Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

[Snively65]

Agree with Chuck on Bertagna. I forget when he took over (can't even remember who his predecessor was) but I feel like the stability of the league made Bertagna look good. Back in the big 4 era with those teams and coaches, you certainly didn't need a great commissioner. I have never really been a fan of Bertagna but I would rather not get into why. But let's say you are a fan or think he's a "legend". What has he done to make you think that? Simply not mess up what has proven to be the most stable/successful league? (Since the WCHA split up)

After 15 years with ECAC, Bertagna became commish of HEA in July 1997. Not sure who was HEA commish the first 12 years.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

In a lot of ways, given the proximity of the schools this conference could have been run on autopilot for the last 20 years.

I think sometimes change is necessary. This league had a good old boy network feel to it. And it needed to be shaken up.

[tape]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

After 15 years with ECAC, Bertagna became commish of HEA in July 1997. Not sure who was HEA commish the first 12 years.

Lou Lamoriello (1983-1987)
Dennis Hanks (officially "temporary Executive Director") (1987-1988)
Stu Haskell (1988-1993)
Robert DeGregorio (acting) (1993-1997)
Joe Bertagna (1997-present)

[Greg Ambrose]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I’ve tried to absorb all these things surrounding Joe over the past couple of days. His dismissal, and that’s what it is, seems to be based solely on the profitability of the league now and going forward. I see nothing in this discussion about the financials of the league and how that plays into what happened to Joe. Let’s talk about the NESN deal, or lack of same. There is no contract now, NESN no longer pays a rights fee to broadcast the games and, if the league wants games on the network, the schools pay the all the production costs. That, my friends, is not going to change. So, no doubt, the schools are unhappy with the double whammy of no income and a lot of outgo. Second, the Hockey East tournament is a burden in two ways. First, the league deems all games prior to the Garden as playoff games where they take all the revenue. Second, attendance at Hockey East semis and finals has dropped precipitously over the past ten years. The league just can’t sustain a model where their premiere event is losing money every year. None of this is Joe’s fault IMO. Interest in college hockey has taken a nose dive over the past several years. Attendance is down everywhere except for places like Penn State and UMass where it is the brand new thing. Traditional powers like BU and Minny are drawing fractions of what they did even five years ago. And we all know that the FF is no longer a hot ticket. What Hockey East in particular, and college hockey in general, need to do is retool and get comfortable with the idea that their sport is a niche one and is never going to reach the heights that it did 10-20 years ago.

[mookie1995]

I’ve tried to absorb all these things surrounding Joe over the past couple of days. His dismissal, and that’s what it is, seems to be based solely on the profitability of the league now and going forward. I see nothing in this discussion about the financials of the league and how that plays into what happened to Joe. Let’s talk about the NESN deal, or lack of same. There is no contract now, NESN no longer pays a rights fee to broadcast the games and, if the league wants games on the network, the schools pay the all the production costs. That, my friends, is not going to change. So, no doubt, the schools are unhappy with the double whammy of no income and a lot of outgo. Second, the Hockey East tournament is a burden in two ways. First, the league deems all games prior to the Garden as playoff games where they take all the revenue. Second, attendance at Hockey East semis and finals has dropped precipitously over the past ten years. The league just can’t sustain a model where their premiere event is losing money every year. None of this is Joe’s fault IMO. Interest in college hockey has taken a nose dive over the past several years. Attendance is down everywhere except for places like Penn State and UMass where it is the brand new thing. Traditional powers like BU and Minny are drawing fractions of what they did even five years ago. And we all know that the FF is no longer a hot ticket. What Hockey East in particular, and college hockey in general, need to do is retool and get comfortable with the idea that their sport is a niche one and is never going to reach the heights that it did 10-20 years ago.

Qft

[Split-N]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

...Interest in college hockey has taken a nose dive over the past several years. Attendance is down everywhere except for places like Penn State and UMass where it is the brand new thing. Traditional powers like BU and Minny are drawing fractions of what they did even five years ago. And we all know that the FF is no longer a hot ticket. What Hockey East in particular, and college hockey in general, need to do is retool and get comfortable with the idea that their sport is a niche one and is never going to reach the heights that it did 10-20 years ago.

The problem, IMO, goes even deeper than interest in college hockey taking a nose dive. Millennials and (especially) GenZs are ambivalent (at best) about competitive sports generally. Just take a look at all of the empty seats that have been showing up in college football and basketball stadiums recently. Even Nick Saban went on a rant last season about Alabama students not showing up in sufficient numbers. And growing numbers of empty seats are a growing concern at the pro levels also.

But hockey has been getting hit especially hard due in no small measure to the national governing bodies in the US (USA Hockey) and Canada (Hockey Canada) not being able to get out of their own way in terms of promoting and growing the sport. To wit:

• Kids from blue collar and other families of modest means have been priced out of the sport. Proof is in the price tags at your local hockey shop and membership fees/travel costs associated with local hockey clubs. In short, if the modern day Eruziones, Craigs, O'Callahans etc. are playing competitive sports at all, it's not hockey. Regrettably, youth hockey has become a rich man's sport and is paying a price in terms of attracting and sustaining broad interest.
• Youth hockey, in general, is heavily tilted toward development of "elite prospects" to such a degree that recreational players--those with limited skills but who still love the game and enjoy playing it--are marginalized or even ignored to the point where they lose interest.

At least some of those who have reliably filled seats at hockey arenas over the years did so because they developed an affinity for the sport from playing it as kids, however imperfectly. But because of cost and elitism concerns noted above, added to shorter attention spans and other societal changes, motivation to see games in person is lacking among today's college students.

In fairness, Joe Bertagna didn't cause these problems. Maybe generational change is the only way to deal with technological and social changes that confront us. I hope so. The new guy will have his work cut out for him.

[sameoldfury]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Millennials and (especially) GenZs are ambivalent (at best) about competitive sports generally.

Yeah I think this is an oversimplification that media outlets love to spout! "Millenials are ruining [insert industry here]!" "Why aren't milennials buying the Clapper?!"

I think young people love sports as much as any other generation, but they're focused on other things, like paying rent and student debt.

[AMC]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

The problem, IMO, goes even deeper than interest in college hockey taking a nose dive. Millennials and (especially) GenZs are ambivalent (at best) about competitive sports generally. Just take a look at all of the empty seats that have been showing up in college football and basketball stadiums recently. Even Nick Saban went on a rant last season about Alabama students not showing up in sufficient numbers. And growing numbers of empty seats are a growing concern at the pro levels also.

This is like the people that complain that fewer kids are choosing to play high school basketball in Maine, and that numbers are down. Back in 1975 if you didn't like to play basketball, tough crap, that was your only option. Now, if basketball isn't fun, you can do any number of things, and it is easier to find those things to do than it ever was. You know when kids will play more basketball? When the adults coaching it make it more fun.

Same deal for attendance at college/pro sports. The improvement in television technology means that you can see more of the game, from a closer vantage point, by sitting on your couch. And if your local team sucks, you can watch a team across the country just as easily. People bemoan that (for example) local kids are more interested in what Steph Curry is doing than what the Celtics are doing. Well, it's easier to watch Steph Curry than it was to watch an out of town team in 1988. And he is more enjoyable to watch than the Celtics. That's not the fault of kids, that's the fault of the Celtics.

You aren't going to get out of going to a sporting event for less than $100. Even a college hockey game. You are going to have to travel back and forth to the game, you have to pay for food and beverage, you have to sit through boring commercial breaks, you have to deal with the drunk jerk sitting right in front of you....

The problem for sports teams/leagues is that watching their product is much more pleasant and much cheaper at home than in the arena or stadium. The problem isn't that millennials don't like sports, the problem is that sports haven't figured out how to improve the in person experience to the point that it is palatable to millennials.

[TovarishchLisa]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Yeah I think this is an oversimplification that media outlets love to spout! "Millenials are ruining [insert industry here]!" "Why aren't milennials buying the Clapper?!"

I think young people love sports as much as any other generation, but they're focused on other things, like paying rent and student debt.

And there's also the issue of not having the disposable time to do things like go to hockey games. I know way too many people who have had to or do work multiple jobs in addition to being full-time students, leaving them with practically no free time.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I’ve tried to absorb all these things surrounding Joe over the past couple of days. His dismissal, and that’s what it is, seems to be based solely on the profitability of the league now and going forward. I see nothing in this discussion about the financials of the league and how that plays into what happened to Joe. Let’s talk about the NESN deal, or lack of same. There is no contract now, NESN no longer pays a rights fee to broadcast the games and, if the league wants games on the network, the schools pay the all the production costs. That, my friends, is not going to change. So, no doubt, the schools are unhappy with the double whammy of no income and a lot of outgo. Second, the Hockey East tournament is a burden in two ways. First, the league deems all games prior to the Garden as playoff games where they take all the revenue. Second, attendance at Hockey East semis and finals has dropped precipitously over the past ten years. The league just can’t sustain a model where their premiere event is losing money every year. None of this is Joe’s fault IMO. Interest in college hockey has taken a nose dive over the past several years. Attendance is down everywhere except for places like Penn State and UMass where it is the brand new thing. Traditional powers like BU and Minny are drawing fractions of what they did even five years ago. And we all know that the FF is no longer a hot ticket. What Hockey East in particular, and college hockey in general, need to do is retool and get comfortable with the idea that their sport is a niche one and is never going to reach the heights that it did 10-20 years ago.

So what you're saying is, let's keep JB on board, give up entirely on developing media-related game income, play the HE Tourney at Agganis Arena, and prepare for D-1 Hockey to become D-1 Volleyball?

That's a pretty bleak outlook, Greg. Can we at least hire someone who might try to do a little better?

[Greg Ambrose]

Yeah I think this is an oversimplification that media outlets love to spout! "Millenials are ruining [insert industry here]!" "Why aren't milennials buying the Clapper?!"

I think young people love sports as much as any other generation, but they're focused on other things, like paying rent and student debt.

I just finished reading Dan Shaughnessy’s column in the Globe and the comments that were triggered because of it. Wouldn’t you know it but, according to some, baseball will die because of those ****ed millenials. They don’t like baseball, football, basketball or hockey. I find this generalizing and age bashing ridiculous and a product of lazy thinking, in that, if we can’t come up with a cogent argument about why the sport is failing we’ll just blame it on millenials.

[Greg Ambrose]

So what you're saying is, let's keep JB on board, give up entirely on developing media-related game income, play the HE Tourney at Agganis Arena, and prepare for D-1 Hockey to become D-1 Volleyball?

That's a pretty bleak outlook, Greg. Can we at least hire someone who might try to do a little better?

So Chuck, which of the candidates profiles on the home page here is going to magically convince folks to fill the Garden for the HE final? Or persuade NESN to employ production teams for those riveting Friday night games between Merrimack and Northeastern? The glory days of college hockey are over. The most talented kids leave early or don’t even play college at all. And there are too many alternatives for the demographic that should be the focus of college sports, the students. You may snicker at the idea of playing the HE final at Conte or Agganis, but if the league is losing money hosting the tournament at the Garden and they can turn a profit at another, smaller venue, you can bet there will be a change no matter who is in charge. This is what Joe’s departure is all about. Money.

[NCAA watcher]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

So Chuck, which of the candidates profiles on the home page here is going to magically convince folks to fill the Garden for the HE final? Or persuade NESN to employ production teams for those riveting Friday night games between Merrimack and Northeastern? The glory days of college hockey are over. The most talented kids leave early or don’t even play college at all. And there are too many alternatives for the demographic that should be the focus of college sports, the students. You may snicker at the idea of playing the HE final at Conte or Agganis, but if the league is losing money hosting the tournament at the Garden and they can turn a profit at another, smaller venue, you can bet there will be a change no matter who is in charge. This is what Joe’s departure is all about. Money.

Demand is governed by cost. Lower tickets to draw in students, who create a culture of following the teams on weekends. Price them out of going, and they're not going to suddenly decide in March to fork over 100 bucs. It's an amazing mismatch between the customers they want to get money from (rich corporations, rich alumni) and the lifeblood of a college team (college students).

Basic marginal pricing tells corps how much a particular event yields. Looking short term tells you 100 ticks at $40 is better than 195 ticks at $20. Of course, having a longer term vision tells you 195 ticks are better, because you double the fan base, mostly the youth market.

But when you have teams like UNH trying to milk every last dollar once the team became popular, you priced the youth out of the market.

Not only does targetting the wrong market show a lack of a long term vision, but also the lack of actual enthusiam in the crowd.

Thankfully, hitting rock bottom causes the marketing plan to die, returning back to the proper model.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

So Chuck, which of the candidates profiles on the home page here is going to magically convince folks to fill the Garden for the HE final? Or persuade NESN to employ production teams for those riveting Friday night games between Merrimack and Northeastern?

Is this a trick question? None of them, actually. I think I said that on here a few days ago.

The list JC put up was just a bunch of his pals looking for a push for their commish candidacy.

The glory days of college hockey are over. The most talented kids leave early or don’t even play college at all. And there are too many alternatives for the demographic that should be the focus of college sports, the students.

I tend to agree, the "glory days" era when HE had big personalities leading their best programs is all but gone. Walshy passed, Parker got run out of town on a rail, and York (not sure he's a "personality" like the other two anyway?) is slowly fading into oblivion as his retirement grows closer and closer. Umile was never on a par with those guys FWIW, but he's gone too.

Some of the other posters have written from the millennials' perspective, and they're too busy working to pay down enormous debt incurred at their schools. The schools kvetching about dwindling sports revenue may amount to robbing Peter to pay Paul to some degree. Throw in the campus activism factor (yeah, I realize I'm getting a little far afield here) on the "other things to do" front, and that's another obstacle. No one said any of this was going to be easy. I just want someone who'll try to do something different. JB has been on cruise control for many years now, and has been paid very well for doing very little IMO.

You may snicker at the idea of playing the HE final at Conte or Agganis, but if the league is losing money hosting the tournament at the Garden and they can turn a profit at another, smaller venue, you can bet there will be a change no matter who is in charge.

I don't disagree … but I'd like to see if HE can turn the ship around and do better, if you don't mind?

This is what Joe’s departure is all about. Money.

No kidding. And JB won't be leaving a job he clearly isn't wanted in anymore for the same reason.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Demand is governed by cost. Lower tickets to draw in students, who create a culture of following the teams on weekends. Price them out of going, and they're not going to suddenly decide in March to fork over 100 bucs. It's an amazing mismatch between the customers they want to get money from (rich corporations, rich alumni) and the lifeblood of a college team (college students).

Basic marginal pricing tells corps how much a particular event yields. Looking short term tells you 100 ticks at $40 is better than 195 ticks at $20. Of course, having a longer term vision tells you 195 ticks are better, because you double the fan base, mostly the youth market.

But when you have teams like UNH trying to milk every last dollar once the team became popular, you priced the youth out of the market.

Not only does targetting the wrong market show a lack of a long term vision, but also the lack of actual enthusiam in the crowd.

Thankfully, hitting rock bottom causes the marketing plan to die, returning back to the proper model.

Speaking of which … now with UNH Hockey being the "only show in town" with the folding of the Monarchs, has there been any ongoing discussion in Durham about how UNH has now been handed an opportunity to reassert themselves as the State's prime competitive spectator hockey experience?

Or are we all breathlessly awaiting SNHU to start fielding D-1 hockey and hoops programs in the city?

I know - OT and probably best discussed on the UNH thread - but you guys are here so