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Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

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ticapnews said:
Currently only 13 with two games left to schedule, so it could be 15 (but I doubt it). We still don't know the UConn situation. The Fenway game could be Maine's home game, which decreases the total...

As it stands now the only non-conference opponents to visit the Alfond are RPI and Quinnipiac.
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Weren't both UConn games last year at the Alfond? I would think this year both games would be UConn home games.

I've got mixed feelings on all the Portland games. Hopefully they are being used to bring more support to the program and are not just a money grab.
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

Drew S. said:
Weren't both UConn games last year at the Alfond? I would think this year both games would be UConn home games.

I've got mixed feelings on all the Portland games. Hopefully they are being used to bring more support to the program and are not just a money grab.
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I do as well. I can see the Brown game, due to the fact that it is over Thanksgiving and student attendance would be sparse, but I don't think moving two conference games away from the Alfond makes much sense. The CIA must be desperate after losing the Pirates
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

Drew S. said:
Weren't both UConn games last year at the Alfond? I would think this year both games would be UConn home games.
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They were, and I was expecting both to be in Connecticut this year, however in the schedule released by BU it showed BU playing a series at UConn and Maine playing a series at Agganis. That would imply that Maine is again splitting with UConn.

Home - BC (2), ND (2), UMA (2), NU (2)
Away - BU (2), MC (2), UVM (2), PC (2)
Split: UConn, Lowell, UNH

As it stands right now the schedule at Alfond is: RPI (2), Quinnipiac (2), UMA (2), NU (2), BC, ND, UML, UNH and possibly UConn. There are still two NC games left to schedule but very little real estate available.

The only weekends available are October 14-15, December 9-10, December 16-17 and January 6-8. Hockey East is trying to put a moratorium on games other than the Fenway games January 7. Quinnipiac has conference games scheduled 12/9-10. If we assume Maine plays a game 11/1 on the way back from Colgate (more than likely @Union) that leaves one additional game for Alfond. It could be a one-off on a Friday or Saturday but more likely will be a Tuesday game. There is also still the annual exhibition vs New Brunswick to consider.
 
ticapnews said:
They were, and I was expecting both to be in Connecticut this year, however in the schedule released by BU it showed BU playing a series at UConn and Maine playing a series at Agganis. That would imply that Maine is again splitting with UConn.
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The BU schedule that leaked is mostly correct, but has many errors on it, do not use it as the basis for your schedule.
 
Drew S. said:
Weren't both UConn games last year at the Alfond? I would think this year both games would be UConn home games.

I've got mixed feelings on all the Portland games. Hopefully they are being used to bring more support to the program and are not just a money grab.
Click to expand...

Its definetly money grab and not good in the long run for the program. It's b.s.
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

Agganis said:
The BU schedule that leaked is mostly correct, but has many errors on it, do not use it as the basis for your schedule.
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Good to know. It probably won't change the games scheduled for Alfond anyway. Either both games will be at UConn or one at UConn and one at Fenway. Highly unlikely that UConn comes to Orono this season.
 
BBDiehard14 said:
http://bangordailynews.com/link/portland-games-a-necessity-for-growth-of-umaine-mens-hockey/


http://bangordailynews.com/2016/06/02/sports/ahl-teams-portland-exit-opens-door-for-umaine-hockey/
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I don't mind them playing more games in Portland, but why not play say Quinnipiac, Brown, and Northeastern? I don't think they should be playing two of their best league games down there, especially if they are giving up a home league game for frozen fenway(which might be happening). No doubt it would be good to get more support from folks in southern maine, but they are going about it in a way that is very harsh on season ticket holders.
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

Drew S. said:
I don't mind them playing more games in Portland, but why not play say Quinnipiac, Brown, and Northeastern? I don't think they should be playing two of their best league games down there, especially if they are giving up a home league game for frozen fenway(which might be happening). No doubt it would be good to get more support from folks in southern maine, but they are going about it in a way that is very harsh on season ticket holders.
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Agreed. Most people are not going to be happy with losing these marquee Alfond games, and have to make a subsequent 2-2 and a half hour drive. Plus in November and February, all it takes is a snowstorm and you have a half-empty arena (see last year's game in Portland vs. UNH). Season ticket holders are getting the short end of the stick here...and frankly...when the heck do people in northern Massachusetts ever travel north of the Lewiston exit?
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

So the BDN articles pretty much tell me the program doesn't have confidence in a winning season that would put people in the alfond seats. So go to Portland and sell some more tickets because in a fresh market right now.

These two quotes from the BDN are simply desperate crazy talk --- “We would play in other venues around the state if they were big enough to meet our economic needs,” Gendron added.

“To be honest, if there were 6,000-seat arenas in Fort Kent, Washington County or Farmington, we would look to schedule games there,” Woodcock said. -- HUH??


Good for Portland - Bad for Bangor.
Bad for the students - isn't this a college sport?

I wonder how many of the high level D1 programs who have decent home campus rinks have to go on the road like this for home games to generate revenue?
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

I forgot to mention - it would be even worse planning on the programs part if these Portland games occur when school is in session and when the students could attend.
It wouldn't be so bad if the games are scheduled during the school holiday breaks when the student section is essentially empty.
But we shall see if they plan this well or not.
 
NorthMike said:
I forgot to mention - it would be even worse planning on the programs part if these Portland games occur when school is in session and when the students could attend.
It wouldn't be so bad if the games are scheduled during the school holiday breaks when the student section is essentially empty.
But we shall see if they plan this well or not.
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The two decent games are when students are in session. According to ticketmaster the three games are 11/4(Friday) against BC, 11/26 (Saturday) against Brown, and 2/10 (Friday) against Notre Dame. They go on sale at 4:00.
 
NorthMike said:
I forgot to mention - it would be even worse planning on the programs part if these Portland games occur when school is in session and when the students could attend.
It wouldn't be so bad if the games are scheduled during the school holiday breaks when the student section is essentially empty.
But we shall see if they plan this well or not.
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At least they aren't making season ticket holders buy them.

Not letting me pick seats, but 30 bucks each plus ticket master charges
 
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NorthMike said:
Good for Portland - Bad for Bangor.
Bad for the students - isn't this a college sport?

I wonder how many of the high level D1 programs who have decent home campus rinks have to go on the road like this for home games to generate revenue?
Click to expand...

You still believe college athletics are for the benefit of students? Aren't you just adorable! College athletics are also non-profit and done solely for the benefit of the student-athletes. And unicorns are real and fly around on the rainbows they shoot out their...hooves.

Most other D-1 programs are not relying on hockey to generate revenue for the entire athletics department. None of the Big Integer schools, the Ivies, the Boston-area Hockey East schools....the major schools that rely on hockey are Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Schools out west like Western Michigan have football. Teams like Lake State and Michigan Tech are not looking to hockey for an infusion of cash. The northern New England state schools are unique in that regard. And I'm going to bet Vermont gets higher revenue from hoops than hockey.

If the numbers given to the Press Herald in April were accurate, then hockey is now revenue-negative. Not a single sport on campus now makes money. With catastrophic budget cuts looming, it's going to be awfully difficult for the school to justify the expense of maintaining a D-1 athletics program. Putting games in Portland is as much PR as it is about revenue enhancement.

Of course, no one in Orono is going to say that out loud.
 
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ticapnews said:
You still believe college athletics are for the benefit of students? Aren't you just adorable! College athletics are also non-profit and done solely for the benefit of the student-athletes. And unicorns are real and fly around on the rainbows they shoot out their...hooves.

Most other D-1 programs are not relying on hockey to generate revenue for the entire athletics department. None of the Big Integer schools, the Ivies, the Boston-area Hockey East schools....the major schools that rely on hockey are Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Schools out west like Western Michigan have football. Teams like Lake State and Michigan Tech are not looking to hockey for an infusion of cash. The northern New England state schools are unique in that regard. And I'm going to bet Vermont gets higher revenue from hoops than hockey.

If the numbers given to the Press Herald in April were accurate, then hockey is now revenue-negative. Not a single sport on campus now makes money. With catastrophic budget cuts looming, it's going to be awfully difficult for the school to justify the expense of maintaining a D-1 athletics program. Putting games in Portland is as much PR as it is about revenue enhancement.

Of course, no one in Orono is going to say that out loud.
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Well, there sir, no need to be so insulting.

By the way they did say it in orono.
 
Re: Maine Black Bears - Return to the Glory Years or On to Oblivion?

Season Ticket Holders should get a better deal. $30 a game is a joke. Bend over and no lubricant provided.
 
NorthMike said:
Well, there sir, no need to be so insulting.

By the way they did say it in orono.
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Sorry, But that topic really sets me off. None of this is being done to benefit the students. It stopped being about the kids ages ago.

Who in Orono said if they don't start generating revenue the athletics department might be on the chopping block?
 
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