Big Ten Hockey Conference

[ScottM]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

DU & UND have TV deals. They need to schedule relevant opponents to remain viable.

As well, schools like Wisco and Minnesota also benefit when they draw in schools like UND, DU, etc. since their barns usually sellout with their own fans, and opposing fans. Whatever benefits a B10 TV deal may trickle down to hockey, it's a different road to sellout Mariucci or Kohl with Ohio State or Penn State. Hockey's rivalries much different than bouncyball or football.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

The best thing that the rest of the schools could do is to have no one schedule non-conference games against the big 10 teams. Good luck to more than about 2 of the 6 of them making the NCAA's when they only play each other and can't build any schedule strength in the eyes of the pairwise.

 

[aparch]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

...or to make them travel for non-conference games.

The Big10 schools will look awfully stupid when their schedule comes out and no one agrees to play non-conference games. Hooray for playing an Ivy league schedule.

*edit* seems like we had similar ideas.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

DU and North Dakota aren't going to sit back and watch their Athletic Departments' "Golden Gooses" fade into the sunset.

Just look at what happened in college football and basketball. Schools will cut loose the weak ducklings and form conferences with like minded programs.

DU, UND, CC, Notre Dame, UMD and Miami all have brand new arenas or plans to build one, brand names in hockey and tradition.

DU & UND have TV deals. They need to schedule relevant opponents to remain viable.

Agree completely, but let's say you are a HE power. Your rink is already full, you have minimal travel expenses and a number of solid rivalry's. You already have a tv deal. would having CC coming in as part of your conference benefit you over say Vermont or Providence? maybe. But the costs to go there are high, and you don't necessarily get more tv revenue. Plus the fans might not be so happy either, because now they can go not only to all the home games, but almost all the away games too, so you'd have some political work to do.
For what, to make things better for cc.? There has to be significantly more marginal financial benefit to leave HE and truthfully I don't see that much of one. Some sure but not enough to take this big a risk.
I do think that down the line this might happen, especially if there are big financial numbers dangled out there.
The problem is if they don't make a decision right away they might be screwing themselves down the road. At any rate , yes I think all hell will break loose.
One more thing, the bthc has really a national tv deal, so you're right, to compete financially whatever entity it is will need a bigger tv deal then they have now, and maybe the only way to do that is thru a national type league. But it's a big maybe. Hockey doesn't have that great a rep with the powers in national tv sports. Especially college hockey, they might decide one national tv game per weekend is already too much.

 

[Federal League]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Agree completely, but let's say you are a HE power. Your rink is already full, you have minimal travel expenses and a number of solid rivalry's. You already have a tv deal. would having CC coming in as part of your conference benefit you over say Vermont or Providence? maybe. But the costs to go there are high, and you don't necessarily get more tv revenue. Plus the fans might not be so happy either, because now they can go not only to all the home games, but almost all the away games too, so you'd have some political work to do.
For what, to make things better for cc.? There has to be significantly more marginal financial benefit to leave HE and truthfully I don't see that much of one. Some sure but not enough to take this big a risk.
I do think that down the line this might happen, especially if there are big financial numbers dangled out there.
The problem is if they don't make a decision right away they might be screwing themselves down the road. At any rate , yes I think all hell will break loose.
One more thing, the bthc has really a national tv deal, so you're right, to compete financially whatever entity it is will need a bigger tv deal then they have now, and maybe the only way to do that is thru a national type league. But it's a big maybe. Hockey doesn't have that great a rep with the powers in national tv sports. Especially college hockey, they might decide one national tv game per weekend is already too much.

I agree about Hockey East. If/when the BTHC forms, I think the best thing for HE to do is to stand pat. No matter what happens -- WCHA and CCHA both live on or remaining WCHA and CCHA powers form their own conference -- HE remains one of the top three conferences and remains more than relevant on the national stage. HE wouldn't need to consider realignment until some more big-name eastern schools come along -- whether it's Syracuse starting up or UConn finally getting serious about hockey. I don't think any HE schools would be lured away by a conference with DU/CC/ND etc. The travel would just be crazy. The only thing that I could see luring someone away would be if enough ACC teams started up to lure BC away, but that's nowhere close to happening.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Everyone is assuming the b11 wants a hockey conference. All indications are they don't give a crap about hockey. Right now they don't even go out of their way to show any current b11 teams when play eachother on tv.

You're completely ignoring the widely-accepted understanding in CCHA circles that the Integer Network wants more hockey, and you're also completely ignoring how the new CCHA alignment was set up to put the Integer schools together.

Maybe, down the road, the BTN will decide that hockey isn't doing as much for them as they thought it would, but right now, all indications are that they're very interested.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Maybe, down the road, the BTN will decide that hockey isn't doing as much for them as they thought it would, but right now, all indications are that they're very interested.

All indications... except for what you see the BTN actually put on screen each winter. TA makes a great point: if BTN is chomping at the bit for hockey action, why is their slate so empty for much of the year?

 

[SJHovey]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

The problem with a watered down WCHA and CCHA is that the best recruits will head to the BTHC so they can play against the best players and teams.

Kind of like how the all the best football recruits go to Minnesota and Indiana so they get to play against Ohio St. and Michigan.

I simply don't agree with your assertion. You look at sports like football and basketball, even where there is what appears to be one dominant conference, other conferences and tradition laden programs continue to thrive.

Someone in this thread (too lazy to go back and see who to give proper credit) correctly pointed out that in a Big 10 conference, 3 teams are probably going to suck, year in and year out. They are going to be sub .500 in conference play and will be borderline NCAA eligible.

Hockey East has done quite nicely without any Big 10 teams. What college hockey player wants to go to Penn St., Ohio St., or maybe even Michigan St. just to finish last in the Big 10 conference?

The weird thing about this move, it might end up hurting the Big 10 programs as much as any other programs. These teams would go from being the marquee names in their current conference to just another bottom feeding Big 10 team, like they might already be in football, basketball, etc...

I, for one, hope it doesn't happen simply because I like some of the rivalries that have built up in the WCHA, and I really love the WCHA Final 5 in St. Paul. But I don't see it as the end of college hockey for other programs, including my school, UND.

 

[ts8801]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Since everyone is tossing out what they think the conferences will look like, here's what I think will happen.

Big 10
Minnesota
Michigan
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Penn State
Michigan State

After this the other western powers will be scrambling, and I see them forming a conference that would look like:

North Dakota
Denver
Colorado College
St. Cloud State
Nebraska-Omaha
Notre Dame
Miami
Minnesota-Duluth

Leaving the remaining teams in the WCHA (UAA, MSU-M, MTU, BSU), CCHA (NMU, LSSU, WMU, FSU, BGSU, UA) and UAH completely screwed, because they have no name schools and both Alaskas.

This is bad.

I think this is a much more realistic superconference if it ends up happening. why do BC, BU, UNH and ME leave HE for this, travel costs would go through the roof, and there fans can no longer have a realistic option to see all home and away games. The eight team super WCHA wouldn't be much more costly then the current format and would bring in more money for the league. One thing I don't understand is why the theoretical super-leagues would only stock the league with strong teams, and not add a cupcake or two. OSU would and PSU would probably be the BTHC cupcakes. If the new WCHA would add MSU_M and BSU they would add a cupcake in MSU-M and a decent team in BSU. That would give you a ten team conference looking like:

NEW WCHA
North Dakota
Denver
Colorado College
St. Cloud State
Nebraska-Omaha
Notre Dame
Miami
Minnesota-Duluth
Minnesota State-Mankato
Bemidji State

 

[aparch]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I think this is a much more realistic superconference if it ends up happening. why do BC, BU, UNH and ME leave HE for this, travel costs would go through the roof, and there fans can no longer have a realistic option to see all home and away games. The eight team super WCHA wouldn't be much more costly then the current format and would bring in more money for the league. One thing I don't understand is why the theoretical super-leagues would only stock the league with strong teams, and not add a cupcake or two. OSU would and PSU would probably be the BTHC cupcakes. If the new WCHA would add MSU_M and BSU they would add a cupcake in MSU-M and a decent team in BSU. That would give you a ten team conference looking like:

NEW WCHA
North Dakota
Denver
Colorado College
St. Cloud State
Nebraska-Omaha
Notre Dame
Miami
Minnesota-Duluth
Minnesota State-Mankato
Bemidji State

And then kiss Ferris State, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, both Alaskas, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, and Lake Superior State goodbye.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

And then kiss Ferris State, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, both Alaskas, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, and Lake Superior State goodbye.

Actually, I think they would end up being a western Atlantic Hockey caliber conference. Invest that much less into the program, hope to break even, play for the that one chance at a Holy Cross moment that one year out of 10 you make the NCAA's.

 

[ts8801]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

And then kiss Ferris State, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, both Alaskas, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, and Lake Superior State goodbye.

that's two less teams disappearing adding msu-m and bsu, so that's a step in the right direction.

 

[ts8801]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Actually, I think they would end up being a western Atlantic Hockey caliber conference. Invest that much less into the program, hope to break even, play for the that one chance at a Holy Cross moment that one year out of 10 you make the NCAA's.

I was just about to edit my post, but you beat me to it

 

[huskyfan]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Maybe, down the road, the BTN will decide that hockey isn't doing as much for them as they thought it would, but right now, all indications are that they're very interested.

if it makes $$$$, they are interested.

 

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Actually, I think they would end up being a western Atlantic Hockey caliber conference. Invest that much less into the program, hope to break even, play for the that one chance at a Holy Cross moment that one year out of 10 you make the NCAA's.

You'd be lucky if the Alaskas, Tech, Northern and one other school (Ferris or Western) make it out alive from that conference after a decade. BG tried to cut hockey once, and Lake State probably wouldn't be far behind.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

You'd be lucky if the Alaskas, Tech, Northern and one other school (Ferris or Western) make it out alive from that conference after a decade. BG tried to cut hockey once, and Lake State probably wouldn't be far behind.

I agree, there is no way that conference lasts longer than 10 years, but I'm sure they'd give it a shot. Imagine a conference where Tech, Northern and Bowling Green are the "name" schools. Yeah, that'll work.

 

[Twitch Boy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

I agree, there is no way that conference lasts longer than 10 years, but I'm sure they'd give it a shot. Imagine a conference where Tech, Northern and Bowling Green are the "name" schools. Yeah, that'll work.

How could you forget Miami? They are a dynasty, after all

 

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Also, you can't just kick MTU out of the WCHA, and they're not going anywhere. We've been through this.

They would use the college football model. Teams wouldn't get kicked out, they just wouldn't be invited to join the new conference.

Here's how it will go down. Just change "WAC" to "WCHA," "1999" to "2013" and the football schools to hockey schools.

Increasingly, this arrangement was not satisfactory to most of the older WAC members. Five members in particular (Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Utah, and Wyoming) felt that WAC expansion had compromised the athletic and academic excellence of the membership. In 1999, those five schools, along with old line WAC schools New Mexico and San Diego State, as well as newcomer UNLV, split off and formed the new Mountain West Conference, depriving the WAC of most of its competitive strength and almost all of its history (in addition to its 4 remaining charter members). Only UTEP and Hawaiʻi would remain from the WAC's "golden age".

 

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

How could you forget Miami? They are a dynasty, after all

,

or

?

As for that conference, you may as well call it the Superior Hockey Intercollegiate Teams.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

They would use the college football model. Teams wouldn't get kicked out, they just wouldn't be invited to join the new conference.

Here's how it will go down. Just change "WAC" to "WCHA," "1999" to "2013" and the football schools to hockey schools.

Oh, I know this, and it could happen. The situation that was mentioned where the WCHA would "trade" Tech to the CCHA for Ohio State. That isn't how it works.