowed them to have a ready made schedule, guarenteed home games, and frankly reasonalby comparable competition. Several of hte original teams, Fairfield, Iona, Quinipiac are no longer par tof the league. Q went on to the ECAc while the others dropped hockey, but they've been replaced over time and the league was large enough to withstand some comings and goings. To me that is what makes sense for an expansion. Unless you're a Penn State, maybe a Syracuse or Rhode Island, major universities with fairly massive athletic departments- The Big Ten operating budgets range from $40-90 million annually compared to about $15 million in the MAC, and my guess is it is MUCH lower at D-2 and D-3 schools-who doesn't have to worry about travel costs and home attendance, comin gin with a ready made league makes some sense. In effect it is what Penn State did, too for that matter. If I were looking to expand, I'd be approaching a couple of the D-3 leagues and particularly the D-2 teams about upgrading as a group and following the AHA cost containment model. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there are any D-2 leagues beyond the Northeast 10.

I'm admittedly NOT the most knowledgeable person in regards to NCAA regulations, but wasn't it stated recently that if a program wanted to launch/upgrade to a D1 hockey program (or any sport for that matter), they would need to do so with the entire athletics department? I know a lot of teams came up to D1 in the late 90s/early 2000s (with RIT being the last), but I was under the impression that this was a result of disbanding D2 in hockey. If a team like Oswego, for example, wanted to join D1 now ... could they??

[burgie12]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

I'm admittedly NOT the most knowledgeable person in regards to NCAA regulations, but wasn't it stated recently that if a program wanted to launch/upgrade to a D1 hockey program (or any sport for that matter), they would need to do so with the entire athletics department? I know a lot of teams came up to D1 in the late 90s/early 2000s (with RIT being the last), but I was under the impression that this was a result of disbanding D2 in hockey. If a team like Oswego, for example, wanted to join D1 now ... could they??

There has been a moratorium placed on playing up (unless you take the entire athletics program with you) since RIT's men team went up. However, the moratorium was originally a short-term thing (5 years??) and there hasn't been much to indicate that it will be permanent.

As a side note, RIT's women have already stated that they will become a DI program as soon as allowed. So, there are definitely teams pushing for this blockade to be shut down.

[HungryHungryHuskies]

Re: It's Realignment time, it's realignment time! Make it work

There has been a moratorium placed on playing up (unless you take the entire athletics program with you) since RIT's men team went up. However, the moratorium was originally a short-term thing (5 years??) and there hasn't been much to indicate that it will be permanent.

As a side note, RIT's women have already stated that they will become a DI program as soon as allowed. So, there are definitely teams pushing for this blockade to be shut down.

Awesome, thanks for the clarification.