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How long does the WCHA have to live?

H

Hockeybuckeye

Well-known member
Given the fact that Covid messed a lot of things up this season lets suppose Illinois gets back on track to establish a hockey program and assume for Title IX requirements the women's sport they add is hockey as well.
Then the Big Ten is only one B1G school away from starting a women's program.
So if after Illinois comes into the picture then one more B1G school does start women's hockey then the minimum 6 teams exist for the B1G to pull all the women's team under their own conference banner which they'd do in a heartbeat. Iowa & Nebraska are the next most likely candidates to add hockey.
Would the WCHA survive and would there be total chaos like what happened to the CCHA when the B1G pulled it's teams?
 
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Theoretically the wcha is dead, right? The men's side is done. Can/will the women's side survive under the wcha banner? How can it survive financially without money from the men's schools?
 
Hockeybuckeye said:
Then the Big Ten is only one B1G school away from starting a women's program.
So if after Illinois comes into the picture then one more B1G school does start women's hockey then the minimum 6 teams exist for the B1G to pull all the women's team under their own conference banner which they'd do in a heartbeat. Iowa & Nebraska are the next most likely candidates to add hockey.
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Why doesn't Notre Dame already have a women's team? They could be an 'adjunct' B1G member, just like they are with their men's team.
 
robertearle said:
Why doesn't Notre Dame already have a women's team? They could be an 'adjunct' B1G member, just like they are with their men's team.
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They would have to be a full fledged Big Ten member in all sports for a women's team if they had one to count in the NCAA rules of having 6 teams to start a women's B1G hockey conference.
I think it's inevitable there will be a women's B1G hockey conference, just how many years away from it are we is the question in my mind.
 
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Hockeybuckeye said:
They would have to be a full fledged Big Ten member in all sports for a women's team if they had one to count in the NCAA rules of having 6 teams to start a women's B1G hockey conference.
I think it's inevitable there will be a women's B1G hockey conference, just how many years away from it are we is the question in my mind.
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Didn't know that. Thanks.
 
I just can't help but think of the chaotic ripple effect across much of men's college hockey when the CCHA was gutted and had to fold because of the Big Ten yanking their teams to form their own conference.
Would the effect be any less in women's hockey?
 
Hockeybuckeye said:
I just can't help but think of the chaotic ripple effect across much of men's college hockey when the CCHA was gutted and had to fold because of the Big Ten yanking their teams to form their own conference.
Would the effect be any less in women's hockey?
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I think there would need to be at least one more Big 10 team to start up women’s hockey. But please let’s end the conversation here. The loss of the WCHA would be terrible as it has been on the men’s side!
 
Folks in prior years have convinced me this is nothing to worry about for a very long time. And that was before the pandemic....
 
Hmmm. Mr.PGB's comments have disappeared. I wanted to address Michigan would be one of the last to start a woman's program. Red said it will never happen if he has a say and he's still rules behind the scenes.
it's not his personal attitude, but Yost is physically incapable to house two teams and the men's team comes first. The visitors locker room are partitions set up in the south corridor!
There would be nowhere to switch the women's and men's equipment out of the locker room they would have to share and entirely impractical to attempt to do so.
 
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Hockeybuckeye said:
Pre-covid I would think 5 years until the Big Ten schools bail, now who knows?
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All such decisions are driven by $$$. Due to Covid, BIG programs have less money than they would have otherwise, so if anything, it should set back the timeline for anyone looking to launch a women's hockey program.
 
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Hockeybuckeye said:
Hmmm. Mr.PGB's comments have disappeared.
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Yeah, I tinkered with a possible comment before deciding not to go down this rabbit hole.

I wanted to address Michigan would be one of the last to start a woman's program. Red said it will never happen if he has a say and he's still rules behind the scenes.
it's not his personal attitude, but Yost is physically incapable to house two teams and the men's team comes first. The visitors locker room are partitions set up in the south corridor!
There would be nowhere to switch the women's and men's equipment out of the locker room they would have to share and entirely impractical to attempt to do so.
Click to expand...
If Michigan ever decides they want to compete in D-1 Women's Hockey, they can solve their brink and mortar issue without undue strain. But hey. Let it be. Accept their decision to sit out and continue moving forward without them.

It is my opinion that as long as the Wolverines and Spartans remain on the sidelines, there's no particular need or demand for a Women's Big Ten Hockey League. But after reflection, I'd prefer just to leave it at that.
 
pgb-ohio said:
It is my opinion that as long as the Wolverines and Spartans remain on the sidelines, there's no particular need or demand for a Women's Big Ten Hockey League. But after reflection, I'd prefer just to leave it at that.
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There may not be particular need or demand now but what if the conference down the road has the required six teams to start the women's conference?
I would think the conference would prefer all the sport programs under it's umbrella and easier on the schools to manage rather than have to work with outside organizations where you can't dictate everything to your liking.
Then it's panic time for the non B1G schools affected by this.
 
Hockeybuckeye said:
There may not be particular need or demand now but what if the conference down the road has the required six teams to start the women's conference?
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Quick Clarification: It's impossible now because there's only 4 teams. If somehow two new teams come into being, but neither is from the State of Michigan, then I don't foresee any particular need or demand. If UM & MSU get serious, but demand a B1G conference, maybe.

Exiting rabbit hole now.
 
pgb-ohio said:
Quick Clarification: It's impossible now because there's only 4 teams. If somehow two new teams come into being, but neither is from the State of Michigan, then I don't foresee any particular need or demand. If UM & MSU get serious, but demand a B1G conference, maybe.

Exiting rabbit hole now.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the thread was based on the assumption and premise that when the Illinois program comes into being that their Title IX requirement would met by a woman's hockey program ( it doesn't have to be hockey, but they do need to start a new woman's sport they don't already have).
THEN we're one team shy of a potential B1G program.
 
You know what? I completely forgot about Michigan State's expansion project of Munn Arena. I wonder if it could be possible with the expansion that a woman's program could be feasible?
 
With the financial crunch C19 has put on all universities, expansion of athletics not coming any time soon. No one has answered my question about how does the wwcha survive with the men's side gone.
 
Timothy A said:
No one has answered my question about how does the wwcha survive with the men's side gone.
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I don't have an answer for that, not being a follower of the men's WCHA I don't know the dynamics of what's going on there or how any change would impact the women's WCHA.
 
As far as Michigan State being the B1G school possibly having the most potential to start women's hockey (if they felt so inclined) the Spartans old arena Dominion Hall still exists and I would assume if they wanted to spend the money it could be revamped and made functional again for a women's program like Ohio State did with their old barn.
 
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