U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

[moose97]

Apparently this little Covid thing may have tapped the breaks a bit. It may have had a slight effect on that fundraising portion.

And, in said last 4 years, three dinky *** schools somehow figured out how to navigate Covid & announce and or actually start a team. Not a real good look for the Illini.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Maryland was indeed strongarmed.

In the end, it was all about money.

I guess we simply just have different perspectives on what strongarming is. They were given a timeline to make a decision and that is commonplace in business. Absolutely nothing prevented them from saying no. And as I alluded to before of course it was all about the money. All universities today don't make decisions based on honor and traditions its motivated by greed. Sometimes being motivated by greed comes back and blows up in their faces, just ask the NCAA!

[JohnsonsJerseys]

They hung 2 banners. Maybe one is for their women's team.
Sean

The more you look at that rendering, the funnier it gets. It's really a great representation of the chaos that Illinois has around this little hockey rumor that they can't get off the ground.

On the ice we apparently have the Illini taking on the New York Rangers AND the Boston Bruins (no mistaking Chara to the right of the faceoff circle). Three teams playing at once, an interesting concept.
On the scoreboard it looks like Illinois is beating Michigan State (who is nowhere to be seen) 5-1 after apparently scoring an empty net goal.
However the team on the videoboard is clearly Penn State wearing patches memorizing... the demise of the Illini hockey program? Foreshadowing?
Benches are full of Rangers and Bruins players, so I guess the Illini players are just going "ironman hockey" with only one line of forwards and defense for this three-way scrimmage of Illini vs the NHL? "That's a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off for 'em..."

[Split-N]

I guess we simply just have different perspectives on what strongarming is. They were given a timeline to make a decision...universities today don't make decisions based on honor and traditions its motivated by greed...

Totally agree on the latter but we'll just have to respectfully agree to disagree on the former. But to get back to the larger issue of how the B1G views hockey, obviously no league can mandate which sports member institutions choose to sponsor though a league with the prestige of the B1G can certainly subtly nudge. But with only six full members (plus one associate) sponsoring hockey and the Illinois saga seeming to have no end, it would appear that hockey is just not high on the B1G wish list.

[moose97]

The more you look at that rendering, the funnier it gets. It's really a great representation of the chaos that Illinois has around this little hockey rumor that they can't get off the ground.

On the ice we apparently have the Illini taking on the New York Rangers AND the Boston Bruins (no mistaking Chara to the right of the faceoff circle). Three teams playing at once, an interesting concept.
On the scoreboard it looks like Illinois is beating Michigan State (who is nowhere to be seen) 5-1 after apparently scoring an empty net goal.
However the team on the videoboard is clearly Penn State wearing patches memorizing... the demise of the Illini hockey program? Foreshadowing?
Benches are full of Rangers and Bruins players, so I guess the Illini players are just going "ironman hockey" with only one line of forwards and defense for this three-way scrimmage of Illini vs the NHL? "That's a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off for 'em..."

There are also a minimum of 9 Illini players on the ice, and either 4 team benches or really full penalty boxes. Spot on with your "the longer you look ... the crazier it gets" comment

[aparch]

And, in said last 4 years, three dinky *** schools somehow figured out how to navigate Covid & announce and or actually start a team. Not a real good look for the Illini.

Have you seen the rest of the athletic department at Illinois? This is par for the course.

[lost my name]

The more you look at that rendering, the funnier it gets. It's really a great representation of the chaos that Illinois has around this little hockey rumor that they can't get off the ground.

On the ice we apparently have the Illini taking on the New York Rangers AND the Boston Bruins (no mistaking Chara to the right of the faceoff circle). Three teams playing at once, an interesting concept.
On the scoreboard it looks like Illinois is beating Michigan State (who is nowhere to be seen) 5-1 after apparently scoring an empty net goal.
However the team on the videoboard is clearly Penn State wearing patches memorizing... the demise of the Illini hockey program? Foreshadowing?
Benches are full of Rangers and Bruins players, so I guess the Illini players are just going "ironman hockey" with only one line of forwards and defense for this three-way scrimmage of Illini vs the NHL? "That's a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off for 'em..."

Actually if you look close enough, I think they are beating North Carolina State 5-1.

[Split-N]

Actually if you look close enough, I think they are beating North Carolina State 5-1.

Either that or Stanford. Either way, and for that and all the other gaffes pointed out on this thread, someone at Illinois needs to take remedial Photoshop.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Someone at Illinois needs to take remedial Photoshop.

Even worse, they actually paid a professional sports consulting firm to put this together for them...

[UncleRay]

On the other hand: how many people noticed those errors? Of those that noticed, who cares? And of those who care, who cares enough to not write a check? Much ado about very little.

[Split-N]

On the other hand: how many people noticed those errors? Of those that noticed, who cares? And of those who care, who cares enough to not write a check? Much ado about very little.

C'mon. Let's not get all offended over this. It's nothing more than poking fun at something worth poking fun at during the offseason. Sheesh!

[dxmnkd316]

So in short, we just received further confirmation that the Big could care less about hockey. I see zero pressure being exerted from the other Big schools for IL to get their butts in gear.

I mean, why should they? With athletes getting paid by the schools, hockey just got even more expensive. And it's a losing venture for all but the most elite schools in the sports. So why would any school care to set a pile of money on fire?

[J.D.]

Athletes are getting paid by the schools now? (spare me the jokes). I thought the new rules simply allow athletes to make money however they can. Endorsements, etc. Where does a school paying them come into the equation?

[dxmnkd316]

Athletes are getting paid by the schools now? (spare me the jokes). I thought the new rules simply allow athletes to make money however they can. Endorsements, etc. Where does a school paying them come into the equation?

Eh, you're probalby right. But I have to believe this is just around the corner.

I thought the big ten was looking at stipends for athletes beyond scholarships.

[GeoffissiffoeG]

Eh, you're probalby right. But I have to believe this is just around the corner.

I thought the big ten was looking at stipends for athletes beyond scholarships.

Full cost of attendance has been a thing for years now. And, yes, direct pay for play likely isn't too far off. But, yeah, NIL is not the players being paid by the schools. NIL is both long overdue and at the same time not far enough.