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Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Hammer said:
Here's the thing regarding that article. It talks about the WIAC inviting everyone EXCEPT St. Norbert.

The more I think about this, the more I think SNC ought to be looking to cover their own 'cheeks, and sooner rather than later.
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Yes, the omission of SNC in that article was a little strange. I also felt the Point women's coach was kinda taking a shot at the knights when she commented about "finally having a level playing field." Whatever, Point is a podunk town and that article was written by some townie who is just bitter with SNC's success. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Hey, Point was a consisatnt national power when Tim Coghlin was part of their program too...
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Something else that occurred to me. The press release stated that

its men’s and women’s ice hockey teams will be leaving the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) and will compete solely under the auspices of the WIAC effective with the 2014-15 academic year.
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Also, later,

the WIAC elected to make the announcement at this time in order to provide all current NCHA members ample opportunity to determine future conference alignments and to address scheduling concerns.
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If they had intended to stay together as a conference, just under a different flag, it seems to me that they would not have chosen this wording, in either instance quoted.
 
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Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Hammer said:
Something else that occurred to me. The press release stated that



Also, later,



If they had intended to stay together as a conference, just under a different flag, it seems to me that they would not have chosen this wording, in either instance quoted.
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They also, you know, would have given them a heads up as to what was going on. Instead they find out essentially when the rest of us did. If the WIAC had any intentions of accepting SNC or CSS into their conference they would have included them in on the discussion from the start.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Hammer did a nice job of pointing those differences out. As the old saying goes, the Devil is the details.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

I wouldn't be too surprised to learn if there were a few WIAC schools who wouldn't mind making SNC sweat this one out a little bit... :eek:
 
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Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

altazo said:
Level of competition.
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That level of competition is lowered without SNC... at least as it stands right now. As the WIAC commissioner pointed out, the state schools aren't good enough to earn the autobid most years anyway.

And while teams like Marian and MSOE would escape Adrian, they would do so to a league without an autobid. A short term issue, perhaps, but a problem nonetheless.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Part of me says it will be a lot to do about nothing with the same men's product just under the WIAC banner instead of the NCHA. The one thing I keep coming back to though is the MIAC with an odd number of teams and St. Scholastica in that conference for everything but hockey. It makes a lot of sense there. If preserving a Pool A is important I could see the WIAC end up the 5 UW schools, SNC as an affiliate member, and Marian as an affiliate member or perhaps Concordia or MSOE instead if they want to get into Milwaukee for some reason. It would preserve 3 Western Pool A bids under that structure, although there might have to be the waiver application for the first two years. I still find it hard to believe LaCrosse has no interest since it is a decent sized town and there are no minor league sporting teams to compete with during the winter. The issue of public control over private is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. They've always had the majority and I'd submit that being in the minority didn't doom the on-ice success of private schools in the NCHA.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

I do believe it was intended that these schools would be notified before the official announcement, however a slip up by an administrative member caused the leak to come out prematurely.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Some Thoughts

The WIAC could keep SSC and SNC and take the HWY 41 travel partners Marian and Lawrence. Both are just down the road from SNC, and bring in the Fox Valley region. Also, both schools have existing relationships with SNC and SSC.

If they want an even 10 schools, good competition, and the Milwaukee market then MSOE is a good fit.

I think if competition is what they want then why would they take Concordia (WI) or Northland?

Finlandia is a really small private school, located in Michigan, and a long gruelling trip for any of the teams in the WIAC.

Adrian would be a great fit in the ECAC-West. They would give that league its AQ, and meet the high level of competition. On the other hand, if SSC goes to the MIAC Adrian would be happy to travel West. Any old way Adrian will make lemonade out of lemons.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Chances of CSS moving to the MIAC are slim. I believe they are eligible, since they have added football, to move all athletics to the MIAC, but the local paper quoted someone from the school saying essentially that it was not going to happen. The article also said they are considering the MCHA and have talked to them.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

If this is truly a move to cut travel costs would it not make sense for CSS to go to the MIAC, and Northland, and Finlandia to move to the WIAC with SNC going to the MCHA? The problem with that though is I don't see the MCHA wanting to hand SNC the AQ every year just like the NCHA has done for the last decade. Its been said a number of times by a number of people that they want a level playing field as far as recruiting players, and as far as the mens side goes thats as big an issue as anything else.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Tucker6 said:
If this is truly a move to cut travel costs would it not make sense for CSS to go to the MIAC, and Northland, and Finlandia to move to the WIAC with SNC going to the MCHA? The problem with that though is I don't see the MCHA wanting to hand SNC the AQ every year just like the NCHA has done for the last decade. Its been said a number of times by a number of people that they want a level playing field as far as recruiting players, and as far as the mens side goes thats as big an issue as anything else.
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STS and SNC are not looking to cut travel costs-the WIAC five are. I don't see how letting STS and SNC back in to a rebranded WIAC addresses that issue at all. It appears to be an issue of control, not travel costs.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

I agree, on the mens side it is a control issue, its about leveling the financial aid package playing field. These WIAC schools dont care if SNC gives everybody in their school great financial aid packages, and its all legal, and their all happy. The bottom line is its more than what the WIAC schools can offer, and if it does not change they will be playing in a different conference. Right or wrong, agree or disagree the WIAC schools have that ability. For that matter, why would any conference want them to come in and take the AQ every year if they did't think they had the same chance to get the same players.
 
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Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Tucker6 said:
I agree, on the mens side it is a control issue, its about leveling the financial aid package playing field. These WIAC schools dont care if SNC gives everybody in their school great financial aid packages, and its all legal, and their all happy. The bottom line is its more than what the WIAC schools can offer, and if it does not change they will be playing in a different conference. Right or wrong, agree or disagree the WIAC schools have that ability. For that fact, why would any conference want them to come in and take the AQ every year.
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Then beat them on the ice.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

MW49 said:
Adrian would be a great fit in the ECAC-West. They would give that league its AQ, and meet the high level of competition.
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In terms of competition, that's probably true.

Considering that Adrian is over 7 hours away from all of the ECAC West schools (and Nazareth too when they join), the conference would have to be exceedingly desperate for the AQ to accept Adrian. Travel costs would skyrocket and I don't see how it could be fiscally possible.
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Imagine if the ECAC-E reorganized just to keep Norwich out?
 
Re: Good Bye NCHA, Hello WIAC. Grab a life vest SNC and CSS!

Tucker6 said:
I agree, on the mens side it is a control issue, its about leveling the financial aid package playing field. These WIAC schools dont care if SNC gives everybody in their school great financial aid packages, and its all legal, and their all happy. The bottom line is its more than what the WIAC schools can offer, and if it does not change they will be playing in a different conference. Right or wrong, agree or disagree the WIAC schools have that ability. For that matter, why would any conference want them to come in and take the AQ every year if they did't think they had the same chance to get the same players.
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And how did aid play a role in the season series between River and SNC? I agree there is talent on all the NCHA teams perhaps it is how they are coached. I can't help but believe that if Coglin were the coach at UW-Whereever that that school would have more Peters Cup championship. You can not blame Rivers colapse at the end of the season on aid.
 
NorthernPike said:
And how did aid play a role in the season series between River and SNC? I agree there is talent on all the NCHA teams perhaps it is how they are coached. I can't help but believe that if Coglin were the coach at UW-Whereever that that school would have more Peters Cup championship. You can not blame Rivers colapse at the end of the season on aid.
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+1 thee post of this thread. IMO
 
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