Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference
One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that Wisconsin and the others will be able to choose their non-con opponents. This can be both good(financially) and bad(scheduling patsies).
Not sure if there is a limit to the number of home games that a team can have, but I foresee the bigger schools scheduling series against small schools where a reciprocal trip will not be offered.
Wisconsin LOVES these arrangements as you see it in Basketball and Football. Season ticket holders are treated to Austin Peay next weekend on the gridiron!!
I'm not so sure that will happen. Hockey isn't football. You need some depth to your OOC schedule for the PWR. UW has done well in recent years, particularly with the limited number of games available. The Showcase with Michigan and Michigan State shows that they're willing to play home and homes with traditional rivals. The series with BC and UNH shows the same for out of conference foes.
UW would then usually get one home series against a tomato can to get the gate, and the other games would be taken up by the Badger Showdown (RIP). With the showdown gone, I can see UW going after a nice non-conference series there or seeking an invitation to one of the more competitive or traditional holiday tournaments (it's been ages since UW played in the GLI, for example).
I think this is the big unknown. If the Big Ten hockey programs decide to act like their football and basketball brethren, some smaller schools aren't going to survive IMHO. One bit of hope, however, is the relative short 20 game season being tossed around. If the Big Ten schools operate under the assumption that they don't need to have more home games than they're already used to (say, 18 or depending upon the season), this leaves plenty of room to have enough road conference games to give some of these schools at least one or two marquee games on their schedule.
Like I said, I think the nature of hockey precludes that from happening. Basketball is more of an indicator, IMO.
Like basketball, losing one hockey game doesn't ruin your season, as it might in football - thus there's more incentive to schedule games against bigger, tougher opponents - the downside isn't that big.
I think balance is good. If the Big Ten schools have some rivalry games, that helps their former conference mates (for UW, that would be UND, UMD, DU, CC, etc). If they want tomato can games without the return trip (or a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 exchange), then that helps the little guys too - they get games and they also get paid.
Death knell this is not.
