Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

Pioneer Press

In the eyes of the Big Ten this was a done deal. They don't mess with their tradition. Hockey is no different to them than any sport currently under the BT umbrella.

This is a huge PR disaster. Are the serious fans who carry the mail going to re-up their season tickets and pay donations? I'm not getting that vibe on here.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

Ohio State is kind of the forgotten child of Big Ten teams in the CCHA. Havent really made a big splash on a consistent basis in league play and their attendance issues/arena size has been noted previously. The thing here is now they can market "Big Ten." The Big Ten is now the only league in college hockey that is recognizable to the casual fan/recruit. Most casual fans have no idea what the WCHA, CCHA is. But I promise you they have heard of "Big Ten."

Thats what Ohio State gains instantly.

Ohio State Fans are Stoopid!!!

Long aside to answer some questions:

A school could be completely independent. The Apprentice School played as a total independent for many, many years before joining the USCAA recently. They've played NCAA schools, particularly D-III football, for decades.

I'm sure there are smaller colleges or other non-colleges like Apprentice that either compete as total independents or only as members of one of the overlapping (NCCAA), smaller (ACCA) or younger (USCAA) associations.

NAIA has lower size requirements than even NCAA III for athletic programs. When MCLA dropped hockey a few years ago, they immediately added men's & women's cross country because they would have dropped to 4 men's sports, below the NCAA III mandated standard. For smaller colleges, even NCAA III sized athletic programs are a burden that will never be overcome.

NCAA II requires even more teams, and there is a similar group of NAIA programs who are faced with the choice of dropping hoops scholarships in order to join NCAA III or adding additional programs to join NCAA II and find both choices unpalatable.

NAIA is drying up, and honestly, doesn't even come close to having the power that the entire NCAA has. There's been some NAIA teams that had to turn down invitations to the playoffs because the school couldn't afford to travel to the games, wasn't in the budget. The NCAA pays for all playoff travel, and anything over 500 miles away they'll pick up the cost of flying a team there. And if you're something like 450 miles away and opt to fly, the NCAA still gives you about the money it would cost to bus there, and you can put that towards the flight. Thats a reason why a lot of those NAIA schools are looking at leaving for the NCAA, especially out west, where its pretty easy to be 500 miles or so away from something.

[SanTropez]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110...al-no-comments

Former Michigan Wolverine John Madden's take on the B10 conference.

[4four4]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

This is a huge PR disaster. Are the serious fans who carry the mail going to re-up their season tickets and pay donations? I'm not getting that vibe on here.

Kind of looks like that but the BT announcing their intentions two years in advance gives them time to change the disaster.

[4four4]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110...al-no-comments

Former Michigan Wolverine John Madden's take on the B10 conference.

"That would be the league I'm sure every young kid would want to play in."

Please quote me if I am wrong but looks like Puck Swami is correct.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

With the BTHC being formed, is Michigan going to decrease the number of current D-I schools where they have a losing record down to two?

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

This is a huge PR disaster. Are the serious fans who carry the mail going to re-up their season tickets and pay donations? I'm not getting that vibe on here.

I already sent in my donation (extortion) and will be continuing to take my family to games in the winters to come. I'm actually looking forward to two games a year versus Michigan and MSU.

I think that many are placing too much emphasis on what the WCHA means to fans of the Big 10 schools. Or at least placing too much emphasis on how us leaving that conference will effect the support of our teams.

Even those that are claiming that they will no longer support their team will probably come around 2 years from now. People say a lot of silly things in the heat of the moment. Time heals all...

The more the rest of you complain and degrade our teams, the more I want to leave and go to the BTHC and say SEE YA! I'm even starting to see some of the Gopher fans heading towards this thought.

[Craig P.]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

I think you have that backwards--it was Michigan who had to cancel a game as a result of not being able to exempt a game played in Alaska.

Oops, you're right. I remembered the teams involved correctly, but forgot which team was at fault.

Michigan did make up that game in one of the following years, as I recall. There was even some mention that they'd come out east to play as a conciliatory gesture, but that never wound up happening.

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

The more the rest of you complain and degrade our teams, the more I want to leave and go to the BTHC and say SEE YA! I'm even starting to see some of the Gopher fans heading towards this thought.

You'd expect the fans of smaller schools to be upset.

What I'm commenting on is the surprisingly negative reaction of many of the Big Ten fans. As 444 mentioned there is plenty of time to fix things, but this is not an auspicious start to the conference IMO.

If things don't go as planned in the Big Ten and attendance drops, students stop coming to games & college hockey slips further off the radar the naysayers within the community aren't going to quieten down.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

You'd expect the fans of smaller schools to be upset.

What I'm commenting on is the surprisingly negative reaction of many of the Big Ten fans. As 444 mentioned there is plenty of time to fix things, but this is not an auspicious start to the conference IMO.

If things don't go as planned in the Big Ten and attendance drops, the naysayers within the community aren't going to quieten down.

Why is it surprising that we would react negatively? Us and Minny have been in the WCHA for all the time that any of us can remember.

Since we as fans have zero control over the decision though, the question becomes what will we as fans do about it. For myself, I've decided to move on. I believe that everyone else will also. I don't for a second believe that any true fans will stop following their team over this.

They can say what they want right now, but two years from now, we'll all be there to cheer on our teams and I predict that by that time there will be excitement in regards to the BTHC's first season.

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

Why is it surprising that we would react negatively? Us and Minny have been in the WCHA for all the time that any of us can remember.

Since we as fans have zero control over the decision though, the question becomes what will we as fans do about it. For myself, I've decided to move on. I believe that everyone else will also. I don't for a second believe that any true fans will stop following their team over this.

They can say what they want right now, but two years from now, we'll all be there to cheer on our teams and I predict that by that time there will be excitement in regards to the BTHC's first season.

Is "everyone," to quote you, going to commit the same about of money to follow their Big Ten teams in two years? I'm seeing some cracks in the wall.

This has the potential to turn a lot of fans off. Big schools. Middle sized schools. Small schools.

When the dominoes start falling a lot of unexpected things can go wrong as a result. Japan was ready for an earthquake, but then the tsunami came and then the Nuke plants started blowing up.

[Slap Shot]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

When the dominoes start falling a lot of unexpected things can go wrong as a result. Japan was ready for an earthquake, but then the tsunami came and then the Nuke plants started blowing up.

Even as a fan that would rather not see the BTHC form, this is some pretty fine hyperbole.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

Is "everyone," to quote you, going to commit the same about of money to follow their Big Ten teams in two years? I'm seeing some cracks in the wall.

This has the potential to turn a lot of fans off. Big schools. Middle sized schools. Small schools.

When the dominoes start falling a lot of unexpected things can go wrong as a result. Japan was ready for an earthquake, but then the tsunami came and then the Nuke plants started blowing up.

I just don't believe that it will go that way. I'm as big a Badger fan as most that I know and I'm not going anywhere. Remember, the people that you are hearing from on here are the super-fans. They don't represent the vast majority of paying fans who love hockey and who look to Badger hockey as a great winter time thing to do.

This could actually spike Badger attendance in the short run.

Time will tell though...

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

Even as a fan that would rather not see the BTHC form, this is some pretty fine hyperbole.

Thanks.

[Innova]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference Pt II - The Exodus

When the dominoes start falling a lot of unexpected things can go wrong as a result. Japan was ready for an earthquake, but then the tsunami came and then the Nuke plants started blowing up.

Did you just compare the BTHC to the devastation in Japan? You might need a slight perspective adjustment.