Big Ten Hockey Conference

[ScottM]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Cleveland??

Maybe a skills competition in Akron ...

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

The problem with that angle is that UND is going D1 in all sports, so there may not be the benefits of staying with the other Minnesota schools over time. UND would probably rather chase after ND, Michigan, Miami, DU, etc. in hockey, and other sports, than hang with the Minnesota D2 schools. Money will ultimately be driving most schools' decisions.

UND has already left those other Minnesota schools behind in their other sports. But clearly, Hockey rules the roost there in Grand Forks, and it doesn't take much to figure out that not having Minnesota and Wisconsin coming into the Ralph would be bad for business. They would do ok without em, but things would be better with them. UND wouldn't and couldn't be shackled to the other Minnesota schools like UMTC could be, but given their location of being near Minnesota, having a lot of Alumni in Minnesota, and currently still a big rival of UMTC, it would make a lot of sense for them to be included in any future college hockey conference involving the Minnesota Schools.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Bimidji and UNO spent or sacrificed $100,000 to join the WCHA.

Might be a good time to call their lawyers and slap a multimillion dollar lawsuit on MN & WI for entering into a deceptive and fraudulent contract.

 

[Husckey Domi Nation]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

All this being said, I don't think that it is certainty that the Big Ten teams leave their current conferences. Once they see the carnage their departures create for very little extra money, they may not go for it.

College hockey is a pretty small fraternity and the animosity that all this would create might not be worth it for the Big Ten Schools.

There could also be political ramifications in Minnesota and Michigan where four Minnesota schools and five Michigan schools would be adversely affected. And how is the Minnesota Legislate going to like pumping dollars into Duluth, Bemidji and St. Cloud's arenas only to have the Gophers bail on the conference?

With respect to your last point, in the last twenty years the Minnesota legislature has only appropriated monies to build hockey arenas in Duluth and Bemidji. It recently refused to appropriate any money to Mankato or to St. Cloud to renovate the National Hockey Center (NHC). St. Cloud is financing the $31,000,000 NHC renovation by its own capital campaign and efforts. Which is somewhat typical as to the haphazard and insufficient funding that the Minnesota legislature does for its public universities other than the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus.

Instead, the Minnesota legislature would rather spend $250,000,000 to build a football stadium for the University of Minnesota because the University was myopic in its decision to tear down Memorial Stadium on campus, and move its football games to the Metrodome, a venue no one wanted to attend to watch a poorly coached football team.

In other words, if the Big Ten Network (or whatever source) brings in the money for the five current teams, they will leave the CCHA and the WCHA to join Penn State and start a new conference.

Ultimately, the Minnesota legislature and/or the University of Minnesota will have little concern what future awaits the hockey programs at Bemidji State University, Minnesota State Mankato, St. Cloud State, or even the University of Minnesota Duluth.

There is a reason why Minnesota only has one public university that has all its academics and athletics programs at D1.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

The Big Ten TV contract pays each school around $10 million annually. They aren't going to pay one dollar extra if the hockey conference forms.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

There could also be political ramifications in Minnesota and Michigan where four Minnesota schools and five Michigan schools would be adversely affected. And how is the Minnesota Legislate going to like pumping dollars into Duluth, Bemidji and St. Cloud's arenas only to have the Gophers bail on the conference?

If you are hanging your hat on this, you are going to be disappointed.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Ultimately, the Minnesota legislature and/or the University of Minnesota will have little concern what future awaits the hockey programs at Bemidji State University, Minnesota State Mankato, St. Cloud State, or even the University of Minnesota Duluth.

It ain't like the 'U' gets all it wants out of them either. Just an FYI.

But I agree with your sentiment on whether the politicians here would care. They have a heck of a lot more to focus on than who plays who in college hockey.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

If you just put it in Chicago it would be a pretty big blow to a city like St. Paul.

St. Paul can have the new WCHA tourney, with 5,000 Sioux fans and 5,000 fans of all the other teams combined. The 10,000 people who show up will be treated to 1/2 to 2/3 full arena, TV in Grand Forks only and a break-even tounrey with no league revenue.

If DU, UND, CC, Miami, Notre Dame etc ever form their own conference, I could see the league tourney being a campus site affair, with the highest seed hosting...

 

[NMU8405]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Maybe a skills competition in Akron ...

I was thinking Gary Indiana.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

It ain't like the 'U' gets all it wants out of them either. Just an FYI.

But I agree with your sentiment on whether the politicians here would care. They have a heck of a lot more to focus on than who plays who in college hockey.

You mean like the revenue brought in by an annual F5 tournament? That's not a small chunk of change either.

Let's also not forget this is the same legislature that had a huge debate on whether or not alcohol should be sold at the U during athletic events. Trust me, they have plenty of time to spend on the topic.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Four Minnesota universities potentially losing much of their athletic department revenue stream.

Tourism dollars inevitably affected by this realignment in already depressed areas of the state.

Arenas and communities losing out on ticket tax revenue.

Dollars spent out of state as the Gophers play most of their road games outside Minnesota.

Sounds like a political hot potato to me. Sure doesn't sound like "The State Of Hockey.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Hockey still matters in Minnesota, doesn't it?

I'd be surprised if the legislature were to ignore this totally.

 

[moose97]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

With respect to your last point, in the last twenty years the Minnesota legislature has only appropriated monies to build hockey arenas in Duluth and Bemidji. It recently refused to appropriate any money to Mankato or to St. Cloud to renovate the National Hockey Center (NHC). St. Cloud is financing the $31,000,000 NHC renovation by its own capital campaign and efforts. Which is somewhat typical as to the haphazard and insufficient funding that the Minnesota legislature does for its public universities other than the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus.

Wrong:

The project is being funded by $6.5 million from the State of Minnesota and nearly $23 million in projected private money, sponsorships and naming rights income.

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

With respect to your last point, in the last twenty years the Minnesota legislature has only appropriated monies to build hockey arenas in Duluth and Bemidji. It recently refused to appropriate any money to Mankato or to St. Cloud to renovate the National Hockey Center (NHC). St. Cloud is financing the $31,000,000 NHC renovation by its own capital campaign and efforts. Which is somewhat typical as to the haphazard and insufficient funding that the Minnesota legislature does for its public universities other than the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus.

Instead, the Minnesota legislature would rather spend $250,000,000 to build a football stadium for the University of Minnesota because the University was myopic in its decision to tear down Memorial Stadium on campus, and move its football games to the Metrodome, a venue no one wanted to attend to watch a poorly coached football team.

In other words, if the Big Ten Network (or whatever source) brings in the money for the five current teams, they will leave the CCHA and the WCHA to join Penn State and start a new conference.

Ultimately, the Minnesota legislature and/or the University of Minnesota will have little concern what future awaits the hockey programs at Bemidji State University, Minnesota State Mankato, St. Cloud State, or even the University of Minnesota Duluth.

There is a reason why Minnesota only has one public university that has all its academics and athletics programs at D1.

You are such a tool.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

You mean like the revenue brought in by an annual F5 tournament? That's not a small chunk of change either.

That making the assumption that a WCHA final five isn't still there and a potential BTHC playoff isn't there (at a minimum, some of the time). If anything, it could end up bringing more. You can play the "what if" game both ways... negatively and positively.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Hockey still matters in Minnesota, doesn't it?

I'd be surprised if the legislature were to ignore this totally.

What can they do? They don't run the Big Ten. The school has to live by the rules of the conference they belong to... and the legislature certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to ask the school to leave the conference.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

What can they do? They don't run the Big Ten. The school has to live by the rules of the conference they belong to... and the legislature certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to ask the school to leave the conference.

True, but they can cut the funding that UMTC gets. You start threatening any administration with that and you would be surprised at how fast they would start staying "Yes Sir" and "No Sir".

 

[cycledown]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Yes!

 

[BC/HE]

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.

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.

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

I think many of you are underestimating the tradition of these schools. Combined together they would form a league that includes 4 of the 17 schools that have won an NCAA championship. No other league would have more. Makeshift CCHA and WCHA castoffs 4, BTHC 4, WCHA 3, HEA 3, ECAC 3 and AHA 0.

 

[cycledown]

Re: Big Ten Hockey Conference

Not being sarcastic....They should form a conference, nothing better than tough conferences battling it out for titles and national championships.