CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Big Rapids is only a 3 hour bus ride from South Bend, The Soo is a little over 6 and a half, and Marquette around 9 hours, give or take an half hour depending on which way around Lake Michigan they elect to drive the bus. I don't see where its that much of a plus for them to go flying into Grand Forks, Denver or Boston all the time when they're in a pretty decent league that they can mostly bus to most of the games, save for Alaska, and would be considered the big cheese there.

I think the key word is recruits. Do you think all the top US-18 and USHL kids that have going to commit to Notre Dame like they do lately will still want to play in confrence with trips to Soo, Marquette and Big Rapids or commiting to a WCHA school with trips to Grand Forks, Denver, Colorado Springs and Duluth.

 

[bik4u62]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

What if the CCHA and WCHA mixed into two new conferences with interlocking schedule. For example,

Minnimich Conference...

I see that MN and MI border each other (...ok, maybe by boat)

 

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

The Rangers did not have the attendance and there are too many Midget AAA teams in the UP. Rangers did not stay long enough to build a fan base, one good year.

I don't see why the WCHA would take the CCHA and make a monster conference and lose an auto bid. Why would ND and Miami leave when the CCHA becomes weaker? They still have plenty of NC games to fit in who they want. If the AHA can survive why not the current CCHA?

I think Notre Dame will look for greener pastures. They will not be happy with regular road trips to soo, marquette and Big Rapids. The Notre Dame Alumni will look elsewhere to play WCHA or Hockey East? Money is no object for this school. No money to be made with the remaining CCHA teams.

 

[bronconick]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Well, that makes perfect sense. Recruits care most about what cities their school takes road trips to. Not facilities, coaching, playing time, academics, the actual city their school is located in, or the strength of the program.

Wait, that doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Well, that makes perfect sense. Recruits care most about what cities their school takes road trips to. Not facilities, coaching, playing time, academics, the actual city their school is located in, or the strength of the program.

Wait, that doesn't make any sense at all.

Are the strong recruits going to commit to play in a weaker ccha or a stronger wcha? The CCHA in two years is going to loose many recruits to the big 10 and wcha.

 

[giwan]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

The recruits that will be going to the B10 in the future are the same ones that those teams NOW in the B10 were already getting.

 

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

The recruits that will be going to the B10 in the future are the same ones that those teams NOW in the B10 were already getting.

The WCHA will take many recruits away from the Big 10. Look at the Final four (UMD and ND).

 

[davyd83]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

I think Notre Dame will look for greener pastures. They will not be happy with regular road trips to soo, marquette and Big Rapids. The Notre Dame Alumni will look elsewhere to play WCHA or Hockey East? Money is no object for this school. No money to be made with the remaining CCHA teams.

Really? Money is no object? The how come Notre Dame isnt flying to Marquette for their current schedule? Not happy with road trips to Big Rapids or Marquette? Why because Bemidji and Houghton are better trips? Mankato? St Cloud? Nearly every school in the WCHA is either a flight or a 2 day bus trip. Are you sure they want to add $80-100,000 a year to their travel budget? Hockey East? Really? All Hockey East teams are a pretty short bus ride from one another. Their travel budgets are among the lowest in College Hockey. Do they really want to add the cost of flying to South Bend every year? Figure about $15,000 just for airfare, taxes and baggage, now add another $2500 for an extra night in a hotel and an extra days meals. And those are at today's prices. Quick, how many of those schools want to add those numbers to their travel expense? They make short bus trips and spend very few nights in hotels.

 

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Really? Money is no object? The how come Notre Dame isnt flying to Marquette for their current schedule? Not happy with road trips to Big Rapids or Marquette? Why because Bemidji and Houghton are better trips? Mankato? St Cloud? Nearly every school in the WCHA is either a flight or a 2 day bus trip. Are you sure they want to add $80-100,000 a year to their travel budget? Hockey East? Really? All Hockey East teams are a pretty short bus ride from one another. Their travel budgets are among the lowest in College Hockey. Do they really want to add the cost of flying to South Bend every year? Figure about $15,000 just for airfare, taxes and baggage, now add another $2500 for an extra night in a hotel and an extra days meals. And those are at today's prices. Quick, how many of those schools want to add those numbers to their travel expense? They make short bus trips and spend very few nights in hotels.

Then why is Air Force in a confrence with all Eastern schools? Isnt Air Force located in Colorado? If Air Force worried about playing close teams they would be in the WCHA.

Isnt UAF in the CCHA? If they cared about being close to teams they would also be in the WCHA.

Isnt tech in the WCHA? Wouldnt trips in the CCHA make more sense to Marquette, Soo, Big Rapids, and Kalmazoo. Instead of Omaha, Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Forks, and Bemdji.

Look at the confrence jumping in college football this past season. Alot of the college football teams were looking for greener pastures and better teams to play.

Teams are going to go a better confrence to face better opponents they dont want to play bottom of the barrel. College football last season is evidence of this happening.

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Isnt UAF in the CCHA? If they cared about being close to teams they would also be in the WCHA.

See... um, when you're trying to make a point on a discussion board you shouldn't use the worst example ever to make your point. UAF would have loved to have been in the WCHA but that wasn't their choice. See ... um, conferences choose their member schools. Not the other way around.

 

[Squarebanks]

See... um, when you're trying to make a point on a discussion board you shouldn't use the worst example ever to make your point. UAF would have loved to have been in the WCHA but that wasn't their choice. See ... um, conferences choose their member schools. Not the other way around.

Saying UAF is closer to the WCHA schools is like saying Seattle is closer to New York than Los Angeles is.

(save for Anchorage, of course)

 

[giwan]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Then why is Air Force in a confrence with all Eastern schools? Isnt Air Force located in Colorado? If Air Force worried about playing close teams they would be in the WCHA.

Isnt UAF in the CCHA? If they cared about being close to teams they would also be in the WCHA.

Isnt tech in the WCHA? Wouldnt trips in the CCHA make more sense to Marquette, Soo, Big Rapids, and Kalmazoo. Instead of Omaha, Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Forks, and Bemdji.

Look at the confrence jumping in college football this past season. Alot of the college football teams were looking for greener pastures and better teams to play.

Teams are going to go a better confrence to face better opponents they dont want to play bottom of the barrel. College football last season is evidence of this happening.

The football teams realigned to where the most MONEY was not to what is considered a BETTER conference. The B10 football conference shares their wealth whereas with the Big 12 MOST of the money goes with Texas. Example B10 network, vs Texas football network, not the B12 network. Has nothing to do with better teams.

 

[Squarebanks]

Not quite on the Big 12-2. A&M, Oklahoma, and those other people in Austin each are guaranteed $20 Million, while the other 7 schools get the scraps. Texas started it's own tv network because it now was able to do so (and by doing so will most likely be the final straw to push A&M into the SEC). No one really expects how Bevo TV will affect what's left of the conference, but pretty much everyone down there knows that A&M is the glue holding it together right now. If the Aggies bolt east, Texas likely goes either independent or to the PAC--Whatever. OU would probably follow either A&M or UT (most likely UT because of the rivalry).

Anyway, back to hockey.

The football teams realigned to where the most MONEY was not to what is considered a BETTER conference. The B10 football conference shares their wealth whereas with the Big 12 MOST of the money goes with Texas. Example B10 network, vs Texas football network, not the B12 network. Has nothing to do with better teams.

 

[giwan]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Not what I read as to why Nebraska left to come to the B10. It was purely money related, they got more from the B10. TX screwed up the SouthWest conference before that and if folded. You going to tell me that Nebraska TX or OK was not a bigger rivalry then any one they would have in the B10?

This now applies to all the hockey as well. The best thing about B10 hockey is the increased exposure, it will be a staple on Friday nights.

Not quite on the Big 12-2. A&M, Oklahoma, and those other people in Austin each are guaranteed $20 Million, while the other 7 schools get the scraps. Texas started it's own tv network because it now was able to do so (and by doing so will most likely be the final straw to push A&M into the SEC). No one really expects how Bevo TV will affect what's left of the conference, but pretty much everyone down there knows that A&M is the glue holding it together right now. If the Aggies bolt east, Texas likely goes either independent or to the PAC--Whatever. OU would probably follow either A&M or UT (most likely UT because of the rivalry).

Anyway, back to hockey.

 

[moose97]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Saying UAF is closer to the WCHA schools is like saying Seattle is closer to New York than Los Angeles is.

(save for Anchorage, of course)

Exactly. Once you're as far away as UA_, a flight to Detroit is roughly the same thing as a flight to Minneapolis or even Denver for that matter.

I just checked and flights (mid May) are as follows:

Detroit to Fairbanks - $800
Minneapolis to Fairbanks - $700
Denver to Fairbanks - $970

 

[moose97]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Isnt tech in the WCHA? Wouldnt trips in the CCHA make more sense to Marquette, Soo, Big Rapids, and Kalmazoo. Instead of Omaha, Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Forks, and Bemdji.

You claim to be a Yooper, yet make no sense when it comes to travel distances...

Houghton to:

NMU - 2 hours
LSSU - 5 hours
FSU - 8.5 hours
WMU - 10 hours
Notre Dame - 10 hours
BGSU - 10.5 hours
Miami - 12.5 hours

Or:

UMD - 4 hours
SCSU - 7 hours
BSU - 7 hours
MSUM - 8 hours
NoDak - 8.5 hours
UNO - 12.5 hours
And one flight a year to Colorado and a pre-paid flight to UAA

Hmm, sure, one close trip to NMU, but overall, the WCHA is a lot closer to Houghton than the CCHA...

 

[4four4]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

Not what I read as to why Nebraska left to come to the B10. It was purely money related, they got more from the B10. TX screwed up the SouthWest conference before that and if folded. You going to tell me that Nebraska TX or OK was not a bigger rivalry then any one they would have in the B10?

This now applies to all the hockey as well. The best thing about B10 hockey is the increased exposure, it will be a staple on Friday nights.

People in the know said NU needed to upgrade their academics before being admitted into the Big Ten. I have been told this courtship between NU and the B1G has been going on for over 20 years. IMO, it was a matter of time in fact the professors and NU recruiters are thrilled with the change. They already have found it to be easier to get better students into school.

 

[aparch]

You claim to be a Yooper, yet make no sense when it comes to travel distances...

Houghton to:

NMU - 2 hours
LSSU - 5 hours
FSU - 8.5 hours
WMU - 10 hours
Notre Dame - 10 hours
BGSU - 10.5 hours
Miami - 12.5 hours

Or:

UMD - 4 hours
SCSU - 7 hours
BSU - 7 hours
MSUM - 8 hours
NoDak - 8.5 hours
UNO - 12.5 hours
And one flight a year to Colorado and a pre-paid flight to UAA

Hmm, sure, one close trip to NMU, but overall, the WCHA is a lot closer to Houghton than the CCHA...

AND, why would Tech leave the WCHA where they get a six figure check every year which helps more than make up for travel? The CCHA doesn't have that same financial cushion hence why travel is more insular.

 

[Laker54]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

What if the CCHA and WCHA mixed into two new conferences with interlocking schedule. For example,

Minnimich Conference
West Division
UMD
St Cloud St.
UM-Mankato
Bemidji State
East Division
Michigan Tech
Northern Michigan
Lake Superior State
Ferris State

Western Hockey Association
West Division
North Dakota
UNO
Colorado College
Denver
East Division
Notre Dame
Miami
Western Michigan
Bowling Green

Every school would play a home/home series with the schools in their Division for a total of 12 games. Each school would play one two game series against the other four schools in their conference for a total of 8 games. This would equal 20 conference games of the same amount as the Big 10 proposal. Each school would play one two game series against the schools in the other conferences within the corresponding division, East plays East and West plays West (8 games). There would then be room for each school to schedule 6 OOC games as they see fit.

Thus every CCHA and WCHA school would continue to play each other every year. It would also create a conference that is comparable in strength if not stronger than the Big 10 (7 of the 8 teams in Western Hockey made the NCAA this year). It would keep the MAC schools together. It would contain travel cost for the smaller schools by keeping most games within the bus ride limits. One of the biggest disadvantages would be I have no idea how to incorporate the two Alaskan schools into setup.

Example schedule for St Cloud State
Home/Home with UMD (4 games)
Home/Home with UM-Mankato (4 games)
Home/Home with Bemidji State (4 games)
Home with Ferris State (2 games)
Home with Michigan Tech (2 games)
At Northern Michigan (2 games)
At Lake Superior (2 games)
Home Denver (2 games)
Home North Dakota (2 games)
At UNO (2 games)
At Colorado (2 games)
6 other OOC games

For North Dakota:
Home/Home Denver (4 games)
Home/Home Colorado (4 games)
Home/Home UNO (4 games)
Home Notre Dame (2 games)
Home Western Michigan (2 games)
At Miami (2 games)
At Bowling Green (2 games)
Home UMD (2 games)
Home Bemidji State (2 games)
At St Cloud State (2 games)
At UM-Mankato (2 games)
6 OCC games

Now we have room if we need to schedule Big 10 schools but quite frankly our schedule is getting pretty full. We have maintained all traditional rivalaries but also created several new ones. Lastly, if the Big 10 can't even look out for its own (Flagship schools just dropping their brethren schools in state) it isn't our responsibility to look out for the Alaskan schools.

Looks like a possiblity to me. You may have to call them by two conference names so they keep the two automatic invites to the big dance.

 

[yooper(UP) hockey]

Re: CCHA and WCHA should combine when BIg Ten forms???

AND, why would Tech leave the WCHA where they get a six figure check every year which helps more than make up for travel? The CCHA doesn't have that same financial cushion hence why travel is more insular.

My point is MTU plays LSSU, NMU, FSSU in other GLIAC sports.

Why cant they play them in hockey? Tech doesnt have any rival with St Cloud, Mankato, Bemdji, UNO and Ankorage.

MTU could have full houses at least three other weekends if they scheduled NMU, LSSU and FSU at home three weekends. As long they schedule the Mankatos, Bemdjis, and UNOs they will play in front of empty seats.

The landscape of college hockey has to change. College football has already started the shifting of teams this past season. It is a waste that tech hasnt played the other UP teams at least 4 times a season. Instead they schedule St Lawrence.