LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

[Squarebanks]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

So you went from shaking your head about something...to doing it in the next two sentences.

Lol...touché.

Who's your 6th conference mate? UAA, UA_, UAH, ASU, LIU, ___.

The Great West Conference ghost will live through the New-New-WCHA!!

UNLV. We’ll be the anti-bus league.

Hey, stranger things have happened.

 

[HofstraHockey]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

From a tweet from LIU women's coach Rob Morgan: "With all the men’s D1 Transfers & Shelved D1 prospects reaching out to me, I could have a competitive team signed by next week. Can’t wait for our new coach to be named! #LIU #MensHockey proving the cynics wrong!"

I DO think that a lot of guys that aren't getting the minutes they'd hoped for at wherever they are might make the jump, especially if the coach was the right guy.

Morgan, to his credit, put together a team that won their conference in their inaugural year, and managed to get Wisconsin, at home, on his schedule. He has an ECAC background, which I would imagine they'd use to try and get some teams on the schedule.

 

[J.D.]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

Is Morgan being considered for the men's job?

 

[rpi82]

From a tweet from LIU women's coach Rob Morgan: "With all the men’s D1 Transfers & Shelved D1 prospects reaching out to me, I could have a competitive team signed by next week. Can’t wait for our new coach to be named! #LIU #MensHockey proving the cynics wrong!"

I DO think that a lot of guys that aren't getting the minutes they'd hoped for at wherever they are might make the jump, especially if the coach was the right guy.

Morgan, to his credit, put together a team that won their conference in their inaugural year, and managed to get Wisconsin, at home, on his schedule. He has an ECAC background, which I would imagine they'd use to try and get some teams on the schedule.

"I could have a competitive team signed by next week." Competitive with who? If they want to play a bunch of D3 schools while being D1 in name only (SHU and HC did it for years on the women's side), then I can believe it. If they want to be a real D1 program then I think that statement is delusional.

Note that the model they seem to be using, limited budget in a community use rink, no longer exists in D1 hockey. The AHA, which originated with that model at many schools and is their closest potential D1 competition, has upgraded to a full load of scholarships and programs have either moved to professional quality public buildings or built their own rink.

 

[The Zlax45]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

"I could have a competitive team signed by next week." Competitive with who? If they want to play a bunch of D3 schools while being D1 in name only (SHU and HC did it for years on the women's side), then I can believe it. If they want to be a real D1 program then I think that statement is delusional.

Note that the model they seem to be using, limited budget in a community use rink, no longer exists in D1 hockey. The AHA, which originated with that model at many schools and is their closest potential D1 competition, has upgraded to a full load of scholarships and programs have either moved to professional quality public buildings or built their own rink.

Some of their own rinks are still trash....Holy Cross is awful, AIC plays games in an 8k seat arena with 300 people in it, Niagara and Mercyhurst facilities aren't the best either.

 

[HofstraHockey]

"I could have a competitive team signed by next week." Competitive with who? If they want to play a bunch of D3 schools while being D1 in name only (SHU and HC did it for years on the women's side), then I can believe it. If they want to be a real D1 program then I think that statement is delusional.

Note that the model they seem to be using, limited budget in a community use rink, no longer exists in D1 hockey. The AHA, which originated with that model at many schools and is their closest potential D1 competition, has upgraded to a full load of scholarships and programs have either moved to professional quality public buildings or built their own rink.

Obviously year 1 will be a bunch of DI ACHA, CIS, D3 on the schedule.

The Nassau Coliseum will be virtually vacant in two years and DESPERATE for absolutely anything. They're not going to get 12k in there, but they aren't going to get 300 either. Nassau County isn't Springfield, Mass.

And the Northwell Center is honestly the best you're ever going to get from a public rink. I'd take the facilities at Northwell over a whole bunch of the on campus rinks at a lot of schools in the northeast. It's not a long-term solution, and it's going to require a move to somewhere, but it's a fine starting point. I have a good feeling it'll be ahead of a bunch of the ECAC and AHA schools this year, assuming people are let in the doors.

 

[rpi82]

Obviously year 1 will be a bunch of DI ACHA, CIS, D3 on the schedule.

The Nassau Coliseum will be virtually vacant in two years and DESPERATE for absolutely anything. They're not going to get 12k in there, but they aren't going to get 300 either. Nassau County isn't Springfield, Mass.

And the Northwell Center is honestly the best you're ever going to get from a public rink. I'd take the facilities at Northwell over a whole bunch of the on campus rinks at a lot of schools in the northeast. It's not a long-term solution, and it's going to require a move to somewhere, but it's a fine starting point. I have a good feeling it'll be ahead of a bunch of the ECAC and AHA schools this year, assuming people are let in the doors.

These guys aren't going to be renting the Coliseum with their D1 on the cheap plan. We don't even know if they will rent Northwell.

"Nassau County isn't Springfield Mass." True, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Most teams that draw well do so because of an affinity for the school (often because it is State U or due to a long athletic history) or because the games are a big event in their market even if it is small. LIU Brooklyn drew 828 fans per game to its pre-eminent sport, men's basketball, three years ago (most recent data I could find quickly) so affinity to the schooit's athletics isn't high. Combined with the tremendous number of activities in the urban/near suburban Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau market, it's expensive and very difficult to get attention. Markets like Albany, Burlington. Bangor, etc. that "aren't Nassau" can get TV news coverage of college or minor league games. They are a big deal in those areas. That is not likely in a market with 3 NHL and 2 NBA teams. In Portland they cover the G-League Red Claws in what is one step above a warehouse and people go to the games. In Nassau the LI Nets get no attention and play before dozens of fans at the Coliseum. Bigger is not necessarily better.

 

[lakersparty]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

Once upon a time, a small upstart program hired a guy from Brooklyn who took them to their first NCAA championship. If there was ever a college job to see Frank Anzalone return, LIU might just be it.

 

[Yuppie Scum]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

Some of their own rinks are still trash....Holy Cross is awful, AIC plays games in an 8k seat arena with 300 people in it, Niagara and Mercyhurst facilities aren't the best either.

I believe trash is "Gawbage" in Longilandese.

 

[HofstraHockey]

These guys aren't going to be renting the Coliseum with their D1 on the cheap plan. We don't even know if they will rent Northwell.

"Nassau County isn't Springfield Mass." True, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Most teams that draw well do so because of an affinity for the school (often because it is State U or due to a long athletic history) or because the games are a big event in their market even if it is small. LIU Brooklyn drew 828 fans per game to its pre-eminent sport, men's basketball, three years ago (most recent data I could find quickly) so affinity to the schooit's athletics isn't high. Combined with the tremendous number of activities in the urban/near suburban Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau market, it's expensive and very difficult to get attention. Markets like Albany, Burlington. Bangor, etc. that "aren't Nassau" can get TV news coverage of college or minor league games. They are a big deal in those areas. That is not likely in a market with 3 NHL and 2 NBA teams. In Portland they cover the G-League Red Claws in what is one step above a warehouse and people go to the games. In Nassau the LI Nets get no attention and play before dozens of fans at the Coliseum. Bigger is not necessarily better.

No, they definitely aren't going to the Coliseum now, at least while the Islanders are there. Once they're gone? If this builds the right way, they absolutely can.

Comparing LIU's basketball program, which plays in a tiny gym in Brooklyn, to their hockey attendance on LI doesn't show anything. Hofstra basketball, which is across the street from the Coliseum and a mile from the Northwell Center, drew 2,800+ a game this year, and that's a program that hadn't made the NCAA tournament since 2001 before this year. LIU football, in their first year in DI, with only three home games and an 0-10 record, still drew several thousand a game. This is with basically zero local coverage.

Long Islanders don't have an affinity for any school around here, really. What you DO have is a lot of people with kids that play hockey that would happily take them to a college game. You have a LOT of Rangers fans with kids that live on Long Island that can't drop $500 a game on Rangers tickets, plus the railroad and all that, at least not on the regular, and aren't taking their family to an Islanders game.

And looking at the LI Nets is useless. Long Island has never been a basketball location. That's why the Nets moved to NJ to begin with.

 

[icehawk]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

The Red Flags

Number one issue has to be the coaching budget. Multiple coaches have already declined the head coaching job since last Thursday, most citing that their salaries would be too low compared to other D1 coaches. Even if a coach accepts the job, he is going to be given the burden of trying to recruit an entire hockey team by August before training seems a lofty goal.

https://thehockeywriters.com/long-island-university-d1-hockey-program/

 

[PuckVoice]

Anyone who snears at D-3 should look again ... some of the top level D-3 teams (Norwich, Trinity, Hobart, Utica
Oswego, Geneseo, Plattsburgh, Middlebury) would be more than competitive in the AHA, and many of them play in beautiful facilities and draw crowds that put most AHA rinks to shame.

 

[ScoobyFanClub]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

And looking at the LI Nets is useless. Long Island has never been a basketball location. That's why the Nets moved to NJ to begin with.

That is just straight up false. That's like saying the reason the Jets moved to the Meadowlands is because Queens was never a football location. LOL

 

[bakdraft21]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

Have not followed the entire thread but there is also a rink in Hicksville that has been around since I played which is many moons ago.It is Cantiague in Hicksville,the Islanders practiced there for many yrs and it can hold a good amount of people,with a little reconfiguration,could be a decent fit for the near future...Best of luck to them..

 

[HofstraHockey]

That is just straight up false. That's like saying the reason the Jets moved to the Meadowlands is because Queens was never a football location. LOL

The attendance was horrendous on LI once they went to the NBA and Dr J was gone. They averaged under 7,800 in '77. They weren't going to pay the Knicks another $4mil unless they had to, which I guess they did.

 

[purpleinnebraska]

Have not followed the entire thread but there is also a rink in Hicksville that has been around since I played which is many moons ago.It is Cantiague in Hicksville,the Islanders practiced there for many yrs and it can hold a good amount of people,with a little reconfiguration,could be a decent fit for the near future...Best of luck to them..

Hicksville? I thought that’s where all of us WCHA teams played.

 

[bakdraft21]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

Hicksville? I thought that’s where all of us WCHA teams played.

There are "Hicksville" all over this great country of ours

 

[brianvf]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

From a tweet from LIU women's coach Rob Morgan: "With all the men’s D1 Transfers & Shelved D1 prospects reaching out to me, I could have a competitive team signed by next week. Can’t wait for our new coach to be named! #LIU #MensHockey proving the cynics wrong!"

Competitive with intramural leagues at other D1 colleges?

 

[rpi82]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

No, they definitely aren't going to the Coliseum now, at least while the Islanders are there. Once they're gone? If this builds the right way, they absolutely can.

I don't have time to address all of your points, but let's look at this fantasy. I can only think of 2 teams that play in comparable buildings to the Coliseum (AKA NYCB Live), Wisconsin and Ohio State. Both are on campus facilities at massive state universities with big time athletic and marketing departments in college oriented markets (yes, Columbus has the Blue Jackets but its still tOSU's town), tremendous fan attachment with State U. and established multi-sport Big 10 rivalries. By contrast LIU Post is about ten miles away with approx. 2,500 students, no fan attachment among the local citizenry, no marketing presence in a professional sports dominated market and no league or recognizeable rivals. I don't know what the plan is for the survival of the Coliseum post-Islanders (if there is one), but if they need LIU hockey to do it then they might as well begin planning demolition now.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: LIU adds Men's D-1 Hockey

Some of you are taking this announcement the same way as if they had insulted your mother. Good grief.