I get your proximity statement, but recruits will come from everywhere, including Canada and Europe. Even Northern Michigan has had European players in the past.
Well, St. Thomas has said all their sports will be moving to D1 and this includes hockey. I wouldn't be suprised if the Tommies are in the WCHA or whatever the league will be called.Hey the wwcha desperately needs an 8th team. If the facility is there, get a team together and just do it. I'm sure some rich alumni can finance the thing. It's really pathetic that with all the money sue players have made over the last 10 years in the nhl they didn't toss some money back to the U and save the women's program.
I don’t hear any of the old timers talk about Michigan or MSU as a rival. I’ve never heard that. Even the 70’s players don’t mention a big 10 or rivals outside Minnesota, Nodak, Denver et al. That was a mythical championship as I recall as well. Michigan Tech was a big rival in the 70’s.
I’ll Agree to disagree, I just don’t care about tosu, MSU, ped state etc.
If Iowa and/or Nebraska add teams it’s great for D1 hockey I guess but for this fan? Yawn. Every season I watch or listen to b10 hockey is another year removed from a revered conference with real rivals like Denver, Nodak, CC, Duluth. Between this **** conference and Wisconsin laying eggs i’m About ready to just move on from men’s NCAA hockey.
I don’t hear any of the old timers talk about Michigan or MSU as a rival. I’ve never heard that. Even the 70’s players don’t mention a big 10 or rivals outside Minnesota, Nodak, Denver et al. That was a mythical championship as I recall as well. Michigan Tech was a big rival in the 70’s.
I’ll Agree to disagree, I just don’t care about tosu, MSU, ped state etc.
I understand what you are saying but we all know the old WCHA is never coming back. IMO, I love seeing new schools add the game of ice hockey because it means more Minnesotans will be recruited to their top quality Big Ten school.
Not sure I qualify as an old timer (I was very young/watching the replays on PBS); but, I'd say Michigan and Michigan St were as big of rivals as Denver, CC, Duluth and Tech, if not bigger. Gophers and Sioux are 1,2...but after that, Michigan and Sparty are right there.
I miss the WCHA and the final 5 tournament too - the geography and easy travel made it great. But, that's gone. And I think many of the fans/graduates from the late 80's and 90's forget or don't realize how big the other rivalries were, because if they weren't watching as kids, they missed out on those conference games before they left to go to the CCHA. Even then, there was the showcase where Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan St were playing each other every year (with locations rotating).
Iowa cutting a fair few sports after this school year due to economic fallout of the pandemic.
Whatever odds we had for them given the “rumors” (and the arena that could possibly have ice), knock em down a peg or two.
Granted: that was published in June, before Iowa announced dropping a few sports.
The phrasing is interesting there. Suppose that was a potential USHL tenant as opposed to the Hawkeyes?
