New WCHA is dead

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: New WCHA is dead

TRAVEL COSTS/TIME IS A COP OUT! I really don't believe that the travel is the main issue here for leaving UAH, Alaska and Alaska-Fairbanks out. Those three schools subsidize travel costs and they have to make the long trips for EVERY road series.

The issue is the uncertainty with the life of these three programs. When the seven teams announced their intent back last summer, the Alaska Legislature was in the process of cutting the UA System budget in half. Athletics was going to see a majority of those cuts. Top that off with Anchorage moving from the city run Sullivan Center to the on campus Wells Fargo Student Center. Fairbanks has put in notice that they may have to leave the Carlson Center for their on-campus arena, the Patty Center, due to the ice plant failing at the Carlson Center and the City of Fairbanks not having the funds to replace it. Currently, the WCHA bylaws state that your arena must have 2500 seats and has stipulations as to what must be included in the visiting locker room areas. If I recall correctly, when Fairbanks traveled to Anchorage earlier this year, they could not get into the visiting locker room the required time before the game (I want to say they got in 60-90 minutes before game time) due to a swim meet going on in the Student Center.

As for UAH, there always seems to be an air of uncertainty with their program, and this year is no different. Even though the Alabama Board of Regents have given the green light to work on getting an on campus arena owned by the school, they have allocated $0 for the project or study. But yet they can do $100 million upgrades to the Crimson Tide football stadium, locker rooms and practice facility.

Even though I am a fan of a school that has a home in this new league, I just don't feel right about how all of this went down and do feel for the fans of the schools left out in the cold, as of right now.

[Deman]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Several times since the formation of the nWCHA BG has been stuck with two trips to Alaska in the same year. THAT is the primary reason. FWIW, I would have no problem keeping UAF in the nCCHA considering how long they were in the old league. One trip every other year is doable. One and many times two trips every year sucks.

I know there are a lot of proponents of a 7 team league, I still think that one of UAH, UAA or UAF is still in play as an 8th school, assuming no other big surprises. I'm sure most of the schools are okay with one long trip, but potentially 2 or three long trips? Of course, each of those three has long trips every few weeks.

Hopefully every team finds a home so none have to fold or try the independent route (again) because of this.

[ticapnews]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Just play inter squad scrimmages. Traveling is too expensive and inconvenient.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: New WCHA is dead

The great west hockey conference will rise from the ashes!!!!

(this would be more amusing if the board allowed all caps posts)

[RapidsCity]

TRAVEL COSTS/TIME IS A COP OUT! I really don't believe that the travel is the main issue here for leaving UAH, Alaska and Alaska-Fairbanks out. Those three schools subsidize travel costs and they have to make the long trips for EVERY road series.

The issue is the uncertainty with the life of these three programs. When the seven teams announced their intent back last summer, the Alaska Legislature was in the process of cutting the UA System budget in half. Athletics was going to see a majority of those cuts. Top that off with Anchorage moving from the city run Sullivan Center to the on campus Wells Fargo Student Center. Fairbanks has put in notice that they may have to leave the Carlson Center for their on-campus arena, the Patty Center, due to the ice plant failing at the Carlson Center and the City of Fairbanks not having the funds to replace it. Currently, the WCHA bylaws state that your arena must have 2500 seats and has stipulations as to what must be included in the visiting locker room areas. If I recall correctly, when Fairbanks traveled to Anchorage earlier this year, they could not get into the visiting locker room the required time before the game (I want to say they got in 60-90 minutes before game time) due to a swim meet going on in the Student Center.

As for UAH, there always seems to be an air of uncertainty with their program, and this year is no different. Even though the Alabama Board of Regents have given the green light to work on getting an on campus arena owned by the school, they have allocated $0 for the project or study. But yet they can do $100 million upgrades to the Crimson Tide football stadium, locker rooms and practice facility.

Even though I am a fan of a school that has a home in this new league, I just don't feel right about how all of this went down and do feel for the fans of the schools left out in the cold, as of right now.

With 100,000 people at those games in Tuscaloosa with nosebleed seats costing $120 for SEC games and football donors pouring millions into the program and the school, the upgrades are in investment.

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: New WCHA is dead

With 100,000 people at those games in Tuscaloosa with nosebleed seats costing $120 and football donors pouring millions into the program, Alabama football is profitable. Upgrades to Bryant-Denney Stadium are long overdue.

Yep. This topic is so close to our hearts that we get pretty emotional about it, but from a practical viewpoint, college hockey is not a money maker, by any means, and for the WCHA schools, there is no Power 5 football/basketball program to bail us out. When you're a business that's consistently losing money, it doesn't matter how fast or slow you're losing it. You either change your business plan, or you go broke. If the whole argument for maintaining the status quo is, "You don't lose a lot of money going to Alaska! You only lose a little money, every year!" then we're all going under. I wish the best for all college programs, but I'm not willing to lose my own team in a futile effort to save someone else's.

[Squarebanks]

I know there are a lot of proponents of a 7 team league, I still think that one of UAH, UAA or UAF is still in play as an 8th school, assuming no other big surprises. I'm sure most of the schools are okay with one long trip, but potentially 2 or three long trips? Of course, each of those three has long trips every few weeks.

Hopefully every team finds a home so none have to fold or try the independent route (again) because of this.

This is Bowling Green’s spawn and I promise you BG wants absolutely nothing to do with any of those three schools (or airplanes in general from what I can tell). BG *****ed about going to Fairbanks back in the old CCHA days...it isn’t anything new.

Bowling Green also didn’t have its conference members (including UAF) turn their backs on them when they nearly folded their program before the last round of realignment. Oh what tangled webs we weave.

Also, your 8th is going to be St. Thomas.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Also, your 8th is going to be St. Thomas.

That’d be the odds on favorite.

[davyd83]

This is Bowling Green’s spawn and I promise you BG wants absolutely nothing to do with any of those three schools (or airplanes in general from what I can tell). BG *****ed about going to Fairbanks back in the old CCHA days...it isn’t anything new.

Bowling Green also didn’t have its conference members (including UAF) turn their backs on them when they nearly folded their program before the last round of realignment. Oh what tangled webs we weave.

Also, your 8th is going to be St. Thomas.

St Thomas doesn’t have a viable rink. Their arena only seats 1,000. They also have yet to be approved for a waiver that will expedite the lengthy process to move to D-1 status.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

St Thomas doesn’t have a viable rink. Their arena only seats 1,000. They also have yet to be approved for a waiver that will expedite the lengthy process to move to D-1 status.

I’m guessing the rink is the larger issue, but also maybe one that they’re looking at fixing if they have enough donor support for the move.

Is it possible that they rent Ridder in the meantime? There’s also ice capabilities at an arena at the State Fairgrounds, but I’ve heard it’s not so great. Better than a community rink that makes the Richfield Ice Arena look like the Ralph, though.

[MTUHuskies]

Re: New WCHA is dead

St Thomas doesn’t have a viable rink. Their arena only seats 1,000. They also have yet to be approved for a waiver that will expedite the lengthy process to move to D-1 status.

My guess is the CCHA waits it out with 7 for UST. When they get the NCAA approval, they will have a new rink shortly thereafter.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[cetihcra]

Re: New WCHA is dead

BG wants absolutely nothing to do with any of those three schools (or airplanes in general from what I can tell).

Please tell me BG flies to Bemidji? That's like a 14hr bus ride...

If the WCCCHA dangles a carrot in front of ASU again, at least you'll all know that it's personal!

r

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Please tell me BG flies to Bemidji? That's like a 14hr bus ride...

If the WCCCHA dangles a carrot in front of ASU again, at least you'll all know that it's personal!

r

By the time they bus to the airport, load the plane, possibly any layovers depending on where they are flying out of, get to MSP, load up and bus the 4 - 5 hours to Bemidji, it could very well be approaching a 14 hour trip.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: New WCHA is dead

We have bused to Bemidji. Bergeron told me the story of the 21 hour bus trip.

We have chartered flights to Houghton and Mankato a couple of times thanks to a very generous benefactor. I don't know about Bemidji. Geographically we are 70 miles from DTW which gets us pretty much anywhere in the lower 48 without connecting. We're as close to DTW as Miami State is to CVG.

[cetihcra]

Re: New WCHA is dead

By the time they bus to the airport, load the plane, possibly any layovers depending on where they are flying out of, get to MSP, load up and bus the 4 - 5 hours to Bemidji, it could very well be approaching a 14 hour trip.

So let's say the 4 hours of loading/unloading, and 4 hours MSP-BJI bus portions are redundant, you're still talking a 10hr bus ride vs a 2hr flight. Gives me the shivers.

r