University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

[RapidsCity]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

UAH actually has a program that believes in itself enough to play as an independent for three years in a climate that is highly toxic for independents.

GFM <-- c'mon, you knew I'd say something.

Of course Geof. Have you heard anything down there about any conference chatter? Not much floating around this neck of the woods.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Do they have a guy with 90 million bucks like Penn State?

No?

Then it's fantasyland.

[Star2City]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Do they have a guy with 90 million bucks like Penn State?

No?

Then it's fantasyland.

Like UConn going to scholarship hockey with a arena far from campus?

If the city of Akron pays for a new arena, how is that different than Pegula?

[gfmorris]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Of course Geof. Have you heard anything down there about any conference chatter? Not much floating around this neck of the woods.

The WCHA will be in Huntsville in October. I know when, but I'm not allowed to say.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Like UConn going to scholarship hockey with a arena far from campus?

If the city of Akron pays for a new arena, how is that different than Pegula?

Pegula paid for the arena and the startup costs and funded all initial recruiting and staffing and everything else in an already-mature athletics department. A rink would be great [I want one here!], but you've got to have a quality organization. Would it cost less at Akron than at Penn State, who has to promise to be competitive in the BI6 right away? Yep. Is that small? Nope.

GFM

[Star2City]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Pegula paid for the arena and the startup costs and funded all initial recruiting and staffing and everything else in an already-mature athletics department. A rink would be great [I want one here!], but you've got to have a quality organization. Would it cost less at Akron than at Penn State, who has to promise to be competitive in the BI6 right away? Yep. Is that small? Nope.

GFM

Jim Tressel was hired on in February by Akron to become V.P. of Strategic Engagement. He's not the type that will sit around and not have new goals for either academics or athletics.

[Star2City]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

The WCHA will be in Huntsville in October. I know when, but I'm not allowed to say.

GFM

Sounds like awesome news is coming! Conferences almost always extend an invite after a campus visit.

[Dirty]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Jim Tressel was hired on in February by Akron to become V.P. of Strategic Engagement. He's not the type that will sit around and not have new goals for either academics or athletics.

I bet one of his initial goals will be to start an annual fundraiser where Akron student-athletes sell their uniforms/other equipment and give people Zips related tattoos.

[sbkbghockey]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

I hope Akron gets things rolling, I think a MAC hockey conference could be the future. With the current climate of college athletics and the shakeups in hockey, schools like BG, Miami, and Western Michigan may get tired of added travel expenses. For a team like Miami, joining a MACHC/CCHA 2.0 would almost be a sure auto-bid for the awhile, something that will be extremely hard to get in the NCHC. Ohio and Kent State still have some high level club teams, particularly OU, they could be interested in the MAC too. On the football side of things, there continues to be a big separation intra-FBS, schools in the MAC could look to hockey to boost interest in their athletic programs as a whole and increase visibility and in-tern enrollment and media money into their schools.

A conference in the MAC footprint could spark expansion in the Ohio valley. UAH could get a home, RMU and Mercyhurst could up schollies and leave Atlantic Hockey and it could pave the way for new programs like Lindenwood, Univ. of Evansville, or others. Holes left by teams leaving to the MAC could open up spots in the WCHA and NCHC for new programs like Iowa State, Minnesota-Moorehead, or Minot State.

[MUhawks628]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

I hope Akron gets things rolling, I think a MAC hockey conference could be the future. With the current climate of college athletics and the shakeups in hockey, schools like BG, Miami, and Western Michigan may get tired of added travel expenses. For a team like Miami, joining a MACHC/CCHA 2.0 would almost be a sure auto-bid for the awhile, something that will be extremely hard to get in the NCHC. Ohio and Kent State still have some high level club teams, particularly OU, they could be interested in the MAC too. On the football side of things, there continues to be a big separation intra-FBS, schools in the MAC could look to hockey to boost interest in their athletic programs as a whole and increase visibility and in-tern enrollment and media money into their schools.

A conference in the MAC footprint could spark expansion in the Ohio valley. UAH could get a home, RMU and Mercyhurst could up schollies and leave Atlantic Hockey and it could pave the way for new programs like Lindenwood, Univ. of Evansville, or others. Holes left by teams leaving to the MAC could open up spots in the WCHA and NCHC for new programs like Iowa State, Minnesota-Moorehead, or Minot State.

If Miami and Western wanted to be in a "CCHA 2.0" they would have stayed and tried to salvage the "CCHA 1.0". Maybe attitudes will change, but it was made abundantly clear that the powers to be at both schools wanted no part of nW/CCHA type leagues.

As for media money tied to college hockey in Ohio, there is none. FS Ohio has no intrest in showing the sport (the Blue Jackets aren't even on every night outside the Columbus market). For the last few seasons Miami payed a now-defunct network to broadcast home games, and tOSU is only televised on BTN.

MAC schools are no different from any other mid-major programs. If the team wins, fans show up. While the folks in Athens, OH are going to have no trouble filling up their basketball arena this winter, Bowling Green hasn't been able to give away hockey tickets for the last ten years. Sports are a minimal consideration, at best, for prospective students.

[MGoBlueHockey]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

I think the future of college hockey is eventually the standard Division I structure. I think we will see SEC hockey, PAC-12 etc. I'm not talking anytime soon, but someday.


It'll look D1 Lacrosse. The smaller schools are powers and bigger schools are starting to add programs (Michigan, florida, south carolina in lax and etc.)

[Rtn2GoldCountry]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Smoke another one.

[bronconick]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Haha. No.

If someone showed up at Alabama-Tuscaloosa with $80 million to start a hockey team, Nick Saban would beat him up, take the money and sign some recruits with it. He would be rewarded by the alumni and boosters for such a wise decision. They're likely trying to kill the UAH program still so they can suck the pennies that have been funding it back and pay their linebackers coach another 50k a year.

In the west and south, there is already a 3rd "major" sport at those schools, and it's significantly more popular and money making than hockey will ever be there. It's called baseball. You may have heard of it.

[MGoBlueHockey]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Haha. No.

If someone showed up at Alabama-Tuscaloosa with $80 million to start a hockey team, Nick Saban would beat him up, take the money and sign some recruits with it. He would be rewarded by the alumni and boosters for such a wise decision. They're likely trying to kill the UAH program still so they can suck the pennies that have been funding it back and pay their linebackers coach another 50k a year.

In the west and south, there is already a 3rd "major" sport at those schools, and it's significantly more popular and money making than hockey will ever be there. It's called baseball. You may have heard of it.

I have heard of it. My team has had a pretty good *** program on that field as well.

I think you're underestimating two things. Time and money. Go find how many programs there were back in the 1960s. Now? There are at least twice as more than there were back then. alabama is full of a bunch of freaks. Honestly. Those people aren't all there. They poison trees when they lose football games....

People down there love their schools athletic programs. Every one of them. I'm not including auburn and alabama because they are freaks. But florida, LSU, texas a&m, tennessee all have massive support for all of their programs.

[fr joe]

Re: University of Akron possibly in discussions to move to D1 varsity

Step One: Oust Faust!