Big 10 a scapegoat?

[giwan]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Then who will they play for no return trip? Which teams are willing to show up and more importantly why?

UND, and perhaps UAA due to the schedule exemption, are the only schools in the WCHA that will be able to get Minnesota and Wisconsin to come to their arena without having to do 2-for-1's or something. Michigan and Minnesota don't go on the road right now, why would that change?

 

[gophfan]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Many small like DU ,UMD, Bemidiji state, Miami etc.. are doing fine why becaus ethose schools are invested into there programs. Schools like LSSu ,BGSU ,NMU etc.. need to start investing in tehre programs excpet blaming there troubles on the "big schools".

 

[Dirty]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

As Dirty said, this is EXACTLY what will happen. As it is, NMU already has the following arrangement for Wisconsin: 1 weekend in Madtown, 1 weekend in a neutral site (Green Bay), 1 Badger Showdown appearance.

And, NMU has a non-conference game scheduled against NoDak. Terms of that trip? 1 weekend in Grand Forks. No return trips, no future dates.

If you're living in Marquette, how many times will you see Wisconsin an NoDak at the Berry Events Center? Zero.


It's already happening. The B1G blows it wide open.

That's surprising. UND usually does return trips with every team they play. Unless that team is Canisius. I would have thought UND would be happy to make a trip to Marquette.

gophfan = Minnesota version of Goon. Yikes.

 

[gophfan]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

The problem is that your school hockey team entire existance is base on playing those teams. thats my point.

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

I would first like to say im new to this board so hi. It seems to me that schools like NMU, BGSU and LSSU are using the new BTHC as a scapegoat. Many small schools are doing well (miami, RIT,Denver,UMD etc..) and would stilll do well if the Big TEn schools are gone. There something extremely wrong with your program if you depend on playing 3 schools to keep your program from dying.

Discuss.

Your statement "schools like NMU, BGSU and LSSU are using the new BTHC as a scapegoat" is based upon what substantive research? It appears to me that you are simply stating a personal opinion based upon little or no understanding of how these schools view the formation of the BTHC. You seem to be making negative assumptions regarding the aforementioned programs' perspective on the BTHC and presenting them as facts without demonstrating the validity of your comments.

Moreover, it seems that many of the viewpoints advocating that smaller schools will be adversely affected by the departure of larger D1 schools from the WCHA and CCHA and consequently will endure unwarranted and severe economic hardship are mainly based upon cynical myopism, traditionism, pure speculation and are substantially without merit.

There are obviously many variables to be considered over the next year or so regarding scheduling. Once those issues are resolved, all of us will have a better understanding of the overall causal effects the formation of the BTHC will have upon other programs. Thus far the following reactions to the BTHC have been generally positive and do not indicate an unusual concern from ADs and coaches of BGSU, NMU, MSUM, LSSU and FSU:

Bowling Green athletics director Greg Christopher was quick to reiterate that the news does not shake Bowling Green's commitment to its hockey program.

"When we went through the process a couple of years ago, we put our stake in the ground that we were going to sponsor a strong hockey program," he said. "I'm not concerned about this news affecting the future of hockey at Bowling Green. "We're going in a great direction with Chris Bergeron as coach. We're going to be fine." "I don't like to see teams who have been in the league for a long time go away," Bergeron said. "But we've got a job to do here at Bowling Green, and this news doesn't change that. "My focus has to be to make a strong program here at Bowling Green, just as it was before this announcement."

NMU head coach Walt Kyle has a different outlook, however, for a sport that has lost programs like Findlay in 2004 and Wayne State in 2008.

"I think it's great for college hockey that we are adding teams like the caliber of Penn State," Kyle said. "I think we've been talking about expanding college hockey for years and we want that. We can't cry when it happens. It's going to be a change. There's certainly going to be a change, but Northern is certainly committed to having a quality Division I hockey team in a quality Division I conference."

NMU Associate Athletics Director of Operations and acting Athletic Director Steve Reed said the university is committed to the CCHA and following the lead of Anastos. NMU President Les Wong echoed that sentiment, saying NMU will continue to be competitive at a national level. "Northern Michigan University is continuing to aggressively participate in conversations with fellow CCHA member institutions about the future landscape of NCAA Division I college hockey," Wong said in a prepared statement. "We are committed to play hockey competitively at the highest level possible.

Minnesota State athletic director Kevin Buisman is hopeful that a fair and balanced scheduling arrangement can be worked out between the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the Big Ten when the latter starts its own men's hockey conference in two years. There are some concerns about not having those kinds of programs coming into your building, Buisman said. But we're still working on a possible scheduling arrangement with those schools. I'm optimistic that our schedule would not be tremendously different than it is now.

Of the 12 largest hockey crowds in the history of the Verizon Wireless Center, seven, including the top two, were games in which MSU played Minnesota or Wisconsin. The other five were games against North Dakota. This season, the largest crowd of the year saw a game against Minnesota Duluth. We'll continue to have, week in and week out, the best in college hockey here, Buisman said. There have been some good, healthy discussions among the teams remaining in the WCHA, he said.

Lake Superior State coach Jim Roque viewed the announcement as positive for the sport. "I think it's good for college hockey," Roque said. "I think the Big Ten moniker's going to, obviously, provide more exposure to college hockey. I look at it this way: I'm in the water with all these schools. As the water rises, my boat rises, too.

"We don't recruit against those schools. That's not going to affect us. We're not going to lose a kid to the Big Ten league. The negative for us is, obviously, not getting those schools in our building, and I understand that part of it." But Roque said the home schedule won't be affected drastically. "Ohio State's never been a big draw for us," he said. "We've never had Wisconsin or Minnesota here. So, really, we're talking about two schools -- and we usually get one of them a year. We never get Michigan and Michigan State (at home) the same year. ... So you're talking about two home games a year, basically."

Ferris State coach Bob Daniels said the CCHA has been a strong league and will continue to be so. "I know we're committed to being a strong member, and we would look forward to continuing our rivalries with the (Big Ten) schools, just through nonconference play," Daniels said.

 

[gophfan]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Im not saying that they arent going to be hurt but im constantly hearing by college hockey afns how all these teams are going to fold . yet many snmall teams are being sucessiful while many are just riding the gravy train.

 

[giwan]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

I agree they need to invest. So to do that they need money and if for example NMU makes more money playing UW in Green Bay then at home, isn't it a bonus for the smaller school?

Many small like DU ,UMD, Bemidiji state, Miami etc.. are doing fine why becaus ethose schools are invested into there programs. Schools like LSSu ,BGSU ,NMU etc.. need to start investing in tehre programs excpet blaming there troubles on the "big schools".

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Im not saying that they arent going to be hurt but im constantly hearing by college hockey afns how all these teams are going to fold . yet many snmall teams are being sucessiful while many are just riding the gravy train.

You're not making a lot of sense and your lack of proper grammar and syntax isn't a plus either. "Riding the gravy train"? Why would you make that assumption?

 

[gophfan]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

yes its a bonus but it shouldnt be a dependency.

 

[Runninwiththedogs]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

yes its a bonus but it shouldnt be a dependency.

Your team can't even sniff the NCAAs at the current 16 team field.

A couple of teams contract and you won't be any closer in the 12 team field.

 

[MavHockey14]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

gophfan, learn to type. thanks.

RWD saves the day!

 

[bronconick]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

So you are saying that there are 10-12 teams (or 5-6 if they play two games on the weekend) that are willing to play a BT school for example UMaa at Yost and will not want a return trip.

You cut them a check, just like basketball and football. It's just a smaller one, because hockey's not as wealthy.

Western and Ferris will probably get series tilted toward Ann Arbor and East Lansing (5 years, 3 home and homes, two series at Yost/Munn, for example) in exchange for not having to write those checks and because it'll be a home and home, meaning two-three hour bus ride and no hotel stay for travel. Notre Dame will be able to ask for and receive 1 for 1 home and home most likely, and Miami and BG should have no problem getting something similar to those deals with Ohio State.

NMU and LSSU? Red would prefer to light the Mackinac Bridge on fire as opposed to travel back there if he doesn't have to, and assuming Anastos isn't fired before the BTHC starts, it's not like he knew anything outside of AA/EL/Detroit anyway.

 

[Runninwiththedogs]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

yes its a bonus but it shouldnt be a dependency.

Let's talk about the money that these teams bring in.

Cash flow projections are made years in advance for major projects such as new arenas or upgrades. Coaches sign multi-year deals with salaries and bonuses based on departmental budgets and future projections for those budgets. Many of the teams we are talking about have played each other for decades and so, for example, when the BREC was built, or AMSoil Arena was built, or the SCCC renovations began, these cash flow projections for financing and repaying the costs of these projects contained revenues based on games with UW/UMTC, as well as revenue from the Final Five. And why shouldn't they have included those figures? When tUMD has been playing UMTC for 50 years, it was reasonable to expect they'll continue to play them. When LSSU and BGSU and WMU set their ticket prices, salaries for their athletic department, advertising pricing, everything, they set those things based on the expectations for games against Ugly Helmets/Fartans. Why SHOULDN'T they base their costs and expenses on the expectation that they are going to continue to play teams they have played for decades?

I might be talking over your head now, though, honey. Need an aspirin?

Believe me, no one would give a **** about the Gophers if they couldn't play UND and UW anymore.

 

[aparch]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

...Thus far the following reactions to the BTHC have been generally positive and do not indicate an unusual concern from ADs and coaches of BGSU, NMU, MSUM, LSSU and FSU:

NMU Associate Athletics Director of Operations and acting Athletic Director Steve Reed said the university is committed to the CCHA and following the lead of Anastos.

I'd just like to point out that our Associate Athletic Director is still picking the shoelaces out from between his teeth...

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Unfortunately it does hurt to some extent. It's embarassing to say, but our program has no coach, a growing number of people getting rid of season tickets due to the lack of coaching and care from our university's administration. This just adds to the struggles thus far. I will agree I have no worries of our program folding, and that we don't belong on that list.

Has there been any serious talk of replacing Jutting?

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Believe me, no one would give a **** about the Gophers if they couldn't play UND and UW anymore.

Hey now, I think that's a bit harsh.

 

[bigmrg74]

You cut them a check, just like basketball and football. It's just a smaller one, because hockey's not as wealthy.

Western and Ferris will probably get series tilted toward Ann Arbor and East Lansing (5 years, 3 home and homes, two series at Yost/Munn, for example) in exchange for not having to write those checks and because it'll be a home and home, meaning two-three hour bus ride and no hotel stay for travel. Notre Dame will be able to ask for and receive 1for 1 home and home most likely, and Miami and BG should have no problem getting something similar to those deals with Ohio State.

NMU and LSSU? Red would prefer to light the Mackinac Bridge on fire as opposed to travel back there if he doesn't have to, and assuming Anastos isn't fired before the BTHC starts, it's not like he knew anything outside of AA/EL/Detroit anyway.

I still think that Ferris and Western might try doing games in Grand Rapids at the Van Andel. They could set it up to be like GLI perhaps.

 

[Dirty]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

Hey now, I think that's a bit harsh.

True. Kevin Gorg will still care.

 

[bronconick]

Re: Big 10 a scapegoat?

I still think that Ferris and Western might try doing games in Grand Rapids at the Van Andel. They could set it up to be like GLI perhaps.

Tried it once in the 90's. It sucked attendance wise.

 

[icelund]

Has there been any serious talk of replacing Jutting?

They aren't willing to look, and they aren't willing to pay were they to find anyone.