New WCHA is dead

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: New WCHA is dead

I wonder if we are taking on Arizona? I would love to see them in our league.

The Wildcats are getting NCAA hockey, too? Wow!

[aparch]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Still waiting on Minot and Moorhead to make their announcement too...

[BGFan]

Re: New WCHA is dead

For the record, here is the order it shook down in 2011:
03/21 - B1G: MN, WI, MI, MSU, tOSU, PSU
03/23 - CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos hired as the Spartan head coach, abandons CCHA.
05/02 - Fred Pletch named CCHA commissioner.
07/09 - Motel 6: DU, CC, tUMD, NoDak, Omaha, Miami
07/10 - Shamelessly campaigning to join the NCHC, WMU starts "Why Western" initiative.
Stay in WCHA: UAA, BSU, MSU-M, MTU, SCSU
Stay in CCHA: UA_, NMU, LSSU, FSU, BGSU
Non-committal: WMU, ND
**Kids, note how both the CCHA and WCHA had five schools each, six is the minimum for a conference**
07/15 - WCHA offers NMU an invitation, NMU accepts.
**WCHA has minimum six teams required to keep a conference, CCHA has four**
**CCHA only school with full D1 (BGSU) for NCAA committee voting ability, WCHA has zero**
08/23 - WCHA and CCHA meet to discuss what's best for the leagues.
08/25 - WCHA extends invitation to remaining CCHA schools (including WMU, but minus those bums in South Bend)
08/26 - LSSU, FSU, UA_ accept. BGSU holds out. Notre Dame still is seeking a conference home, flirting with NCHC.
09/21 - St. Cloud does an about face, announces it's leaving the WCHA for the NCHC, taking uncommitted WMU with.
10/04 - Bowling Green accepts WCHA invite at last minute.
10/05 - Notre Dame announces deal with Hockey East.

Then a year and a half later, January 17, 2013, independent UAH is added to the WCHA to make 10 teams for the 2013-14 season.

Don't go breaking your arm patting yourself on the back thinking BGSU saved the WCHA.

I don't recall saying that BGSU saved the WCHA. My implication was that the CCHA "outcasts" saved the WCHA. BGSU held out because it was looking for other options, including saving the CCHA if possible. Once it was obvious that they had no other choice, they joined the WCHA (but retained all of the rights to the CCHA moniker). However, the stipulation was always present that, when and if the right opportunity or conditions came along they would take a good, long look at it. They NEVER hid that fact. Do I feel bad for the remaining programs? I already said as much. I won't, however, apologize for any school looking to better their current situation. If this is the solution they came up with then I'm all for it.

[SJHovey]

Re: New WCHA is dead

My $0.02...

Travel wasn’t the reason the NCHC formed, it was revenues. In the old WCHA there was a sense that Anchorage and Tech were leeching off the more successful programs without doing much in return. That’s where the whole “like minded” stuff comes in.

Ever since realignment happened, I believe there has been at least one NCHC team that has made the trip to either Fairbanks or Anchorage. Speaking for UAF, since realignment happened we’ve seen Denver (x2, they are coming up in October), WMU, Omaha, and St. Cloud (x2) in the Carlson Center. UAA has hosted Colorado College, North Dakota, and St. Cloud. Point being that every NCHC team except UMD and Miami has been to Alaska since realignment, some more than once. I know it’s different than an obligation to go annually or every other year, but the NCHC teams clearly aren’t afraid of making the trip.

Like everything else in life, follow the money. The big dogs (UND, DU) in the NCHC formation saw they could increase their revenues by culling the herd.

A major problem was that in the old WCHA, once Minnesota and Wisconsin left, the schools that were spending a lot of money on hockey were in a distinct minority compared with those operating on a more bare bones budget. Then, at the WCHA meeting, those small schools negotiated a new deal with the Commissioner, someone that schools like UND and DU were unhappy with because he shared the same view as the small schools in terms of spending money. That was the final straw and pushed DU, UND, CC and UMD to say they had enough.

So, in essence, Tech managed to kill the WCHA twice.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: New WCHA is dead

So, in essence, Tech managed to kill the WCHA twice.

[UMD21]

Re: New WCHA is dead

I know I’m not the only one who hopes the Alaska schools kick the snot out of everyone these last years. Play with the rage in your heart

[aparch]

A major problem was that in the old WCHA, once Minnesota and Wisconsin left, the schools that were spending a lot of money on hockey were in a distinct minority compared with those operating on a more bare bones budget. Then, at the WCHA meeting, those small schools negotiated a new deal with the Commissioner, someone that schools like UND and DU were unhappy with because he shared the same view as the small schools in terms of spending money. That was the final straw and pushed DU, UND, CC and UMD to say they had enough.

What's interesting is how it would have shaken out had NMU accepted the WCHA's initial offer in 2009. But, that deal that brought BSU and UNO to the WCHA had a stipulation that neither of the two schools would receive revenue sharing from the league until two years *after* they joined.
In other words, no WCHA money until 2011, the year the NCHC was announced, and the WCHA imploded. NMU turned down the offer because of the revenue clause and its on-ice rivalries and alumni get togethers were Michigan based.

Then, Pegula announced Penn State was going D1 the summer of 2010.

Were DU, CC, NoDak, and tUMD already pi**ed back in 2009 at McLeod for offering spots to BSU and NMU/UNO?

Because it was a mere four months from the (expected) B1G Conference announcement to when the NCHC was announced with six teams.

[broncoinak]

Believe what you want. The dominoes started falling at the formation of the Big Ten and the knee jerk formation of the NCHC. The leftovers of the CCHA and WCHA were forced to form the nWCHA in order too survive. Anyone who thought that the current landscape would and could continue as it stands needs a new pair of glasses. Travel costs are outrages and budgets are tight (especially for schools that are D1 in all sports). Shrinking the conference to a more manageable area makes budgetary sense. I would also be surprised if we don't see more shifting before all of this is done.

I never understood why anyone takes blame for the whole disaster besides the Big Ten. Everyone was generally happy with their situation including most of the Big Ten hockey fans, but they couldn't leave well enough alone.

All these other dominoes falling were inevitable. I don't really blame anyone in the NCHC and I don't blame the seven schools now except for the shady way they handled it.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: New WCHA is dead

I never understood why anyone takes blame for the whole disaster besides the Big Ten. Everyone was generally happy with their situation including most of the Big Ten hockey fans, but they couldn't leave well enough alone.

All these other dominoes falling were inevitable. I don't really blame anyone in the NCHC and I don't blame the seven schools now except for the shady way they handled it.

I'm not sure how this is shady? Because it was at 5pm on a Friday? I'm not sure how that announcement is any different than what the NCHC did?

[spiehler]

Re: New WCHA is dead

A difference--which may not amount to anything--between 2011 and now is that the NCHC sprang suddenly into existence while the seven WCHA schools announced a new conference that might/probably exist in 2021.

[AKSWF]

Re: New WCHA is dead

I'm not sure how this is shady? Because it was at 5pm on a Friday? I'm not sure how that announcement is any different than what the NCHC did?

Trolling? The shady seven did it behind UA_, UAA, and UAH's backs.

[huskyfan]

Re: New WCHA is dead

The Wildcats are getting NCAA hockey, too? Wow!

oops! Arizona State I meant! but, really, its time for UofA to step up and do NCAA Div I hockey too!

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Trolling? The shady seven did it behind UA_, UAA, and UAH's backs.

What if this is all about getting their attention to open dialog for there to be changes? Were the NCHC teams shady? At what point are you supposed to tell someone you're leaving? Do you tell your boss you're looking at other jobs or do you tell your boss when you have another job and you're leaving? Is either of those shady? They are being upfront and honest about their potential intentions to leave by the rules of the bylaws as far as I can tell.

[Hockey John]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Trolling? The shady seven did it behind UA_, UAA, and UAH's backs.

What would be different had the Alaska schools known? The financial issues in Alaska have had the two teams in dire straits for the last few years. Then the Governor, also on that Friday, announced 135 million in cuts to the University of Alaska system. Unfortunately the two teams may not make it the two years. I hope I am wrong as I hate to see any program die off.

[huskyfan]

Re: New WCHA is dead

let the snarking and trolling begin! I'd like to see whatever the new league name is get transformed into something as good NaCHos. Even the coaches call it that.