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

[elbojpb]

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

It will be virtually impossible to schedule 25 games as a lone independent in Division III hockey.

If I'm not mistaken, Morrisville, in their first year, played essentially as an independent, finished their season in mid-January, and didn't come close to 25 games.

 

[Matt Rennell]

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

If I'm in the MIAC and MCHA front offices, I'm placing multiple calls to my resident members and reminding (and thanking) them with regards to their conference loyalty, and reminding them of that little thing called the Automatic Qualifier that our conference currently has. I'd also mention how it's such a shame about the NCHA breaking up, what with those 5 Wisconsin schools now being without an AQ for a few years, and a minimal chance of NCAA participation, along with anyone that joins them, since they would be in the same boat. And if I'm on the phone with a private institution, I let it drop that the state schools of Wisconsin are leaving the two private schools out in the cold....

And then my very next phone calls are to the athletic departments in De Pere and Duluth, suggesting that we get together real, real soon and have lunch.

You aren't kidding, because if that report in the Stevens Point paper comes to fruition, that leaves 5 MCHA schools and SNC without an AQ. I would then envision SNC would get the Adrian treatment and not be able to get the Wis. schools on their schedule. As a result their SOS would be so low it would require a near perfect season to have a remote shot at a Pool C berth, as there would be no Pool B. Even then, they likely wouldn't get a bid, as proven by Adrian a few years ago.

The pendulum of power could swing drastically if the WIAC is able to pilfer 3 MCHA schools.

 

[Hammer]

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

If I'm not mistaken, Morrisville, in their first year, played essentially as an independent, finished their season in mid-January, and didn't come close to 25 games.

Close

 

[Hammer]

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

You aren't kidding, because if that report in the Stevens Point paper comes to fruition, that leaves 5 MCHA schools and SNC without an AQ. I would then envision SNC would get the Adrian treatment and not be able to get the Wis. schools on their schedule. As a result their SOS would be so low it would require a near perfect season to have a remote shot at a Pool C berth, as there would be no Pool B. Even then, they likely wouldn't get a bid, as proven by Adrian a few years ago.

The pendulum of power could swing drastically if the WIAC is able to pilfer 3 MCHA schools.

And if that report is anything close to true, if I'm in the SNC athletic department, I'm on the phone with the boys over at St. Schollies, and trying to work as a package deal. I'd try to work a deal to the MCHA to get them to 7, taking either both schools or none, and then offering the same deal to the MIAC if the MCHA balks.

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

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

And if that report is anything close to true, if I'm in the SNC athletic department, I'm on the phone with the boys over at St. Schollies, and trying to work as a package deal. I'd try to work a deal to the MCHA to get them to 7, taking either both schools or none, and then offering the same deal to the MIAC if the MCHA balks.

+1

 

[pete99race]

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

Interesting story in the Stevens Point Journal today saying that St. Scholastica, Northland, Finlandia and Marian are expected to be invited to join the WIAC for hockey. Kind of one glaring omission there. Also interesting was quote from AD saying now they have an opportunity to win championships. Don't they have that now in the NCHA?

Maybe he was misquoted, because what he said makes no sense whatsoever.
Esp. with Point having a tradition of winning Ntl Championships (although not recently).

 

[elbojpb]

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

I stand ... err sit corrected. that was also Becker's first year; hence the 4 games with them.

 

[pete99race]

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

And if that report is anything close to true, if I'm in the SNC athletic department, I'm on the phone with the boys over at St. Schollies, and trying to work as a package deal. I'd try to work a deal to the MCHA to get them to 7, taking either both schools or none, and then offering the same deal to the MIAC if the MCHA balks.

I like the package deal option....more leverage for both schools.
I know that these two schools have had a very strong hockey relationship over the years.

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

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

Maybe he was misquoted, because what he said makes no sense whatsoever.
Esp. with Point having a tradition of winning Ntl Championships (although not recently).

Pete:

I can certainly understand your thoughts on misquotes as this does not make any sense. However, the break up of the NCHA does not make sense either. Now is not the time for misquotes if this is indeed what has happened.

 

[elbojpb]

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

Also interesting was quote from AD saying now they have an opportunity to win championships. Don't they have that now in the NCHA?

Not with SNC in the mix ... read the 1 comment that was posted in the StevensPointJournal article.

 

[Hammer]

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

This is the one that got my attention, at the end:

It's all about keeping everybody on a fair playing field

This screams public vs. private schools. I don't see how re-inviting CSS and then wanting three more private schools solves anything.

*shakes head*

I don't like it. I don't like anything I see here, and the more I see it, the less I like it.

And if I'm the MIAC and MCHA commissioners, I'm reminding my conference schools of this, should they get any ideas. Remember what they did to those other two. What do you think they're going to do to you?

 

[altazo]

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

And if that report is anything close to true, if I'm in the SNC athletic department, I'm on the phone with the boys over at St. Schollies, and trying to work as a package deal. I'd try to work a deal to the MCHA to get them to 7, taking either both schools or none, and then offering the same deal to the MIAC if the MCHA balks.

Hammer, you keep mentioning the MIAC, but I really don't think that's an option for SNC. The MIAC is a multi-sport conference of only Minnesota schools.

For CSS the MIAC may be a very viable option.

However, my gut tells me that CSS and SNC will be sticking together wherever they wind up.

 

[Hammer]

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

That's fine. But I've got to believe that these schools are keeping their options open.

I saw enough weird crap go on last summer in Division I. I'd prefer not to see that in D-III, but it looks like it's at our doorstep now.

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

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

Hammer, you keep mentioning the MIAC, but I really don't think that's an option for SNC. The MIAC is a multi-sport conference of only Minnesota schools.

For CSS the MIAC may be a very viable option.

However, my gut tells me that CSS and SNC will be sticking together wherever they wind up.

My gut tells me that you are incorrect for the very reasons that you mention. SCC is in a good position to join the MIAC because they are a Minnesota school and that travel costs, rivalries, etc. favor the move for them to the MIAC. I believe that SNC is on an island and has to look over all of their options including the possible move to the MCHA. Based upon what I can see right now, the WIAC could become a watered down league that will not get any consideration from the NCAA. The MIAC and MCHA may come out of this as the two Western leagues that garner the most future respect. Just a thought and I could certainly be wrong.

 

[Hammer]

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

You watch. SNC and CSS will both be associate members of the WIAC and almost all of us could be wrong. *shakes head again*

 

[GB Puck Fan]

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

You watch. SNC and CSS will both be associate members of the WIAC and almost all of us could be wrong. *shakes head again*

I hope & think you are right - and wouldn't be surprised if there are more schools added.

Now, as for this whole public vs. private thing. I believe - and please correct me if I am wrong - that the WIAC follows all of the NCAA recuiting guidelines and doesn't add any other restrictions. (i.e. The Midwest Conference has more restrictive rules in place for how it handles things). If that is indeed the case, a move to the WIAC banner doesn't hurt SNC/CSS/etc in anyway. And it would support the proferred conference story that it's about reducing travel expenses and administrative burdens.

Does the WIAC place any additional recruiting restrictions on its affiliate members in men's soccer and women's gymnastics? Could it really write different rules for different members? If it really wanted to do those things, it could have done so in the NCHA (where it controls votes 5-2), right?

Thoughts?

 

[altazo]

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

Another scenerio could have CSS moving to the MIAC, with SNC and a wisconsin based MCHA team (Marian, Lawrence, MSOE) moving to the WIAC. That would leave the west with 3 auto bid conferences.

Or, how 'bout SNC and Adrian become travel partners in the ECAC W?

 

[Hammer]

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

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.

 

[NUProf]

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

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.

I just don't see the WIAC ending up as containing the same schools as the NCHA currently has. If that were the plan, they would have negotiated a deal with STS and SNC before making this announcement. They may want to raid the MCHA for a couple of schools (Marian and MSOE come to my mind as viable because of their relative success) that are not in the NCHA right now. That would get them their 7.

 

[Toe Blake's Brother]

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

I just don't see the WIAC ending up as containing the same schools as the NCHA currently has. If that were the plan, they would have negotiated a deal with STS and SNC before making this announcement. They may want to raid the MCHA for a couple of schools (Marian and MSOE come to my mind as viable because of their relative success) that are not in the NCHA right now. That would get them their 7.

What would Marian and/or MSOE gain by moving to the WIAC?