Has UND lost in conference realignment?

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

There is nothing going on currently in any RPI thread, so I wandered over here.

UND is going to lose something -- its rivalry with Minnesota. That will probably be its main loss. Hockey isn't football or basketball, and it won't be in my lifetime, if ever. Hockey is an expensive sport which is popular mainly in cold places. Every once in a while a new program starts up as PSU just did, and the question might be more why PSU hasn't had a program for the last 40 years, not why it is now starting one only because they got a very large donation.

I agree with others that the teams that turn out to be the bottom feeders in the NCHC will also be losing something. Count how many NCAA berths the NCHC schools have gotten on average the last say five years. I don't expect them to average that many the next five years. OTOH the nWCHA schools will average more bids than in the recent past. (Not a lot more, perhaps just a fraction per year.)

A question on that line which is relevant to this is what UConn is going to do. They will get better players just because they are in the HEA, but unless their adminstation gives them resources (e.g., a D-I rink), they won't be a significant force on the landscape. If they do get the resources, they along with PSU will take away from other programs in the long run.

 

[LynahFan]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

did anyone one of the ADs and Coaches really think you can have a league of all champions??

Exactly. They should have taken a play from the SEC's football playbook: build your conference in two tiers. For every Alabama, a Vanderbilt and for every Florida, a Mississippi State. Then your elite programs can build up impressive records while not being in dogfights night-in, night-out. If every team goes roughly .500 in conference, it's going to be awfully difficult to stay at the top of the PWR. A "league of champions" makes about as much sense as a "team of all-stars."

 

[Osorojo]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Lacrosse was recently a niche sport confined exclusively to a few small areas along the eastern seaboard and central New York State. Today lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.. For those who insist that college hockey is fated to remain a niche sport, is this chiefly because hockey is a much poorer spectator sport than lacrosse, or because a lacrosse program is so much cheaper to maintain, a combination of these two factors, some previously unmentioned problem with hockey, or do we just have to take your word for hockey's permanent niche status?

 

[UVM Cat in Texas]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Did anybody seriously think BU or BC would go NCHC?

No doubt, I was thinking the same thing. The mere thought of that happening is ridiculous.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

No doubt, I was thinking the same thing. The mere thought of that happening is ridiculous.

It is, that's why it was never a serious consideration by either. The thing that worries me most are some of these faint rumblings that the B1G is considering BC as a potential expansion candidate as a way to lure ND as an all-sports member. BC and ND leaving would be a major blow to HE, and it would be a tragedy to the sport if BC and BU were not in the same conference.

 

[cF[Authentic]]

I think the NCHC will be worse than the current WCHA or even the CCHA for the reasons you've mentioned- there's no big name. Yeah, North Dakota's a great hockey school. We all know that. Same with Denver and Colorado College. And yeah, UMD just won a title. But if you're trying to get the casual fan who isn't a fan of college hockey (yet), do they even know any of these schools exist? If not, why are they gonna watch these games? The biggest name is probably Miami (OH). Don't get me wrong, I love the MAC now that UMass is a football member, but how many non-MAC fans here watch MAC football games? I could be wrong, but I think that's the interest level you can expect from non-NCHC school fans about the conference.

P.S.- I love Hockey East. Huge thanks to BC and BU for turning down the National.

Who is the biggest name in the future WCHA that would have kept UND in it. You use the argument that there are no big name schools in the NCHC, but at least Miami and Western Mich are better known than UAA and Mankato.

 

[Koho]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

It is, that's why it was never a serious consideration by either. The thing that worries me most are some of these faint rumblings that the B1G is considering BC as a potential expansion candidate as a way to lure ND as an all-sports member. BC and ND leaving would be a major blow to HE, and it would be a tragedy to the sport if BC and BU were not in the same conference.

Many would argue it just as a big of a tragedy that MN and UND are in different conferences. (And it is amusing you are actually concerned about how many posts you are creditted with.)

 

[Almington]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Every current WCHA and CCHA program is a loser in realignment, it's just a question of how much of a loser.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Many would argue it just as a big of a tragedy that MN and UND are in different conferences. (And it is amusing you are actually concerned about how many posts you are creditted with.)

I would agree that's also a tragedy, and one that will ultimately harm the sport on the whole, even if they play OOC games. Frankly, the post thing was because I created a new account under a new name a year or two ago when the mods wouldn't respond to my request to change my handle, so it was nothing more than an identifier than boasting about how many posts I'm creittttttttttttted for. I hadn't even remembered seeing it until you just brought it up .

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Lacrosse was recently a niche sport confined exclusively to a few small areas along the eastern seaboard and central New York State. Today lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.. For those who insist that college hockey is fated to remain a niche sport, is this chiefly because hockey is a much poorer spectator sport than lacrosse, or because a lacrosse program is so much cheaper to maintain, a combination of these two factors, some previously unmentioned problem with hockey, or do we just have to take your word for hockey's permanent niche status?

Lacrosse participation is growing which is great. However I think when people are talking about college hockey as a niche sport, they are referring to its popularity as far as attending games and TV viewership. I doubt you will ever see Lacrosse be anything but a niche sport in that regard.

 

[still an empty net]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

I don't think UND will really see that much of a difference in the long run. Yes, the BIG has the network coverage and deals but the NCHC is still a lot better of a hockey league. UND has been too much of a powerhouse for too long for it to just start to fade away. As long as they keep getting fans to go to games and good coaching, players will want to go and play there. The university has a very successful history of putting players into the NHL and I imagine that is the ultimate goal of college players.

 

[Osorojo]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Lacrosse participation is growing which is great. However I think when people are talking about college hockey as a niche sport, they are referring to its popularity as far as attending games and TV viewership. I doubt you will ever see Lacrosse be anything but a niche sport in that regard.

I suspect the NCHC will pursue T.V. contracts with unprecedented efforts, and these efforts will reap unprecedented rewards. Like everything else associated with life, college hockey must evolve or perish.

 

[burd]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

The kids in western Canada don't care much about the Big Ten (or have never heard of it). They will continue to come.

 

[darker98]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

I know that the B1G is a major conference in sports, but does that really mean anything in College Hockey?

 

[buoldtimer]

It is, that's why it was never a serious consideration by either. The thing that worries me most are some of these faint rumblings that the B1G is considering BC as a potential expansion candidate as a way to lure ND as an all-sports member. BC and ND leaving would be a major blow to HE, and it would be a tragedy to the sport if BC and BU were not in the same conference.

Tragedy? Are you sure?

 

[JDUBBS1280]

I know that the B1G is a major conference in sports, but does that really mean anything in College Hockey?

Most national exposure. Most resources. Most name recognition. Yes, I believe so. Probably not immediately though. I still think the NCHC will be a competitive conference though, and I don't think UND will see too much change.

 

[komey1]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

I suspect the NCHC will pursue T.V. contracts with unprecedented efforts, and these efforts will reap unprecedented rewards.

As things stand, the only current available option for the NCHC will be Fox Sports. ESPN shows no real interest in showing games on any of it's family of networks.

 

[darker98]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Most national exposure. Most resources. Most name recognition. Yes, I believe so. Probably not immediately though. I still think the NCHC will be a competitive conference though, and I don't think UND will see too much change.

They will definitely have more exposure. I'm not sure it will hurt recruiting as bad as one would think. The real winners are the programs in the B1G that are bleeding money like a severed Artery.

 

[brassbonanza]

Re: Has UND lost in conference realignment?

Tragedy? Are you sure?

You'd like to stop playing BC every year?

 

[JDUBBS1280]

They will definitely have more exposure. I'm not sure it will hurt recruiting as bad as one would think. The real winners are the programs in the B1G that are bleeding money like a severed Artery.

No argument there. Certainly helps OSU and PSU more than Minnesota or Michigan.