College Hockey in Michigan

[mnpokecheck]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

With only five teams, it wouldn't get an AQ unless some team was added.

Anyway, I hope it doesn't happen any time soon. I like being able to realistically drive to every arena in the league except Ohio State.

.... add Lindenwood....and Shannon Miller had a job for life

 

[NUWH DogHouse]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

If both UM and MSU add there would be 6 B1G teams (Minny, Wisco, Ohio St, Penn St). And as I recall from the mens discussions at that point they MUST from a conference and play under the banner.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

If both UM and MSU add there would be 6 B1G teams (Minny, Wisco, Ohio St, Penn St). And as I recall from the mens discussions at that point they MUST from a conference and play under the banner.

This is false; I've actually discussed it with someone who worked in the Big 10 offices whose job involved knowing those kinds of rules. There must be at least six conference schools playing a sport before it can be a conference sport, but there are no requirements that it must be a conference sport based upon a specific number of schools playing it.

However, if it is a conference sanctioned sport, then any Big 10 school that plays it at the varsity level must play within the conference. This was the reason why Notre Dame's attempts to join the Big 10 in all sports except football fell apart. The conference schools had no interest in offering them the kind of waiver that the ACC did; it's not like Notre Dame is Johns Hopkins or anything.

 

[giwan]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

Very funny. I think you mean either tattered flagship or sinking flagship - take your pick. There's nobody at the helm steering that ship. The AD will probably step back in or the men's assistant coach. Bad move either way but let's face it anyone could step in right now to run that program. They should just let the assistant coaches run the women's team this year.

I believe the biggest reason they have some sports is to bring in more students. Example they also just started a football team

 

[Hammer]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

I believe the biggest reason they have some sports is to bring in more students. Example they also just started a football team

And from what I've heard about their enrollment, they need all the help they can get on that front, sadly.

 

[shelfit]

And from what I've heard about their enrollment, they need all the help they can get on that front, sadly.

Having your athletics programs be so enrollment driven is NOT the best way to run things for so many reasons but you don't have much choice at small schools like that. The biggest problem is that the chief emphasis is to simply have teams with a certain number of athletes regardless of the level of talent. That brings me back to my earlier post that the women's hockey assistant coaches should be allowed to run the team this year because it doesn't really matter who runs the team since competing well isn't the top priority there.

 

[Hammer]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

According to this, Finlandia had 477 students on campus for Spring 2014. That's nothing but trouble. And from what I've heard (pure speculation until I see evidence), enrollment has dropped from there, although I just saw another article that pegs enrollment this fall at about 560.

Either way, that's not good. At that point, you've got to do something. You've got bills to pay, and the light bill and the food vendors and such aren't going to care one whit about how enrollment is down X percent.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

This is false; I've actually discussed it with someone who worked in the Big 10 offices whose job involved knowing those kinds of rules. There must be at least six conference schools playing a sport before it can be a conference sport, but there are no requirements that it must be a conference sport based upon a specific number of schools playing it.

However, if it is a conference sanctioned sport, then any Big 10 school that plays it at the varsity level must play within the conference. This was the reason why Notre Dame's attempts to join the Big 10 in all sports except football fell apart. The conference schools had no interest in offering them the kind of waiver that the ACC did; it's not like Notre Dame is Johns Hopkins or anything.

You can have a conference with fewer than six teams in that sport, but there won't be an automatic berth in the national tournament.

 

[ritBLKnORGsuit]

There's no guarantee that Michigan and Michigan State adding women's hockey would lead to it becoming a Big 10 conference sport. It would produce a significant increase in travel costs, and the driving force behind the creation of a Big 10 men's conference wouldn't be there, as I doubt that the Big 10 network is clamoring for more women's hockey as programming.

The biggest fallout of this is that there's essentially zero chance of Michigan and Michigan State adding programs until such time as the sport is large enough that BTN does want to show a lot more of it. The whole argument that it's Red Berenson's attitude that is preventing Michigan from adding women's hockey is misguided. I have no doubt that he's not in favor of it, but his support is probably not necessary for the school to add women's hockey, and it definitely isn't sufficient. The roadblock to its addition is the athletic department's decision to focus on other sports.

For much the same reason that a Big 10 conference is unlikely, the formation of one wouldn't lead to more east/west non-conference matchups, especially on the part of the teams left behind in the WCHA. Losing Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin to the Big 10 would do nothing to alleviate the travelling expenses associated with such games. I think a more likely result is some current WCHA teams either folding or becoming the shells of programs as the interest generated by being in a conference with the Gophers vanishes.

If Michigan and Michigan State were to add women's hockey in the immediate future, I think a better solution than Big 10 conference play would be for them to join the CHA, probably followed by a swap of Ohio State and Lindenwood in order to produce a bit more geographical balance. As I said, though, the chances of this are close enough to zero that we're just engaging in wishful thinking.

I 100% agree with you. I also would ask why would the Michigan schools want to create a women's hockey teams to join a conference where they will get destroyed year after year by Minnesota and Wisconsin. Wouldn't make more sense to start off in a CHA where they can grow their programs then later on when they both become more competitive create the Big 10?

 

[Eeyore]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

You can have a conference with fewer than six teams in that sport, but there won't be an automatic berth in the national tournament.

It's not an NCAA rule; it's a Big 10 rule that they will not sponsor a sport that fewer than six conference teams play.

 

[joecct]

It's not an NCAA rule; it's a Big 10 rule that they will not sponsor a sport that fewer than six conference teams play.

6 (7 in D3) gets you an AQ.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

6 (7 in D3) gets you an AQ.

I'm pretty sure that the conference rule significantly predates the NCAA rule on automatic qualifiers. It's also why they came up with the goofy associate member status for Johns Hopkins so that they could start Big 10 lacrosse.

 

[giwan]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

I'm pretty sure that the conference rule significantly predates the NCAA rule on automatic qualifiers. It's also why they came up with the goofy associate member status for Johns Hopkins so that they could start Big 10 lacrosse.

Personally find that associate member status pathetic, and really just to have something to put on the BTN. Though now you will see that status most likely used to include AZ into the conference.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

Personally find that associate member status pathetic, and really just to have something to put on the BTN. Though now you will see that status most likely used to include AZ into the conference.

I'd agree with you, except that, if we just had to establish a presence on the east coast, I'd rather have Johns Hopkins than either Rutgers or Maryland.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

Personally find that associate member status pathetic, and really just to have something to put on the BTN. Though now you will see that status most likely used to include AZ into the conference.

I'd agree with you, except that, if we just had to establish a presence on the east coast, I'd rather have Johns Hopkins than either Rutgers or Maryland.

 

[robertearle]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

Regarding six teams and a Big Ten conference:

somebody needs to point out that Penn State has a womens team. Sixth team for a B1G conference.

(not that I expect any of it to happen)

 

[ARM]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

Regarding six teams and a Big Ten conference:

somebody needs to point out that Penn State has a womens team. Sixth team for a B1G conference.

(not that I expect any of it to happen)

We realize that if Michigan and Mich. State added teams, then there would be six Big Ten teams. My point was that if the WCHA lost three teams, then the remaining teams wouldn't get an autobid unless they added someone. The CHA would have the same problem. I guess the quick fix would be to combine them into a 10-team league, but it would be a very sprawled out league for women's hockey.

 

[shelfit]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

Very funny. I think you mean either tattered flagship or sinking flagship - take your pick. There's nobody at the helm steering that ship. The AD will probably step back in or the men's assistant coach. Bad move either way but let's face it anyone could step in right now to run that program. They should just let the assistant coaches run the women's team this year.

Judging from their staff directory it looks like the men's assistant has been given the women's team for this year:

Matt Marchel
Interim Head Women's Hockey Coach

Now the men's team is looking for a new assistant coach from this posting on the American Hockey Coaches Association site:

Assistant Varsity Coach/Head JV Coach

Finlandia University Mens Hockey program is currently accepting applications for an interim Assistant Varsity Coach/ Head JV Coach. This position would last from October 19 until the season is complete. Compensation will be discussed with applicants.

Duties would include:

-on ice instruction with both Varsity and JV programs
-travel schedules
-academic monitoring
-video breakdown
-community relations
-recruiting of future student athletes
-other duties as assigned

If you are interested, please contact:

Dane Litke
Head Mens Hockey Coach
Dane.litke@finlandia.edu

Posted on 10/06/2015

 

[Genbeau]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

I heard Dr. Jeffrey Docking, Pres. of Adrian College interviewed the other day. It was basically about the struggles small Midwest liberal arts colleges have faced in the enrollment/budget areas and the solutions Adrian has come up with. When he started there in 2005 there were 850 students. Today there are north of 1700. The plan to boost enrollment was to spend (not cut) ambitiously in music and athletic programming. There was much resistance at first from alumni/donor class. They eventually believed in his "business" plan and $ started coming in. A symphony was organized as well as a marching band. When he started, there were 16 sports, now there are 37. (that's thirty seven) I think if hockey is to expand in the great lakes state, it's probably going to be the smaller, private schools like
Albion, Olivet, Kalamazoo, etc. not nec. big public U's unless a Pegula-like whale comes along.

 

[giwan]

Re: College Hockey in Michigan

I heard Dr. Jeffrey Docking, Pres. of Adrian College interviewed the other day. It was basically about the struggles small Midwest liberal arts colleges have faced in the enrollment/budget areas and the solutions Adrian has come up with. When he started there in 2005 there were 850 students. Today there are north of 1700. The plan to boost enrollment was to spend (not cut) ambitiously in music and athletic programming. There was much resistance at first from alumni/donor class. They eventually believed in his "business" plan and $ started coming in. A symphony was organized as well as a marching band. When he started, there were 16 sports, now there are 37. (that's thirty seven) I think if hockey is to expand in the great lakes state, it's probably going to be the smaller, private schools like
Albion, Olivet, Kalamazoo, etc. not nec. big public U's unless a Pegula-like whale comes along.

Adrian even has a Bass Fishing team, ranked #1. Using sports to build enrollment and in this case working so far.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/c...1/22/varsity-fishing-adrian-college/76210606/