The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

[Freddie]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Well, if you saw it on so-and-so's twitter feed, it must be true.

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Does the Commish of the WCHA. count?

Bruce said in an. Interview conference shuffling is around the corner.

Who did he say was shuffling? Did you hear the interview? Because when I spoke with him, we both agreed that there were likely to be more changes, but no teams were mentioned as having expressed interest in leaving the league. How many is "so many?" Who exactly are these teams? Please, give us all you've got from on record sources.

And just for the record, there was plenty of talk around at the CCHA league tourney at the end of last year that there would be more movement within a few years after the results of the first big shift were know and it was even speculated that the CCHA could indeed be reborn at some point. Over the past couple seasons, since the Big 6 became apparent, there have been many proposals. They even included one that made far too much sense to ever come to fruition.

[Squarebanks]

They even included one that made far too much sense to ever come to fruition.

Well...we're waiting...

(In my best Judge Smales voice)

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Well...we're waiting...

(In my best Judge Smales voice)

Let's just say that it was one that was much better based geographically and included members of the AHA, WCHA and CCHA. It would not have altered the NCHC and Big 6. If I recall correctly, in many ways it actually resembled what has been suggested by many fans regarding the westernmost AHA schools and the southernmost CCHA schools. Like I said, made way too much sense to ever actually happen.

[Freddie]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Freddie Attempts To Inject Reason And Logic In To The Discussion

Many of us will continue to look back fondly on the good-old-days of the CCHA and the oldWCHA. There's nothing wrong with that; hell, I still enjoy watching old reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show". But, as for TODAY, we ARE where we are.

With today's technology; rumors, gossip, gripes, pipe-dreams and flat-out lies are disseminated indiscriminately, and frequently take on lives of their own. Any moron with a smart-phone or a twitter account can toss out a few misspelled words, and "voila" his garbage becomes gospel.

Having said that, I will tell you what I believe. And this isn't coming from any inside information, just coming from my own observations through the filter of someone who has followed college hockey for over 40 years.

1. Attendance at conference tournaments has been on the decline (except in the oldWCHA) for years, and
2. The recent conference realignments has done nothing except hasten that decline.
3. Increased travel expenses ARE and WILL CONTINUE TO BE an issue for many schools. These 3 lead directly to:
4. There WILL be further shake-out/aftershocks from this realignment. How soon it may happen is anybody's guess, but it would be entirely silly to believe the present conference structures can stay intact over the long term. As they are not financially sustainable.
5. Any number of possible dominos may fall, setting off a chain reaction similar to Penn State's coming on board:
A. Miami and WMU get tired of travel expenses and seek some sort of relief, leaving the door open for Bemidji and Mankato to fill the void.
B. BG, with or without Ferris looks east to reduce travel expenses.
C. The Ivys pull away from ECAC and form their own six-team, auto-bid-eligible conference, leaving ECAC with spots to fill
D. Niagara, RMU and a couple other AH teams tire of the drag on the RPI/PWR caused by their conference's scholarship limits look west (see B) or at a fractured ECAC (see C).


I make NO predictions about which of these may come about first, but I sincerely believe some further realignment WILL take place in the VERY near future...certainly within 3 years.

One thing that remains constant, no matter which scenario sets off the next tumble. The nWCHA is highly vulnerable because of the extreme travel to Alaska and Alabama. I mean NO disrespect to any of those schools, and I don't pretend to have any solution to the problem...but the problem is REAL, and it won't go away.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Freddie Attempts To Inject Reason And Logic In To The Discussion

Many of us will continue to look back fondly on the good-old-days of the CCHA and the oldWCHA. There's nothing wrong with that; hell, I still enjoy watching old reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show". But, as for TODAY, we ARE where we are.

With today's technology; rumors, gossip, gripes, pipe-dreams and flat-out lies are disseminated indiscriminately, and frequently take on lives of their own. Any moron with a smart-phone or a twitter account can toss out a few misspelled words, and "voila" his garbage becomes gospel.

Having said that, I will tell you what I believe. And this isn't coming from any inside information, just coming from my own observations through the filter of someone who has followed college hockey for over 40 years.

1. Attendance at conference tournaments has been on the decline (except in the oldWCHA) for years, and
2. The recent conference realignments has done nothing except hasten that decline.
3. Increased travel expenses ARE and WILL CONTINUE TO BE an issue for many schools. These 3 lead directly to:
4. There WILL be further shake-out/aftershocks from this realignment. How soon it may happen is anybody's guess, but it would be entirely silly to believe the present conference structures can stay intact over the long term. As they are not financially sustainable.
5. Any number of possible dominos may fall, setting off a chain reaction similar to Penn State's coming on board:
A. Miami and WMU get tired of travel expenses and seek some sort of relief, leaving the door open for Bemidji and Mankato to fill the void.
B. BG, with or without Ferris looks east to reduce travel expenses.
C. The Ivys pull away from ECAC and form their own six-team, auto-bid-eligible conference, leaving ECAC with spots to fill
D. Niagara, RMU and a couple other AH teams tire of the drag on the RPI/PWR caused by their conference's scholarship limits look west (see B) or at a fractured ECAC (see C).


I make NO predictions about which of these may come about first, but I sincerely believe some further realignment WILL take place in the VERY near future...certainly within 3 years.

One thing that remains constant, no matter which scenario sets off the next tumble. The nWCHA is highly vulnerable because of the extreme travel to Alaska and Alabama. I mean NO disrespect to any of those schools, and I don't pretend to have any solution to the problem...but the problem is REAL, and it won't go away.

Very well said Freddie.

[Pink Pony]

Freddie Attempts To Inject Reason And Logic In To The Discussion

Many of us will continue to look back fondly on the good-old-days of the CCHA and the oldWCHA. There's nothing wrong with that; hell, I still enjoy watching old reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show". But, as for TODAY, we ARE where we are.

With today's technology; rumors, gossip, gripes, pipe-dreams and flat-out lies are disseminated indiscriminately, and frequently take on lives of their own. Any moron with a smart-phone or a twitter account can toss out a few misspelled words, and "voila" his garbage becomes gospel.

Having said that, I will tell you what I believe. And this isn't coming from any inside information, just coming from my own observations through the filter of someone who has followed college hockey for over 40 years.

1. Attendance at conference tournaments has been on the decline (except in the oldWCHA) for years, and
2. The recent conference realignments has done nothing except hasten that decline.
3. Increased travel expenses ARE and WILL CONTINUE TO BE an issue for many schools. These 3 lead directly to:
4. There WILL be further shake-out/aftershocks from this realignment. How soon it may happen is anybody's guess, but it would be entirely silly to believe the present conference structures can stay intact over the long term. As they are not financially sustainable.
5. Any number of possible dominos may fall, setting off a chain reaction similar to Penn State's coming on board:
A. Miami and WMU get tired of travel expenses and seek some sort of relief, leaving the door open for Bemidji and Mankato to fill the void.
B. BG, with or without Ferris looks east to reduce travel expenses.
C. The Ivys pull away from ECAC and form their own six-team, auto-bid-eligible conference, leaving ECAC with spots to fill
D. Niagara, RMU and a couple other AH teams tire of the drag on the RPI/PWR caused by their conference's scholarship limits look west (see B) or at a fractured ECAC (see C).


I make NO predictions about which of these may come about first, but I sincerely believe some further realignment WILL take place in the VERY near future...certainly within 3 years.

One thing that remains constant, no matter which scenario sets off the next tumble. The nWCHA is highly vulnerable because of the extreme travel to Alaska and Alabama. I mean NO disrespect to any of those schools, and I don't pretend to have any solution to the problem...but the problem is REAL, and it won't go away.

When is this going to happen?

[davyd83]

When is this going to happen?

Read the next to last paragraph.

[RapidsCity]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Who's to say Bowling Green who owns the rights to the CCHA might not want this to happen and bring in WMU and Miami to save on costs for all three MAC schools plus control over league matters as BGSU is out of the way in the WCHA.

Who's to say they'd oppose it? I don't know. It was an idea floated a couple seasons ago. It got shot down.

[Freddie]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Who's to say Bowling Green who owns the rights to the CCHA might not want this to happen and bring in WMU and Miami to save on costs for all three MAC schools plus control over league matters as BGSU is out of the way in the WCHA.

Pink Pony seems to have some problems with reading comprehension. I believe I covered this in 5B.

perhaps........if..........I.........type......... more.........slow.........ly.......you.......may.. .......be........able..........to.........keep.... ...up.

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Imagine yourself an AD from the old WCHA. Say Mankato. If you go back, are you going to face the same issues you faced when you left?. Peg bradley dopes, the insufferable cc guys, North Dakota telling you what to do and not wanting to give you a say in it. etc. Are you going back to that without some sort of major change on their part?. Hard for me to imagine. The only way that happens is if you really can't make this work financially. Is your travel more now? maybe marginally. You don't pay to go to alaska now and you don't fly to Denver or CC any more. Attendance is much the same. It could be a wash.

Now what if you are the NMU or LSSU AD. yes travel is more. are you making more money.? Maybe not, but its not a lot different than the CCHA was and you get to play your closest rivals 4 times as league games which brings in money. If there is a reshuffle, will you benefit.? not likely.

How about Ferris. will you travel less?. A little, but if you join up with eastern teams it's likely more, not less financially, though it is less time consuming, and the bus rides would be just as long or longer, especially if lssu is not part of it.

So that leaves BG and UAH. I don't see UAH benefitting from the changes, though yes BG would stand to benefit greatly if they could get some of Atlantic hockey to join with them.
Now you are Miami or WMU. Yes travel is a lot more. But will you benefit any other way by switching again, and switching to what? It won't be ever as close as it was or as easy. So be careful what you wish for.

So my thoughts are, maybe it changes, but there will have to be some catalyst to make it happen. Something like fewer league games might be something to consider. Though non league games cost more as a general rule..

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Pink Pony seems to have some problems with reading comprehension. I believe I covered this in 5B.

perhaps........if..........I.........type......... more.........slow.........ly.......you.......may.. .......be........able..........to.........keep.... ...up.

Pink Pony is either a very poorly thought out bit/troll account, or someone who struggles to button his own shirt.

[RapidsCity]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Pink Pony is either a very poorly thought out bit/troll account, or someone who struggles to button his own shirt.

Comprehension is difficult when one's tongue is frozen to the window he's licking.

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Imagine yourself an AD from the old WCHA. Say Mankato. If you go back, are you going to face the same issues you faced when you left?. Peg bradley dopes, the insufferable cc guys, North Dakota telling you what to do and not wanting to give you a say in it. etc. Are you going back to that without some sort of major change on their part?. Hard for me to imagine. The only way that happens is if you really can't make this work financially. Is your travel more now? maybe marginally. You don't pay to go to alaska now and you don't fly to Denver or CC any more. Attendance is much the same. It could be a wash.

Now what if you are the NMU or LSSU AD. yes travel is more. are you making more money.? Maybe not, but its not a lot different than the CCHA was and you get to play your closest rivals 4 times as league games which brings in money. If there is a reshuffle, will you benefit.? not likely.

How about Ferris. will you travel less?. A little, but if you join up with eastern teams it's likely more, not less financially, though it is less time consuming, and the bus rides would be just as long or longer, especially if lssu is not part of it.

So that leaves BG and UAH. I don't see UAH benefitting from the changes, though yes BG would stand to benefit greatly if they could get some of Atlantic hockey to join with them.
Now you are Miami or WMU. Yes travel is a lot more. But will you benefit any other way by switching again, and switching to what? It won't be ever as close as it was or as easy. So be careful what you wish for.

So my thoughts are, maybe it changes, but there will have to be some catalyst to make it happen. Something like fewer league games might be something to consider. Though non league games cost more as a general rule..

You do pay to go to Alaska. In the old CCHA, Fairbanks picked up most of the plane tickets (25 I believe), hotel and ground transportation. Anchorage had a lower number of plane tickets for the WCHA. Now teams get a set amount for the trip to Fairbanks, an amount to Anchorage and an amount to Huntsville. It is nowhere near the "reimburse the excess of your most expensive trip among the other 7" that was bandied about. In the old WCHA, it wasn't the big guys like North Dakota pushing the little guys around. There was a fairly equal balance between the bigger budgets and the smaller ones. North Dakota left, because without Minnesota & Wisconsin, it was afraid the little guys would be pushing their will on them.

And one additional home game against Michigan Tech hardly makes up the revenue lost with Michigan, MSU and the additional flights to Huntsville and Anchorage and the $20,000 increase in the cost of the Fairbanks trip.

[jnacc]

Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Now what if you are the NMU or LSSU AD. yes travel is more. are you making more money.? Maybe not, but its not a lot different than the CCHA was and you get to play your closest rivals 4 times as league games which brings in money. If there is a reshuffle, will you benefit.? not likely.

..

Cannot speak about any other program's situation but the demise of the old CCHA and the re branding of the nWCHA has hurt Lake State financially. The Big 10 teams and Notre Dame were huge draws for home attendance and even schools like Western Michigan would bring a bump in attendance compared to the smaller and less known schools. Yes we had a less than mediocre coach running the program for far to long but even his dismissal and, if we're lucky, the hiring of a "brand" name coach will not bring back all the fans lost due to the re-organization of the conferences. Laker fans will learn to live with it though, but I'm sorry, even close regional rivals cannot bring back the excitement of what the "hated" Wolverines and their ilk brought to town when they played our Lakers.