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

[NUProf]

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

Until we hear from SNC - which I don't think is going to be tonight - this is all speculation of course.

I get the concern about the autobid, but (unlike what some may think), SNC doesn't have an unlimited budget. So, the travel costs to either the MCHA or MIAC may be cost prohibitive.

Lawrence was indeed an associate WIAC member for wrestling as recently as 2009, when I think LU dropped the sport. Not sure if the WIAC would still allow that or not.


Back to the autobid - since the WIAC is an established conference would it have to wait 3 years? It has declared a champion in hockey, if you look at its website. And I'm guessing waivers may be applied for. I find it hard to believe the WIAC would do that - and the other non hockey schools would force this upon the hockey playing members without a plan to guarantee an autobid.

The MASCAC was an established conference, but still had to wait two years without a Pool A bid before they got one in their third season.

 

[Hammer]

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

That's only if the Manhattanville rumor isn't true. Coming from Duffy, Id say its pretty reliable. Screw travel, just combine the ECAC West and WIAC.....

Might as well. Makes about as much sense as the Wisky 5 trying to take their puck and go home.

 

[Matt Rennell]

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

Here is an interesting thought. This could be the start of an even bigger shift. The NCHA isn't dead yet. There is still a solid women's conference even after losing the 4 Wis. schools on that side. We could see the mens side bring over the 5 other schools into the NCHA and have a conference looking like this...

SNC
St. Scholastica
Adrian
Lake Forest
Marian
Finlandia
Concordia (WI)

Which would then leave MSOE, Northland, and Lawrence without a home or possibly joining the WIAC.

 

[Hammer]

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

I don't like that any better. We're gonna mess around and cut each other's throats here if we're not careful.

 

[NUProf]

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

That's only if the Manhattanville rumor isn't true. Coming from Duffy, Id say its pretty reliable. Screw travel, just combine the ECAC West and WIAC.....

Make STS and SNC associate members of the ECAC and add them to the ECAC West, or Let Utica go to SUNYAC and admit the remaining ECAC West teams to the NCHA.

 

[pete99race]

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

SNC and CSS to the MCHA for a 'nice' ten team conference.
Than again, CSS to the MIAC will get the same result.

 

[Matt Rennell]

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

Make STS and SNC associate members of the ECAC and add them to the ECAC West, or Let Utica go to SUNYAC and admit the remaining ECAC West teams to the NCHA.

What would that solve? If Manhattanville is forced to fold their program, which it sounds like they will have to do, letting Utica walk to the SUNYAC would only leave Elmira, Hobart, Neumann, and Nazareth. Leaving only 6 teams if you added SNC and CSS. You will need to keep Utica at all costs.

Of course none of this will happen because of travel costs.

 

[Hammer]

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

ummm.....I think that was tongue-in-cheek.

 

[Matt Rennell]

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

ummm.....I think that was tongue-in-cheek.

Perhaps, but if someone told you 3 hours ago that 5 Wis. schools would willingly drop out of the NCHA and lose their auto bid, wouldn't you take that as a joke too

 

[Hammer]

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

Actually, given the unholy mess I saw on D-1 last summer, that wouldn't have exactly blown me away.

 

[GB Puck Fan]

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

If I'm a state school, I can see how this makes some sense:

* I already pay 'dues' or 'administrative fees' or something to run the WIAC - why should I pay that again for the NCHA?

* If I decide I want to accept the private schools (i.e. SNC) as an auxiliary member, I can do so - but perhaps more easily set the rules as to recruiting, financial aid, etc.

* If I decide I don't want to accept SNC - and this move somehow screws the Knights - I don't really care and may even have some schadenfruede while doing it. All they've done is win 13 titles in 16 years since we let them into the conference we used to dominate.

* So what if I have to wait a couple of years to get an automatic bid? I haven't been earning one lately anyways (two since 2003) so I take my chances for an at-large until I do.

This isn't to suggest it's being done to screw SNC. I think it's probably mostly a paperwork shuffle and administrative costs thing.

 

[Hammer]

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

* If I decide I don't want to accept SNC - and this move somehow screws the Knights - I don't really care and may even have some schadenfruede while doing it. All they've done is win 13 titles in 16 years since we let them into the conference we used to dominate.

Actually, as I mentioned before, SNC (and St. Schollies, for that matter) is the one who actually holds the cards here. If they go elsewhere, the Wisky 5 are screwed.

* So what if I have to wait a couple of years to get an automatic bid? I haven't been earning one lately anyways (two since 2003) so I take my chances for an at-large until I do.

If either SNC or CSS goes elsewhere, there is no AQ to get.

They're gonna mess around and screw themselves.

 

[AldenPartridge1819]

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

If Manhattanville is forced to fold their program, which it sounds like they will have to do

Can someone back up and explain this. I missed something. What's up with Manhattanville?

 

[NUProf]

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

ummm.....I think that was tongue-in-cheek.

If I'm a state school, I can see how this makes some sense:

* I already pay 'dues' or 'administrative fees' or something to run the WIAC - why should I pay that again for the NCHA?

* If I decide I want to accept the private schools (i.e. SNC) as an auxiliary member, I can do so - but perhaps more easily set the rules as to recruiting, financial aid, etc.

* If I decide I don't want to accept SNC - and this move somehow screws the Knights - I don't really care and may even have some schadenfruede while doing it. All they've done is win 13 titles in 16 years since we let them into the conference we used to dominate.

* So what if I have to wait a couple of years to get an automatic bid? I haven't been earning one lately anyways (two since 2003) so I take my chances for an at-large until I do.

This isn't to suggest it's being done to screw SNC. I think it's probably mostly a paperwork shuffle and administrative costs thing.

For some unknown reason (to me) I've always heard about bad blood between the WIAC schools and the private schools in the NCHA - some perception that it wasn't fair that they could offer more financial aid. As I recall Marian applied for admission and was denied on a Public - Private party line vote. It would not surprise (and this is not tongue-in-cheek) if they took in to of the MCHA's weaker Wisconsin schools (Northland and Concordia) with significant restrictions so that they could have seven teams.

 

[GB Puck Fan]

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

For some unknown reason (to me) I've always heard about bad blood between the WIAC schools and the private schools in the NCHA - some perception that it wasn't fair that they could offer more financial aid. As I recall Marian applied for admission and was denied on a Public - Private party line vote. It would not surprise (and this is not tongue-in-cheek) if they took in to of the MCHA's weaker Wisconsin schools (Northland and Concordia) with significant restrictions so that they could have seven teams.

I think it basically comes down to recruiting battles. If UWSP (just an example) and SNC are targeting the same kid. Maybe he's got an interest in becoming a teacher, so either school makes sense. A UWSP will undoubtedly use finances - cheaper tuition - as one point. But if SNC "outspends" UWSP in a financial aid package, yes, there may be hurt feelings on the UWSP side.

Now, there are lots of reasons why student-athletes choose schools. But given the recent string of titles, it's probably fair to say SNC has won more recruiting battles than it has lost - and the publics may not like it. Finances are likely one sore point, but I can't imagine that's the be all and end all.

 

[pete99race]

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

For some unknown reason (to me) I've always heard about bad blood between the WIAC schools and the private schools in the NCHA - some perception that it wasn't fair that they could offer more financial aid. As I recall Marian applied for admission and was denied on a Public - Private party line vote.

That's how the voting went....

 

[seaturtle]

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

From what I think...no way does the MCHA move on these two schools
- NCHA still has St. Scholastica and St. Norbert allowing them for pool B bid and C
Womens NCHA moves to MCHA womens league
WIAC wants St. Scholastica and St. Norbert to join a league to have only the ECAC W to battle with for pool B

From what I am gathering...the MIAC might be more receptive to expanding than the MCHA
MCHA is looking to drop games, although a balanced schedule of 16 games with St. Norbert or 18 games with St. Norbert and Scholastica could be good, I believe a MIAC interlocking is eminent

 

[joecct]

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

As a fellow bean-counter, you watch it. *shakes tax code at Mountie*

You must be a very strong man if you can shake the tax code.

 

[Hammer]

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

For one of my federal taxation courses, the professor used an abridged version of the tax code as the textbook for that class. It's 1701 pages, at least the 1994 version was. This guy lectured straight out of the Code, and didn't need notes (or the Code, for that matter) to do it.

 

[joecct]

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

Let me spin an alternative

The NCAA loves multisport conferences, gives them votes at the table and all sorts of privileges. The single sport conferences don't get a lot of the bennies that multisport conferences do.

So suppose, the WIAC, realizing that 5/7 of the NCHA are WIAC members, decides that ice hockey is better branded under the WIAC name, rather than the NCHA. The WIAC then invites the two Saints as affiliate members for ice hockey to keep the AQ alive. Voila, the NCHA morphs into the WIAC and nothing really has changed except the Wisconsin schools will be calling all the shots and the Saints may be along for the ride (or AQ).