The College Hockey Championship Belt Part IV

[AMC]

I am very bored. I think the earliest the belts could be consolidated is Friday, Nov. 19 when Omaha goes to Alaska.

UMass->Minnesota State->St. Cloud->Omaha
Cornell->Alaska

[Ralph Baer]

I have filled in the next opponent, when known, from the schedule spread sheet. Any corrections?

                   Current Holder         Next Defense
The Belt           Cornell                Alaska 10/29/2021
The Alt Belt       Massachusetts          Minnesota State 10/02/2021
AHC Belt           American International Army 10/21/2021
B1G Belt           Minnesota              2021-22
CCHA Belt          Lake Superior State    St. Thomas 10/15/2021
ECAC Belt          Cornell                Harvard 11/05/2021
ECAC Alt Belt      St. Lawrence           2021-22
HEA Belt           Massachusetts          Merrimack 10/29/2021
NCHC Belt          Minnesota Duluth       2021-22
Ivy Belt           Cornell                Harvard 11/05/2021
Eastern Belt       Massachusetts          American International 10/15/2021
Western Belt       St. Cloud              St. Thomas 10/02/2021
Connecticut Belt   Quinnipiac             2021-22
Massachusetts Belt Massachusetts          Merrimack 10/29/2021
Michigan Belt      Michigan Tech          2021-22
Minnesota Belt     St. Cloud              St. Thomas 10/02/2021
New York Belt      Cornell                Union 11/12/2021
D II Play up Belt  Lake Superior State    Michigan Tech 11/05/2021
D II P u Alt SO    American International Bentley 11/19/2021
D III Play up Belt Rensselaer             Union 10/29/2021
Play up Belt       Rensselaer             Union 10/29/2021

[Ralph Baer]

Saturday update

                   Current Holder         Next Defense
The Belt           Cornell                2021-22
The Alt Belt       Massachusetts          2021-22
AHC Belt           American International 2021-22
B1G Belt           Minnesota              2021-22
CCHA Belt          Lake Superior State    2021-22
ECAC Belt          Cornell                2021-22
ECAC Alt Belt      St. Lawrence           2021-22
HEA Belt           Massachusetts          2021-22
NCHC Belt          Minnesota Duluth       2021-22
Ivy Belt           Cornell                2021-22
Eastern Belt       Massachusetts          2021-22
Western Belt       St. Cloud              2021-22
Connecticut Belt   Quinnipiac             2021-22
Massachusetts Belt Massachusetts          2021-22
Michigan Belt      Michigan Tech          2021-22
Minnesota Belt     St. Cloud              2021-22
New York Belt      Cornell                2021-22
D II Play up Belt  Lake Superior State    2021-22
D II P u Alt SO    American International 2021-22
D III Play up Belt Rensselaer             2021-22
Play up Belt       Rensselaer             2021-22

Corrections are always appreciated.

The two Alternate Belts have become one.
I have started Eastern and Western Belts as discussed. The Eastern Belt replaces the New England Belt. I have also renamed the WCHA as the CCHA Belt. It absorbed the old CCHA Belt which LSSU also had.

[Ralph Baer]

Thursday update

                   Current Holder         Next Defense
The Belt           Cornell                2021-22
The Belt Alt 3x3   St. Cloud State        Massachusetts 04/10/2021
The Belt Alt SO    Massachusetts          St. Cloud State 04/10/2021
AHC Belt           American International 2021-22
B1G Belt           Minnesota              2021-22
CCHA Belt          Lake Superior State    2021-22
ECAC Belt          Cornell                2021-22
ECAC Alt Belt      St. Lawrence           2021-22
HEA Belt           Massachusetts          2021-22
NCHC Belt          Minnesota Duluth       NCAA Tourney at earliest
Ivy Belt           Cornell                2021-22
Eastern Belt       Massachusetts          2021-22
Western Belt       St. Cloud State        2021-22
Connecticut Belt   Quinnipiac             2021-22
Massachusetts Belt Massachusetts          2021-22
Michigan Belt      Michigan Tech          2021-22
Minnesota Belt     St. Cloud State        2021-22
New York Belt      Cornell                2021-22
D II Play up Belt  Lake Superior State    2021-22
D II P u Alt SO    American International 2021-22
D III Play up Belt Rensselaer             2021-22
Play up Belt       Rensselaer             2021-22

Corrections are always appreciated.
The winner of the NCAA tourney will get an alternate Belt because Cornell won't be defending. The existing alternates will be absorbed into it.

I have started Eastern and Western Belts as discussed. The Eastern Belt replaces the New England Belt. I have also renamed the WCHA as the CCHA Belt. It absorbs the old CCHA Belt which LSSU also had.

[Proud2baLaker]

I can go for that if you include the six leagues completely as you have them. That is even though AF is in the west, it is eligible for the Eastern Belt. I would start them next year with the national championship team getting the appropriate Belt and the last team standing from the other region getting the other one. There is a question if UAH is really a western team if it is an independent.

I think UAH counts as Western. And as FS23 noted, so does ASU and any Alaskan school that might still be playing. Then BiG, NCHC, and CCHA as they are can get the Western belt. Like you said, the last team standing from any of those conferences this year gets it. I think the WCHA belt then becomes the CCHA belt with LSSU retaining to start the season. The new CCHA is everyone from the most recent iteration of the WCHA plus St. Thomas and minus UAH (and Alaska) so to me it makes sense to have them start with. The New England belt becomes Eastern Belt with UMass starting 2021 season with it. Atlantic/HE/ECAC and LIU are all eligible for it. That would include Air Force due to conference affiliation (they would NOT be eligible for the Western belt). This would give every team in a conference at least 3 possible belts to win. The Belt, The regional belt, and a conference belt.

[Ralph Baer]

Sunday update

                   Current Holder         Next Defense
The Belt           Cornell                2021-22
The Belt Alt 3x3   Minnesota State        St. Cloud State 04/08/2021
The Belt Alt SO    Massachusetts          Minnesota Duluth 04/08/2021
AHC Belt           American International 2021-22
B1G Belt           Minnesota              2021-22
ECAC Belt          Cornell                2021-22
ECAC Alt Belt      St. Lawrence           2021-22
HEA Belt           Massachusetts          2021-22
NCHC Belt          Minnesota Duluth       NCAA Tourney at earliest
WCHA Belt          Lake Superior State    2021-22
Ivy Belt           Cornell                2021-22
New England Belt   Massachusetts          2021-22
Connecticut Belt   Quinnipiac             2021-22
Massachusetts Belt Massachusetts          2021-22
Michigan Belt      Michigan Tech          2021-22
Minnesota Belt     Minnesota State        St. Cloud State 04/08/2021
New York Belt      Cornell                2021-22
D II Play up Belt  Lake Superior State    2021-22
D II P u Alt SO    American International 2021-22
D III Play up Belt Rensselaer             2021-22
Play up Belt       Rensselaer             2021-22

Corrections are always appreciated.
The winner of the NCAA tourney will get an alternate Belt because Cornell won't be defending. The existing alternates will be absorbed into it.

[Ralph Baer]

This makes sense. Have a "Western Belt" (for the NCHC/B1G/CCHA and any independents west of the Alleghanies (currently, ASU/UAH/UAA/UAF)) and an "Eastern Belt" (for Hockey East/ECAC/Atlantic and any independents east of the Alleghanies(currently, LIU)). Scrap the New England Belt.

I can go for that if you include the six leagues completely as you have them. That is even though AF is in the west, it is eligible for the Eastern Belt. I would start them next year with the national championship team getting the appropriate Belt and the last team standing from the other region getting the other one. There is a question if UAH is really a western team if it is an independent.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

I think since LSSU already had the "old" CCHA belt have them start with it again in the 2021 season. But retire the WCHA belt. If you maintain and track it as a belt it might as well he the "West" belt since basically every western team would be eligible. It would be basically the western version of the New England Belt. But I think that one is a litle broad too, personally. I think the only belt that should have that many teams be eligible to get it is "The Belt" itself. The conference belts, the state belts, and the belt itself all make sense. I'm on the fence on the play-up belts but whatever. The New England and a potential WCHA/West belt seem a bit much.

But if you do the old WCHA, I say make it the West Belt. NCHC, BiG, and CCHA and any independent in the west (ASU and UAH and the Alaska schools if they survive) are eligible. HE, ECAC, ATLANTIC, LIU, all eligible for the East belt (former New England). I know with Air Force that is a little wonky but that is what comes with conference affiliation)

This makes sense. Have a "Western Belt" (for the NCHC/B1G/CCHA and any independents west of the Alleghanies (currently, ASU/UAH/UAA/UAF)) and an "Eastern Belt" (for Hockey East/ECAC/Atlantic and any independents east of the Alleghanies(currently, LIU)). Scrap the New England Belt.

[Ralph Baer]

I think since LSSU already had the "old" CCHA belt have them start with it again in the 2021 season. But retire the WCHA belt. If you maintain and track it as a belt it might as well he the "West" belt since basically every western team would be eligible. It would be basically the western version of the New England Belt. But I think that one is a litle broad too, personally. I think the only belt that should have that many teams be eligible to get it is "The Belt" itself. The conference belts, the state belts, and the belt itself all make sense. I'm on the fence on the play-up belts but whatever. The New England and a potential WCHA/West belt seem a bit much.

But if you do the old WCHA, I say make it the West Belt. NCHC, BiG, and CCHA and any independent in the west (ASU and UAH and the Alaska schools if they survive) are eligible. HE, ECAC, ATLANTIC, LIU, all eligible for the East belt (former New England). I know with Air Force that is a little wonky but that is what comes with conference affiliation)

Thanks for your opinions and suggestions. I do agree that there are too may Belts, but ...

Whether I start the New CCHA Belt from the existing WCHA Belt or the existing WCHA Belt won't make much difference since they will be unified next season unless the existing CCHA Belt wanders off to a team now in the NCHC or B1G. It's LSSU's responsibility. :-) One could also start a completely new CCHA belt and award one or more to whichever teams win the first day that any game is played next season between two CCHA teams. I lean against doing that.

[Proud2baLaker]

I think since LSSU already had the "old" CCHA belt have them start with it again in the 2021 season. But retire the WCHA belt. If you maintain and track it as a belt it might as well he the "West" belt since basically every western team would be eligible. It would be basically the western version of the New England Belt. But I think that one is a litle broad too, personally. I think the only belt that should have that many teams be eligible to get it is "The Belt" itself. The conference belts, the state belts, and the belt itself all make sense. I'm on the fence on the play-up belts but whatever. The New England and a potential WCHA/West belt seem a bit much.

But if you do the old WCHA, I say make it the West Belt. NCHC, BiG, and CCHA and any independent in the west (ASU and UAH and the Alaska schools if they survive) are eligible. HE, ECAC, ATLANTIC, LIU, all eligible for the East belt (former New England). I know with Air Force that is a little wonky but that is what comes with conference affiliation)

[Ralph Baer]

Saturday update

                   Current Holder         Next Defense
The Belt           Cornell                2021-22
The Belt Alt 3x3   Minnesota              Minnesota State 03/28/2021
The Belt Alt SO    Massachusetts          Minnesota Duluth 04/08/2021
AHC Belt           American International 2021-22
B1G Belt           Minnesota              2021-22
ECAC Belt          Cornell                2021-22
ECAC Alt Belt      St. Lawrence           2021-22
HEA Belt           Massachusetts          NCAA Tourney at earliest
NCHC Belt          Minnesota Duluth       NCAA Tourney at earliest
WCHA Belt          Lake Superior State    2021-22
Ivy Belt           Cornell                2021-22
New England Belt   Massachusetts          NCAA Tourney at earliest
Connecticut Belt   Quinnipiac             2021-22
Massachusetts Belt Massachusetts          NCAA Tourney at earliest
Michigan Belt      Michigan Tech          2021-22
Minnesota Belt     Minnesota              Minnesota State 03/28/2021
New York Belt      Cornell                2021-22
D II Play up Belt  Lake Superior State    2021-22
D II P u Alt SO    American International 2021-22
D III Play up Belt Rensselaer             2021-22
Play up Belt       Rensselaer             2021-22

Corrections are always appreciated.
The winner of the NCAA tourney will get an alternate Belt because Cornell won't be defending. The existing alternates will be absorbed into it.

[Ralph Baer]

I will remove Mankato from that in a few hours. If anyone else wants to do it, it's fine with me.

It actually seems simpler, assuming I made no other errors.

01/25/2020 Northern Michigan
02/21/2020 Lake Superior State (Belts unified)
02/22/2020 Northern Michigan
01/08/2021 Lake Superior State
02/07/2021 Northern Michigan
02/21/2021 Bowling Green
03/14/2021 Northern Michigan
03/20/2021 Lake Superior State


01/11/2020 Lake Superior State defeated Alaska in 3x3 OT Alternate Belt
02/21/2020 Belts unified

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Well, lets see if there are any opinions about that. If i understand that correctly, it would be all current members of the WCHA, B1G, and NCHC, except PSU, OSU, Miami, and WMU. Correct? (My memory on this isn't great.)

For the sake of clarity, here would be the eligible teams (any program that ever played in the Men's WCHA):
Alabama Huntsville
Alaska
Alaska Anchorage
Bemidji State
Bowling Green
Colorado College
Denver
Ferris State
Lake Superior State
Michigan
Michigan State
Michigan Tech
Minnesota
Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota State Mankato
Nebraska Omaha
North Dakota
Northern Michigan
Notre Dame
St. Cloud State
Wisconsin

[Ralph Baer]

Minnesota State?

I will remove Mankato from that in a few hours. If anyone else wants to do it, it's fine with me.

[Ralph Baer]

Former WCHA = all members that were a part of the WCHA at any time, including before the formation of the B1G. Notre Dame, Denver, et al. included.

My thoughts would be that it would retain the WCHA history up through the last WCHA game ever played (LSSU over Northern Michigan). LSSU would have the belt, and then all former members of the former conference would challenge for it.

Well, lets see if there are any opinions about that. If i understand that correctly, it would be all current members of the WCHA, B1G, and NCHC, except PSU, OSU, Miami, and WMU. Correct? (My memory on this isn't great.)