Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

[cooperalls]

With the Big Ten Conference rapidly approaching, will their be a major conference realignment in the CCHA and WCHA?

I see the possibility of the CCHA looking like this:

Notre Dame
Miami
W. Michigan
Ferris State
Northern Michigan
Lake Superior
Bowling Green
Alabama Huntsville
Michigan Tech

WCHA

North Dakota
U. Nebraska Omaha
Denver
U Minn Duluth
Col. College
St. Cloud
Bemidji
Minn. State
Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Anchorage

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Sorry, Red Cloud, but it must be done...

*****http://lolpics.se/pics/482.jpg******

[davyd83]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

With the Big Ten Conference rapidly approaching, will their be a major conference realignment in the CCHA and WCHA?

I see the possibility of the CCHA looking like this:

Notre Dame
Miami
W. Michigan
Ferris State
Northern Michigan
Lake Superior
Bowling Green
Alabama Huntsville
Michigan Tech

WCHA

North Dakota
U. Nebraska Omaha
Denver
U Minn Duluth
Col. College
St. Cloud
Bemidji
Minn. State
Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Anchorage

You won't see both Alaska schools in the same conference. Tech has no interest in moving to the CCHA and the CCHA membership is not likely to change their mind with Huntsville due to travel concerns, since it's either a flight or a second day bus trip for nearly all members.

[fangers]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

You won't see both Alaska schools in the same conference. Tech has no interest in moving to the CCHA and the CCHA membership is not likely to change their mind with Huntsville due to travel concerns, since it's either a flight or a second day bus trip for nearly all members.

That's a little inaccurate - it will be for some (NMU, LSSU, Alaska), but not "nearly all". And it looks like LSSU has agreed to a home/home deal for the next two seasons, so they are willing to make the trip.

[davyd83]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Really? Here are the mileages: NMU 933 (18 1/2 hrs), LSSU 932 (18 1/2 hrs), Ferris 744 (16 hrs), Western Mich 640 (13 1/2), Bowling Green 564 (11), Notre Dame 541 (11), Miami 414 (8). Now, if you've ever been on one of these trips on the bus, you know that teams very rarely will spend more than 9 hours in a day in transit. So only Miami falls under that number and Bowling Green and Notre Dame are a stretch there. So yes, second day travel or flying are pretty much the only options for all but 3 of the CCHA schools which will remain.

[moose97]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Really? Here are the mileages: NMU 933 (18 1/2 hrs), LSSU 932 (18 1/2 hrs), Ferris 744 (16 hrs), Western Mich 640 (13 1/2), Bowling Green 564 (11), Notre Dame 541 (11), Miami 414 (8). Now, if you've ever been on one of these trips on the bus, you know that teams very rarely will spend more than 9 hours in a day in transit. So only Miami falls under that number and Bowling Green and Notre Dame are a stretch there. So yes, second day travel or flying are pretty much the only options for all but 3 of the CCHA schools which will remain.

Really? Alaska is a flight for EVERYONE, so ignore them for this discussion. So, of the remaining 7, 3 are within a day's travel - in other words, nearly half.

And those same 3 schools are currently making trips to the UP at roughly 9-12 hours - right on the edge of "OMFG that's too far to even consider adding to the league" according to you. Right?

This whole argument is getting old. Please make note of this post (and the follow-up discussion) before talking about travel and costs re: UAH...

http://board.uscho.com/showthread.ph...=1#post5136958

[davyd83]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Really? Alaska is a flight for EVERYONE, so ignore them for this discussion. So, of the remaining 7, 3 are within a day's travel - in other words, nearly half.

And those same 3 schools are currently making trips to the UP at roughly 9-12 hours - right on the edge of "OMFG that's too far to even consider adding to the league" according to you. Right?

This whole argument is getting old. Please make note of this post (and the follow-up discussion) before talking about travel and costs re: UAH...

http://board.uscho.com/showthread.ph...=1#post5136958

Moose, Miami and Notre Dame make their trip to NMU a two day journey. Ohio State also does the same in the current configuration. Bowling Green has been known to make it a partial second day as well. The bottom line is that only Miami can make the trip to Huntsville within a standard day's travel. I'm far from opposed to Huntsville joining the CCHA. It's a great hockey town. The arena is a good place to see a game. Throw in a trip to Dreamland BBQ and my friends from my Birmingham hockey days coming up for the series, and I would love to see Huntsville in the league, and I'm all for Huntsville's inclusion. But the reality is that nearly all CCHA teams voted against accepting Huntsville due to the travel involved. What I would like to see happen here and what the reality are two vastly different things.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

I too feel that geography should dictate all, so let me derail this conversation with my proposed NFL realignment divisions

Midwest: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota (keeps Black and Blue Division intact)
Southeast: Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay (3 Florida teams lumped with Georgia's sole team)
West Coast: Oakland, San Diego, San Fransisco, Seattle (3 Cali teams with Seattle; like this more than giving them Arizona and putting Seattle in with DEN, DAL and HOU)
Southwest: Arizona, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans (Two Texas teams in same division, all warmer weather teams keeps things pretty fair come winter and I hear Texas and Louisiana don't like each other)
Central: Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis (Puts Missouri teams together, wouldn't be horribly upset to swap New Orleans with Denver but I prefer keeping Bronco-Chief rivalry in tact)
New England: Buffalo, New England, New York Giants, New York Jets (3 New York teams and Boston are most the four teams all in one corner, pretty easy)
Atlantic: Baltimore, Carolina, Tennessee, Washington (Maryland teams together, basically the other two were remainders)
Rust Belt: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh (Has AFC North gain Philly, and people from Philly hate everyone, but particularly people from these three cities. Added bonus: someone gets a rusty belt and its kept by the division winner each year)

You may say "Euro, why are you wasting our time with this?" but I say anyone who starts threads based on what they're crossing their fingers and hoping for's time is pretty worthless to begin with. Also, Goodell doesn't have to deal with any team's gaining extra game exemptions due to being non-continental, the McNaughton owners, or a Southern school nobody seems to want, so I'd say that this has a better chance of passing than the proposed alignment that started this thread.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

I too feel that geography should dictate all, so let me derail this conversation with my proposed NFL realignment divisions

Midwest: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota (keeps Black and Blue Division intact)
Southeast: Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay (3 Florida teams lumped with Georgia's sole team)
West Coast: Oakland, San Diego, San Fransisco, Seattle (3 Cali teams with Seattle; like this more than giving them Arizona and putting Seattle in with DEN, DAL and HOU)
Southwest: Arizona, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans (Two Texas teams in same division, all warmer weather teams keeps things pretty fair come winter and I hear Texas and Louisiana don't like each other)
Central: Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis (Puts Missouri teams together, wouldn't be horribly upset to swap New Orleans with Denver but I prefer keeping Bronco-Chief rivalry in tact)
New England: Buffalo, New England, New York Giants, New York Jets (3 New York teams and Boston are most the four teams all in one corner, pretty easy)
Atlantic: Baltimore, Carolina, Tennessee, Washington (Maryland teams together, basically the other two were remainders)
Rust Belt: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh (Has AFC North gain Philly, and people from Philly hate everyone, but particularly people from these three cities. Added bonus: someone gets a rusty belt and its kept by the division winner each year)

You may say "Euro, why are you wasting our time with this?" but I say anyone who starts threads based on what they're crossing their fingers and hoping for's time is pretty worthless to begin with. Also, Goodell doesn't have to deal with any team's gaining extra game exemptions due to being non-continental, the McNaughton owners, or a Southern school nobody seems to want, so I'd say that this has a better chance of passing than the proposed alignment that started this thread.

I'm sorry, but there is only ONE New York team there. The Giants and the Jets play in New Jersey!! And if there's only one New England team, how in the heck can you call it a New England conference? Not to mention, if you're doing it geographically, putting Philly in the NE conference and Buffalo in the Rust Belt conference makes a heck of a lot more sense.

[fangers]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Really? Here are the mileages: NMU 933 (18 1/2 hrs), LSSU 932 (18 1/2 hrs), Ferris 744 (16 hrs), Western Mich 640 (13 1/2), Bowling Green 564 (11), Notre Dame 541 (11), Miami 414 (8). Now, if you've ever been on one of these trips on the bus, you know that teams very rarely will spend more than 9 hours in a day in transit. So only Miami falls under that number and Bowling Green and Notre Dame are a stretch there. So yes, second day travel or flying are pretty much the only options for all but 3 of the CCHA schools which will remain.

Well, FSU did it last year, wonder how they broke it up. UAH bussed to FSU, MSU, BGSU, OSU last season, typically leaving on Wednesday evening.

[davyd83]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

One other thing to take into account, especially for Ferris, NMU and LSSU, is the 48 hour rule. You cannot leave more than 48 hours prior to the start of the first game, with travel to Alaska and Hawaii being the exception. So for an NMU series at Huntsville with a 7:05 CT Friday start in Huntsville, NMU couldn't leave Marquette prior to 8:05 ET on Wednesday. Even Ferris, leaving Big Rapids at 8:05 on a Wednesday and going as far as Indy, getting in around 12:30 am, then up and on the road by 8 am the next morning, they still have another 12 hours to go.

[moose97]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

One other thing to take into account, especially for Ferris, NMU and LSSU, is the 48 hour rule. You cannot leave more than 48 hours prior to the start of the first game, with travel to Alaska and Hawaii being the exception. So for an NMU series at Huntsville with a 7:05 CT Friday start in Huntsville, NMU couldn't leave Marquette prior to 8:05 ET on Wednesday. Even Ferris, leaving Big Rapids at 8:05 on a Wednesday and going as far as Indy, getting in around 12:30 am, then up and on the road by 8 am the next morning, they still have another 12 hours to go.

OMG... So they would have to fly? That would be terrible. MTU has to fly to CC and Denver - and pay for it. BSU this year has to fly to UAA, CC and DU (plus CHOSE to play @ Miami OOC).

Please stop. It's fine if the CCHA wanted to save money by eliminating travel to UNO and not replace it with UAH, but then they should have had the balls to come out and say so. And to say that cost savings was more important than "saving" UAH. Instead, all we get is, "UAH is too far away" and "what about the 48 hour rule" when clearly none of that is true.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

I'm sorry, but there is only ONE New York team there. The Giants and the Jets play in New Jersey!! And if there's only one New England team, how in the heck can you call it a New England conference? Not to mention, if you're doing it geographically, putting Philly in the NE conference and Buffalo in the Rust Belt conference makes a heck of a lot more sense.

Finally, somebody who is talking about something important in this thread.

I meant New York in name, plus, people from New York CHEER for the Jets and Giants. Nobody cheers for the Bills, and they'll soon be in Toronto, so that's fixed. Besides, how could you not want Philly and Pittsburgh playing each other twice a year? And I wasn't suggesting CALLING it the New England division, just pointing out where everyone is.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Finally, somebody who is talking about something important in this thread.

I meant New York in name, plus, people from New York CHEER for the Jets and Giants. Nobody cheers for the Bills, and they'll soon be in Toronto, so that's fixed. Besides, how could you not want Philly and Pittsburgh playing each other twice a year? And I wasn't suggesting CALLING it the New England division, just pointing out where everyone is.

Buffalo, Orchard Park specifically, is at least 6 hours from New England, and that's just the border, we're not talking about Foxboro. But, seeing as how you've already ticked off not only me, but most of the RIT fans as well...

Plus, New York in name only. They're still not from New York. So much for the New Jersey Giants and the New Jersey Jets.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Conference Realignment needed for 2012-13 season?

Buffalo, Orchard Park specifically, is at least 6 hours from New England, and that's just the border, we're not talking about Foxboro. But, seeing as how you've already ticked off not only me, but most of the RIT fans as well...

You come up with a proposal then, mine was based mostly on geography but I factored in rivalries. I wanted to keep the Cincinnati-Cleveland, Baltimore-Washington and Pittsburgh-Philadelphia rivalries together. So you're suggesting we just swap Philly and Buffalo. (SIGH) I GUESS Philly fans hate New Yorkers too