New Conference, New League?

[Sol Diablo]

I saw this posted on CHN and not elsewhere on this forum. Maybe a long shot but stay tuned........

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ne...New-League.php

[joew74]

So is there technically a difference between a conference and a league, in terms of college athletics? I always thought that they were just different names for the same thing, but the way that both terms are used in that article, it suggest that there is a distinction between the two. Can someone please set me straight?

[Lost_Husky]

IMO, they have nothing to lose. It would let them get their D1 legs under them. As they prove they are committed/know what they are doing, another round of re-alignment can occur.

I'm surprised the UAXs weren't listed in the updates, specifically UAH.

[TigerFan86-87]

I saw this posted on CHN and not elsewhere on this forum. Maybe a long shot but stay tuned........

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ne...New-League.php

It was reported on USCHO a couple days ago...
https://www.uscho.com/2022/08/08/pot...opportunities/

[TigerFan86-87]

IMO, they have nothing to lose. It would let them get their D1 legs under them. As they prove they are committed/know what they are doing, another round of re-alignment can occur.

I'm surprised the UAXs weren't listed in the updates, specifically UAH.

Sounds like the second coming of the MAAC and/or CHA from back in the day. Giving new programs a home while containing costs, at least initially. I don't see many of those programs moving to one of the big five any time soon. Maybe AHA, but more than likely they could end up keeping this conference together for a while.
Does anyone really think such a fledgling league would get involved with programs from Alaska? No way.
UAH, maybe. They're not much more of an outlier than Lindenwood would be (maybe even less so).

[JohnsonsJerseys]

More likely the teams might bolster the schedules of UAF/UAA via non-conference games to get the Alaska exemption, but I don't see a new conference (especially one so far East) adding either of those schools. Frankly, a new conference in general is a pipe dream, especially considering how many of the teams mentioned are NOT currently playing at the D-I level.

[UncleRay]

It was reported on USCHO a couple days ago...
https://www.uscho.com/2022/08/08/pot...opportunities/

What, you want us to actually read this site, too??

[UncleRay]

More likely the teams might bolster the schedules of UAF/UAA via non-conference games to get the Alaska exemption, but I don't see a new conference (especially one so far East) adding either of those schools. Frankly, a new conference in general is a pipe dream, especially considering how many of the teams mentioned are NOT currently playing at the D-I level.

If I were running one of these schools, I'm not sure I'd want to spend a bunch of money to go to Alaska - whether those schools "cover travel" or not - to get the opportunity to spend even more money with a few more games. I get the exemption for a school who might make use of the PWR boost, but these schools??

[pdt1081]

If I were running one of these schools, I'm not sure I'd want to spend a bunch of money to go to Alaska - whether those schools "cover travel" or not - to get the opportunity to spend even more money with a few more games. I get the exemption for a school who might make use of the PWR boost, but these schools??

Using the Alaska exemptions only makes sense if you can schedule home games. If you can't bring in a decent draw for a home game, it's not worth it.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

This has been something of a pet topic of mine on the DII/DIII board for a while: https://fanforum.uscho.com/forum/col...ey#post3751405

My guess as to what is or could or might happen has evolved a lot over the years.

I was starting to think it could be a thing that could hasten a AHA split: the NE-10 and smaller eastern schools might see a kinship to the D-II NE-10 schools, while the western AHA schools had been rumored to like a split, likely being a good fit for Utica. Might be that the western AHA schools are the most amenable to throwing UAH a bone.

But as AIC and Bentley have improved their programs, it gets harder to imagine them going back to a cost-containment league, even with their NE-10 affiliation. So the AHA split appears less likely to actually happen, which means whichever schools might be on board with UAH are definitely going to be stuck with schools likely to shoot that down.

[MavsFan]

So is there technically a difference between a conference and a league, in terms of college athletics? I always thought that they were just different names for the same thing, but the way that both terms are used in that article, it suggest that there is a distinction between the two. Can someone please set me straight?

They're apparently using "league" to refer to a grouping that would play for a championship among themselves, but not recognized as a "conference" by the NCAA, and thus ineligible to NCAA tournaments. All the teams would be treated as independents by the NCAA.

[moose97]

The CHA was conceived as a "scheduling alliance" before it became an official conference (although it never played a season as such), so I can see how this would be similar. As to Huntsville, I see zero reason to offer them a spot until they indicate they are serious about having a team. This is the best environment for a DI independent in decades, and they threw a temper tantrum that they weren't invited to a conference. Screw that. If LIU or Lindenwood or whoever can traipse around the country playing independent, so can UAH.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

As to Huntsville, I see zero reason to offer them a spot until they indicate they are serious about having a team. This is the best environment for a DI independent in decades...

As much as I want to see UAH return, I completely agree with this statement. If UAH really wants to ultimately be in a conference, they need to be building a track record of stability NOW if they want a conference home in the future. The last few years they played (or didn't play) gives zero confidence to other teams that they are in it for the long term.