Big Ten Hockey Conference

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Its possible that DU and North Dakota will be stronger on the ice if this comes to pass. Kind of like Gonzaga in hoops or Boise State in football.

But there is no doubt that this will negatively impact DU financially. More than likely cuts will have to be made.

I still don't see what left of the WCHA suddenly become the AHA West or Sun Belt Conference. It seems to me that it will be way more like the Pac-10 where for the most part its always been one or two teams and a bunch of other good teams. Right now the WCHA is the SEC of College Hockey...

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I still don't see what left of the WCHA suddenly become the AHA West or Sun Belt Conference. It seems to me that it will be way more like the Pac-10 where for the most part its always been one or two teams and a bunch of other good teams. Right now the WCHA is the SEC of College Hockey...

The WCHA wouldn't be the Sun Belt or other Conferences like that. It would be not as deep as it is now, but the top teams still would be national title contenders. Iam sorry but in a day and age where every kids thinks they are are going to make it to the NHL there is no way top players are going to play on the third and fourth line on a big ten team when they can be top line guys on SCSU or UND. Then on top of that a huge percent of all us born college players come from minnesota. Right now not many go to the Michigan schools or OSU and doubt many would go to Penn State when they can play in there home state or very close. Teams like DU will be hurt much more by this change than the minnesota teams will be. Where the Minnesota teams are going to be hurt is in the pocket book. losing the final five money is going to hurt big time.

 

[aparch]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I still don't see what left of the WCHA suddenly become the AHA West or Sun Belt Conference. It seems to me that it will be way more like the Pac-10 where for the most part its always been one or two teams and a bunch of other good teams. Right now the WCHA is the SEC of College Hockey...

A recruit isn't going to want to pick Duluth over Minnesota anymore if he can't play against them.

More fringe players may decide to play limited minutes for Penn State or tOSU in order to play against Michigan and Wisconsin to be seen on the BigTen Network versus getting top minutes for another program to play against the same BigTen teams.

 

[moose97]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

A recruit isn't going to want to pick Duluth over Minnesota anymore if he can't play against them.

More fringe players may decide to play limited minutes for Penn State or tOSU in order to play against Michigan and Wisconsin to be seen on the BigTen Network versus getting top minutes for another program to play against the same BigTen teams.

See, now I just don't buy this at all. Bemidji State has gotten recruits recently just by exploiting the "overlooked" aspect from schools like Minnesota, et. all. Sure, they may get a, "hey, why don't you walk on and get on TV and be a Gopher?" from them, but the return of coming to BSU and being top dog is, in a lot of cases, a bigger deal to a kid. After all, these kids want to play, not sit on the bench hoping to be seen.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

The WCHA wouldn't be the Sun Belt or other Conferences like that. It would be not as deep as it is now, but the top teams still would be national title contenders. Iam sorry but in a day and age where every kids thinks they are are going to make it to the NHL there is no way top players are going to play on the third and fourth line on a big ten team when they can be top line guys on SCSU or UND. Then on top of that a huge percent of all us born college players come from minnesota. Right now not many go to the Michigan schools or OSU and doubt many would go to Penn State when they can play in there home state or very close. Teams like DU will be hurt much more by this change than the minnesota teams will be. Where the Minnesota teams are going to be hurt is in the pocket book. losing the final five money is going to hurt big time.

And that's if you assume that the local teams (especially UND, SCSU and UMD) aren't going to pick up any of the slack left by Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving.

There are still a LOT of fans within driving distance of the X.

 

[huskyfan]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

But there is no doubt that this will negatively impact DU financially. More than likely cuts will have to be made.

nah. after Gwoz leaves for Penn State you won't have to pay the new coach as much.

 

[aparch]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

See, now I just don't buy this at all. Bemidji State has gotten recruits recently just by exploiting the "overlooked" aspect from schools like Minnesota, et. all. Sure, they may get a, "hey, why don't you walk on and get on TV and be a Gopher?" from them, but the return of coming to BSU and being top dog is, in a lot of cases, a bigger deal to a kid. After all, these kids want to play, not sit on the bench hoping to be seen.

Some kids are more grounded and realize that schools like Bemidji or Northern can offer them something they can't get at Minnesota or Michigan, ice time. And that's a lot more important than standing in the press box for games when the scouts are in town. But try and explain that to a 16 year old.

It's a little tough to say that "Your dream school of Michigan is stacked with defensemen who are drafted in the NHL like cord wood for the next seven years, you wouldn't crack their injured reserve lineup. Come to Northern where we can get you top minutes when you play AGAINST them."


But I do know that there have been a few recruits who came through the doors at NMU and asked who their opponents are and said "oh, I don't get to play against (Minnesota/Wisconsin)? I'm not attending."

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

And that's if you assume that the local teams (especially UND, SCSU and UMD) aren't going to pick up any of the slack left by Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving.

There are still a LOT of fans within driving distance of the X.

I agree with you on this but I'm not sure the X gives the WCHA that those dates with Minnesota involved...even if they could probably still fill the place at a slightly reduced price from the current prices and probably build the prices back up in under a decade.

 

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

DU fans are largely complete morons who don't show up to games unless the Pioneers are playing Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado College, and recently, North Dakota. If they had real fans who understood hockey, it wouldn't be a problem, but that isn't the case so DU would be playing in front of a half empty arena for a majority of their games.

WoW Dirty is ACTUALLY right about something If you play good winning hockey fans will show up.... not just when the big boys come to town....

 

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I agree with you on this but I'm not sure the X gives the WCHA that those dates with Minnesota involved...even if they could probably still fill the place at a slightly reduced price from the current prices and probably build the prices back up in under a decade.

I think the X would be willing to try it, assuming the Big Twenve Championship wasn't also angling for the same space. They have a good relationship with the WCHA, and even when Minnesota isn't in the championship (or in the tournament!) it's made money for the participants. Perhaps the WCHA will look into other cities and arenas for the event, or continue using the X for the championship with smaller arenas for the early games, but I don't think it is a necessity.

If the other top-tier teams do leave the WCHA, kiss the Xcel Center goodbye, and look for the tournament to go to Omaha, Green Bay, Grand Rapids, etc. depending on who gets picked up.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

He is assuming that fans in Big Ten schools will care more about Notre Dame coming to town for hockey and as such either attend or watch the games on BTN so the Big Ten will want them. He is wrong...

Uh, you might want to reconsider that position.

ND doesn't do much for Minnesota, Michigan, or MSU, who sell out their arenas without our help. I don't imagine it would do much for Wisconsin, although the difference between 11k and a sellout might be of some value.

However, I'm fairly certain a strong ND team has drawn very well at OSU, and there may be an expectation of similar performance at PSU.

Is that enough to get ND an invite into the BTHC? Who knows? I think the positions against are well-argued, but I'm not putting it down as a complete impossibility either.

 

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

If the Big Ten Conference does come, wouldn't one POSSIBLE benifit to small schools be a revamped format of HOW the NCAA Tourny is selected? Such as scrapping PairWise and having the top 2 teams of each conference (Conference Tourny Winner and or the top 1 or 2 in Conference points) make it in with the last 4 spots filled with filled by a PairWise esk system with NO CONFERENCE having more than 3 representatives?

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I agree with you on this but I'm not sure the X gives the WCHA that those dates with Minnesota involved...even if they could probably still fill the place at a slightly reduced price from the current prices and probably build the prices back up in under a decade.

I agree, I doubt they give them those dates. That month is crazy for the X and if minnesota is not there they won't give those dates, especially if they want to host the big ten tourney.

 

[CHFAN222]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I agree with you on this but I'm not sure the X gives the WCHA that those dates with Minnesota involved...even if they could probably still fill the place at a slightly reduced price from the current prices and probably build the prices back up in under a decade.

You might be mistaken. There was an article in the nytimes about arenas in major cities having trouble booking events due to competition within the metro area. The Twin Cities and NYC where both mentioned. The twin cities have two professional arenas and two major college arenas within them. So the X has incentive to try to book as many events as possible.

 

[blockski]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Money is a huge factor, but I don't see the BigTen ever helping Notre Dame make money at hockey without Notre Dame give up their football independence. And in all honesty, I don't see how Notre Dame really helps the BigTen make more money in hockey? Hockey until recently hasn't been good at Notre Dame and it still isn't a huge deal.

Brings to mind an old cheer heard long ago at the Dane County Coliseum, back when Notre Dame was in the WCHA:

Hail Mary! Full of Grace!
Notre Dame's in seventh place!

I agree, I doubt they give them those dates. That month is crazy for the X and if minnesota is not there they won't give those dates, especially if they want to host the big ten tourney.

Target Center should be available.

In all seriousness, finding arena space shouldn't be a problem.

 

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Even if the X is booked with a Wild hockey game or State Tourny, I am sure the Target Center would work just as well....

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Even if the X is booked with a Wild hockey game or State Tourny, I am sure the Target Center would work just as well....

I am sure it would work. minneapolis has better bars around the arena, but the upper deck at the Target center sucks for hockey. Of course if the crowd is only 13/14,000 it wouldn't matter.

 

[Alton]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

If the Big Ten Conference does come, wouldn't one POSSIBLE benefit to small schools be a revamped format of HOW the NCAA Tourney is selected? Such as scrapping PairWise and having the top 2 teams of each conference (Conference Tourney Winner and or the top 1 or 2 in Conference points) make it in with the last 4 spots filled with filled by a PairWise-esque system with NO CONFERENCE having more than 3 representatives?

This is very unlikely. The NCAA Division I Championships Cabinet has been very consistent over the last decade or more in insisting that all NCAA Division I championships are selected using the same basic principles: all deserving conferences get one automatic bid each, and the remainder of the participants are selected without regard to conference or region.

This is now the rule for every single Division I NCAA sport, and they want to keep it that way--that they made Wrestling scrap its selection formula that was in use for over 40 years because it didn't follow these rules. Hockey lost its double autobid format about 10 years ago, and will never get it back.

 

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

This is very unlikely. The NCAA Division I Championships Cabinet has been very consistent over the last decade or more in insisting that all NCAA Division I championships are selected using the same basic principles: all deserving conferences get one automatic bid each, and the remainder of the participants are selected without regard to conference or region.

This is now the rule for every single Division I NCAA sport, and they want to keep it that way--that they made Wrestling scrap its selection formula that was in use for over 40 years because it didn't follow these rules. Hockey lost its double autobid format about 10 years ago, and will never get it back.

Well maybe the NCAA needs to re-evaluate that if they want to ensure the health of D1 Hockey.....

 

[Patman]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Well maybe the NCAA needs to re-evaluate that if they want to ensure the health of D1 Hockey.....

they could care less to be honest.