B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

[SJHovey]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

UMD was not the best representative of the NCHC. They hold the dubious honor of being a National Champion with the worst regular season record ever.

Even worse than the 1965-66 Michigan State team that won the title, after having gone 12-13-0 in the regular season?

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

This forum needs an eating popcorn emoji.

 

[Duluthian]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

UMD was not the best representative of the NCHC. They hold the dubious honor of being a National Champion with the worst regular season record ever. Had the Gophers won only one game of the last four they lost to Penn St., UMD would not have been in the tournament. SCSU was statistically the best.

It's not statistically accurate to use only a "one-and-done" tournament format to rank teams.

Nice to see B1G teams improving. But IMHO this thread is premature. I don't pay much attention to the poles this early in the season.

Perhaps better said that "The Gophers hold the dubious honor of missing the tournament by losing four straight times to Penn State"

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

you think they will also just fade away while the big 10 creates their own Division 0 conference so good they will become semi-pro and no longer allowed to compete against other NCAA schools and will eventually start scheduling AHL competition?

I forwarded your suggestion to Barry Alvarez and he loves it!

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

Perhaps better said that "The Gophers hold the dubious honor of missing the tournament by losing four straight times to Penn State"

Sure thing, Cindy.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

Perhaps better said that "The Gophers hold the dubious honor of missing the tournament by losing four straight times to Penn State"

In the end, this embarrassing losing streak was for the best for the program. They wouldn't have gone far in the tournament and the staff shakeup that should have happened years prior finally happened.

 

[SteveO]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

Even worse than the 1965-66 Michigan State team that won the title, after having gone 12-13-0 in the regular season?

Sorry, I forgot to add I was quoting FS23. Hook, line and sinker.

 

[Happy]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

Even though the big one escaped the Big Ten last season I'd say the statement of 3 B1G teams in the FF was not a fluke and to go out on a limb I'd say, at least on paper, the B1G will have the most teams in the dance next spring.

I am absolutely sure it will not happen, but if a conference would get 4 teams into the FF, then the championship committee will make sure it never happens again, and screw them over like they did to the WCHA all those years. (i.e. make a Western regional a region of death every year, and one of the Eastern ones a cake walk with no wcha team at all.)

That said, the Big Ten will not have the power and depth the old WCHA had, so it will not be a problem.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

UMD was not the best representative of the NCHC. They hold the dubious honor of being a National Champion with the worst regular season record ever.

This is one reason why there will never BE a consensus on what makes a conference the best.
Is it who fields the National Champion, best overall record, best non conference opponent record, how many teams fielded in the tournament or FF?
There is a LOT of diversity of thought on what category or categories make one conference the "best". Also every conference has teams at the bottom trying to reload and rebuild.
Since all the marbles are on the table come tournament time my personal perspective for this thread was how many teams and how far do they go for the best or strongest conference.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

...Since all the marbles are on the table come tournament time my personal perspective for this thread was how many teams and how far do they go for the best or strongest conference.

A number of years ago, there was an extended conversation on this board about which was the greater accomplishment: A Conference Title or a Frozen Four Appearance. The response was virtually unanimous; the FF option won in a landslide. If we had the conversation again, I'm guessing the results would be pretty similar. Obviously this supports your perspective.

At the same time, conference bragging rights ought to be based on long term performance. Yes, it's fair to say the conference over achieved last season. But it's not hard to argue that the B1G under achieved the previous five years. Are the years of famine really over? Will seasons just ahead really be years of feast?

Nice thought. Could be. But in the meantime, we'd be well advised to stay humble.

Whenever my Dad bought a new car, he'd invariably be asked how he liked it. His response was always the same: Ask me in five years. Based on 2017-18, is the B1G now the top conference in D-1 Hockey? Ask me in five years.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

That said, the Big Ten will not have the power and depth the old WCHA had, so it will not be a problem.

Rather than looking for nuance for exactly what the B1G needs to do...its not that complicated. The B1G just needs to win and continue winning. If it manages to get 3 of 4 FF participants - then NCs will just happen. Having said that, its extremely difficult to get 3 FF participants - especially when your conference needs to get that out of 5 teams (or 6 if MSU can get it together). The maths just don't work.

 

[SteveO]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

The NCHC is going to be nowhere close to being the best conference this year, at least in terms of interconference records, teams in the tournament, or even title contenders, imho. I expect this to be a very down year for the conference, although I think there is a lot of good young talent playing here. The attrition in the form of the loss of top coaches and players leaving early for the pros is finally going to catch up to the league.

That said, I continue to believe that the NCHC will hold it's own as one of the best college hockey conferences going forward, notwithstanding some significant disadvantages its teams may face in terms of money, television exposure, geography, etc..., compared with a conference like the B1G.

I agree. The NCHC has proven it is a unique composition of schools with strong hockey traditions and NCAA tournament success despite being "smaller schools" with more limited budgets.

But as you stated, the B1G has some inherent advantages over every league in college hockey. The large school sizes and money that comes with it is one factor. The BTN and the revenue and national exposure that comes with it is another. The sheer vastness of the footprint of the B1G and number of media markets reached is unmatched in college hockey.

Another advantage is the ability to propose changes in the rules directly to the NCAA. As an ‘all sports’ league, the B1G has that ability under NCAA rules. The rest of the college hockey landscape, 53 out of 60 teams does not have that power.

For example, I recall the outcry even here on USCHO when the B1G made a proposal directly to the NCAA that involved docking years of eligibility for older players that join college hockey past the age of 20. The B1G pulled the proposal before it could be given consideration, likely due to the outcry from the rest of the college hockey world.

Teams outside of the B1G must agree among themselves, via thorough discussions and much deliberation, and then pass the proposal on to the NCAA once a consensus is reached. So from the perspective of power, whatever power smaller schools have always had in D1 will be challenged at times in the future. The B1G has potentially a half-dozen teams poised to add hockey within the next twenty years, which would make the power it wields even greater.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

It’s hard for me to personally care about the BTN when they don’t actually have that many Badger games.

 

[Eddie Schorr]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

It’s hard for me to personally care about the BTN when they don’t actually have that many Badger games.

It does come off a bit as the Big Gopher Network, but that's just business I assume.

For Hockey season, I buy the +package for Ohio State. It's a one team viewing option and is pretty reasonable. HDMI from the computer into the theater receiver, and I'm set. Cancel the subscription after the season's over.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

It’s hard for me to personally care about the BTN when they don’t actually have that many Badger games.

I make up for your subscription. Netflix, NFL Gamepass and BTN+; done. Who needs TV access?

I agree. The NCHC has proven it is a unique composition of schools with strong hockey traditions and NCAA tournament success despite being "smaller schools" with more limited budgets.

Not much of a surprise. NCHC was created by cherry picking teams across the country (cepting B!G and HE - which they didn't care about anyways). So they should be decent.

Its early yet but...the inherent strengths of the B1G and BTN may finally be powering mens hockey to the top 10 - like its done for other sports.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

Correct me if I'm wrong but first didn't the B1G woo ASU for hockey then up the ante and try to get the whole school to bail on the PAC for the B1G?
Perhaps they should go back and try and get ASU for hockey only like they did for Notre Dame. We could use an 8th team and Illinois would be the next likely B1G school to get a hockey program going but would be most likely several years out while ASU could come in as early as next season.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

Correct me if I'm wrong but first didn't the B1G woo ASU for hockey then up the ante and try to get the whole school to bail on the PAC for the B1G?

There was talk of ASU to the B1G. But am quite sure that it was the B1G that said no. Remember that also the NCHC said no. I'm not sure which way it went with the current WCHA - but it didn't work for one side or the other.

Perhaps they should go back and try and get ASU for hockey only like they did for Notre Dame. We could use an 8th team and Illinois would be the next likely B1G school to get a hockey program going but would be most likely several years out while ASU could come in as early as next season.

If there was an 8th team, I'd like to see it be UMD which 1) has alot of NC mojo right now 2) has some annual scheduling with numerous current B1G teams like ND 3) could easily be rationalized as part of the University of Minnesota system and 4) has a better chance of being convinced seeing as its part of the Univesity of Minnesota. Secondarily, UND. IMO ASU too far, no relationships, questionable long term competitive prospects.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

UMD would be great but I'm also fearing it's ASU in the end. Gophers are bringing them in last weekend of the year and that feels too much like a tryout to me.

 

[Eddie Schorr]

Correct me if I'm wrong but first didn't the B1G woo ASU for hockey then up the ante and try to get the whole school to bail on the PAC for the B1G?
Perhaps they should go back and try and get ASU for hockey only like they did for Notre Dame. We could use an 8th team and Illinois would be the next likely B1G school to get a hockey program going but would be most likely several years out while ASU could come in as early as next season.

I don't really see that. We're still digesting Maryland and Rutgers and are probably waiting to make our play for UVA and UNC in five or six years. ASU also isn't anywhere near AAU status, and I think that still means something. If we're going to add more associate members in Hockey, UND is the name that I heard thrown around.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: B1G 2018-19 Rise to the Top?

There was talk of ASU to the B1G. But am quite sure that it was the B1G that said no. Remember that also the NCHC said no. I'm not sure which way it went with the current WCHA - but it didn't work for one side or the other.



If there was an 8th team, I'd like to see it be UMD which 1) has alot of NC mojo right now 2) has some annual scheduling with numerous current B1G teams like ND 3) could easily be rationalized as part of the University of Minnesota system and 4) has a better chance of being convinced seeing as its part of the Univesity of Minnesota. Secondarily, UND. IMO ASU too far, no relationships, questionable long term competitive prospects.

Very interesting opinion about UMD.
Here's an excerpt from a 2017 story about the Sun Devils.

"The Sun Devils were once expected to follow a similar timeframe as the Nittany Lions, albeit not quite as quickly. They played a hybrid schedule of varsity and club opponents in 2015-16, then competed as an independent in 2016-17. It was expected that they would announce their conference affiliation this year, taking effect at a later time.

However, those talks appear to have halted indefinitely. On June 22, the program abandoned negotiations with the WCHA. This decision came after the NCHC declined ASU’s admittance.

As a result, the question lingers as to how long Arizona State can remain a viable, independent hockey entity. If history is any indication, there will inevitably be a time when the Sun Devils must align with a conference to continue to thrive at this level."