2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

It only makes sense geographically for some schools.

Houghton to Bemidji - 366 miles
Houghton to Mankato - 445 miles

Houghton to Kalamazoo - 551 miles
Houghton to Oxford - 697 miles

Marquette to Bemidji - 402 miles
Marquette to Mankato - 470 miles

Marquette to Kalamazoo - 452 miles
Marquette to Oxford - 647 miles

You can't call out those 2 and claim it isn't better for the conference overall...Bemidji/Mankato or BGSU/UAH are current outliers. If you can replace 2 outliers with 2 teams more centrally located, it is better for the league...MTU would become the new outlier and in general, I would hate it since I'm in Minneapolis and my closest games every year (except NC) becomes Houghton...

[gfmorris]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

If you flip the Minnesota schools for another Michigan and another Ohio schools, we go from being a pan-Midwest conference with an Alaska/Alabama problem to a lower Midwest conference with the same problem. UAH is certainly happier from a travel perspective to not go to Minnesota, but we sure as heck would miss being in a conference with Bemidji, and playing Mankato is fun, too.

I still think that an NCHC-WCHA interlock would benefit our teams very much — cue Shirtless with his PWR cries — but would the NCHC go for it?

GFM

[manurespreader]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

If you flip the Minnesota schools for another Michigan and another Ohio schools, we go from being a pan-Midwest conference with an Alaska/Alabama problem to a lower Midwest conference with the same problem. UAH is certainly happier from a travel perspective to not go to Minnesota, but we sure as heck would miss being in a conference with Bemidji, and playing Mankato is fun, too.

I still think that an NCHC-WCHA interlock would benefit our teams very much — cue Shirtless with his PWR cries — but would the NCHC go for it?

GFM

No chance, but who knows, maybe miami and western, IF they decide to, could push it thru, but I'm doubting it very much.

All of this could be solved with some cash. So lets get some well off person to get the league an airplane and we can fly the teams that need it to the games. So for instance, teams over 450 miles from that weekends games get a plane ride courtesy of the league. it's easy, Just costs money. ( roughly double that of the bus, depending on how you do it, it's costs are higher per mile than that, but you make some back in not buying hotels and meals for everyone)

[gfmorris]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

All of this could be solved with some cash. So lets get some well off person to get the league an airplane and we can fly the teams that need it to the games. So for instance, teams over 450 miles from that weekends games get a plane ride courtesy of the league. it's easy, Just costs money. ( roughly double that of the bus, depending on how you do it, it's costs are higher per mile than that, but you make some back in not buying hotels and meals for everyone)

This is exactly the scenario that Danton Cole presented to me (as if I have that kind of cheddar) back in the day: charter a plane for us on the way out and opponents on the way in. When we flew to Fort Wayne for the 2010 Midwest, it took us 58 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. If we could fly teams directly to Huntsville from the UP and Brrrrrmidji, they'd love it. (Screw BG, they can get a bus.) Shoot, we might get some nice Eastern schools to come.

Sadly, I've yet to win Powerball or Mega Millions.

GFM

[Broseph Stalin]

NFW do we want Western or Miami. We need to keep Mankato and the Beavers.

WCHA should just make Miami and Western an offer. We can have our cake and eat it too!

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

WCHA should just make Miami and Western an offer. We can have our cake and eat it too!

Why would they take it? I'm sure they'd rather fly to CC and DU than Anchorage and Fairbanks

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

WCHA should just make Miami and Western an offer. We can have our cake and eat it too!

I would love to be a fly on the wall when that offer is made.

[blackswampboy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

WCHA should just make Miami and Western an offer. We can have our cake and eat it too!

Looks like Miami and Western fans are voting for the nachos (with their feet).
Avg. attendance.

Miami
2012-2013: 3004
-------------------
2013-2014: 2851
2014-2015: 2698
2015-2016: 2532

Western
2012-2013: 3633
-------------------
2013-2014: 3415
2014-2015: 3264
2015-2016: 2846

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Looks like Miami and Western fans are voting for the nachos (with their feet).
Avg. attendance.

Miami
2012-2013: 3004
-------------------
2013-2014: 2851
2014-2015: 2698
2015-2016: 2532

Western
2012-2013: 3633
-------------------
2013-2014: 3415
2014-2015: 3264
2015-2016: 2846

These figures for Miami State include the yearly home-and-home series with BG and OSU. So if you're talking specifically about the "Nacho Effect," the adjusted results are slightly worse.

[Critical Thinker]

I would love to be a fly on the wall when that offer is made.

WCHA: "So, we're offering you full membership, where you can resume your rivalry with BGSU, have the other Michigan schools within range of a bus, and when you do have to fly, your airfare will be subsidized by UAF and UAA. What do you say?"

Rico Blasi: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no."

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

WCHA: "So, we're offering you full membership, where you can resume your rivalry with BGSU, have the other Michigan schools within range of a bus, and when you do have to fly, your airfare will be subsidized by UAF and UAA. What do you say?"

Rico Blasi: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no."

Could not agree with you more. Miami State is never leaving the Nachos. Prestige trumps everything down in Oxford. And if Miami State stays, Western stays.

[jsmithe]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

It only makes sense geographically for some schools.

Houghton to Bemidji - 366 miles
Houghton to Mankato - 445 miles

Houghton to Kalamazoo - 551 miles
Houghton to Oxford - 697 miles

Marquette to Bemidji - 402 miles
Marquette to Mankato - 470 miles

Marquette to Kalamazoo - 452 miles
Marquette to Oxford - 647 miles

Bowling Green to Bemidji - 879 miles
Bowling Green to Mankato - 689 miles

Bowling Green to Kalamazoo - 167 miles
Bowling Green to Oxford - 173 miles

Sault Ste. Marie to Bemidji - 566 miles
Sault Ste. Marie to Mankato - 616 miles

Sault Ste. Marie to Kalamazoo - 344 miles
Sault Ste. Marie to Oxford - 539 miles

Big Rapids to Bemidji - 750 miles
Big Rapids to Mankato - 673 miles

Big Rapids to Kalamazoo - 107 miles
Big Rapids to Oxford - 353 miles

Huntsville to Bemidji - 1,190 miles (ouch)
Huntsville to Mankato - 941 miles

Huntsville to Kalamazoo - 609 miles
Huntsville to Oxford - 421 miles

[Critical Thinker]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I think the most interesting part of Notre Dame's decision is how they cited "travel" as their primary reason for leaving a prestigious 6 bid conference for a dumpster fire 1 bid conference. Yet Miami State and Western are more than happy with their travel situations to stay in their 4 bid conference rather than join the WCHA or help recreate the CCHA? Wow.

[BGFan]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I think the most interesting part of Notre Dame's decision is how they cited "travel" as their primary reason for leaving a prestigious 6 bid conference for a dumpster fire 1 bid conference. Yet Miami State and Western are more than happy with their travel situations to stay in their 4 bid conference rather than join the WCHA or help recreate the CCHA? Wow.

I assume this is just conjecture, or do you have proof that they're happy where they're at?

MU president to BGSU president, "Worst mistake we ever made." (This isn't conjecture...)

My guess is that bleeding money will trump Rico's pride. Not to mention there is a perceived easier path to the NCAA playoffs.

My prediction: there is a new version of the CCHA within 3 years.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I think the most interesting part of Notre Dame's decision is how they cited "travel" as their primary reason for leaving a prestigious 6 bid conference for a dumpster fire 1 bid conference. Yet Miami State and Western are more than happy with their travel situations to stay in their 4 bid conference rather than join the WCHA or help recreate the CCHA? Wow.

The B1G might be a dumpster fire, but it has a TV network, it has large universities with fanbases, and it could be very easy for them not be a dumpster quickly