New WCHA is dead

[DrunkTrainPolka]

Re: New WCHA is dead

"I don't see how varsity Athletics at any UA campus survives this."

...and if that is how it plays out, there is a bigger case to be made for UAH to make eight...

 

[Liveatjrl]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Is your spreadsheet not updated?

I updated it last night but total games was actually factoring in the exhibition games - sorry if that wasn't clear.

 

[ticapnews]

Re: New WCHA is dead

I updated it last night but total games was actually factoring in the exhibition games - sorry if that wasn't clear.

No worries. I do appreciate the info!

 

[gfmorris]

Re: New WCHA is dead

"I don't see how varsity Athletics at any UA campus survives this."

...and if that is how it plays out, there is a bigger case to be made for UAH to make eight...

Is there?

The group is comprised of institutions rich in history and tradition with a strong commitment to academic and athletic excellence. They are like-minded in their goals and aspirations for the potential new league with a focus on improving regional alignment and the overall student-athlete experience while building natural rivalries within a more compact geographic footprint.

In order here:

1. You can argue that UAH has the academic commitment. (Actually, I want you to argue against me, and I will **** you up.) Do we have a strong commitment to athletic excellence? Well, we're a Division II school trying to play a Division I sport on a Division II budget. That's a hard sell for me.

2. Keep it in your pants, Tech fans. We're not going to re-litigate the NCHC formation on my watch.

3. Nope, nope, nope. The only school who shouldn't cry tons about playing us does. Everyone else is pretty far away. GeoMidpoint.com is down, which is what I used to do this in the past, but anyone without a map can see that "not bad bus trips in the Midwest" turns into "Ah crap, everyone has to go to Huntsville. Why did we agree to do this again?!"

The Runaway Seven schools would rather fill 6-10 OOC dates than come to Huntsville.

GFM

 

[DrunkTrainPolka]

Re: New WCHA is dead

yes, there is...

the travel just got cut by a third. and if your peeps step up with funding/facilities/etc, it shows commitment. and hell, i like yous.

1. so are all other schools besides BGSU.
2. hehehehe...
3. "Why did we agree to do this again?!" - that scares the crap out of me. its either all in or nothing at all.

GO TECH GOLD!

 

[Bill]

Re: New WCHA is dead

The Runaway Seven schools would rather fill 6-10 OOC dates than come to Huntsville.

GFM

The problem with that is most of the schools that the seven would like to play OOC don't want to come to the barns of the seven, or if they do consider doing it, it's usually in 2 for 1 deals. That makes scheduling a decent number of home games for the seven a problem.

I'd like to add UAH as an 8th team but I don't get to make that decision.

 

[spiehler]

Re: New WCHA is dead

What has BG said (complaints) about the trip to Huntsville? I'm not arguing with anyone; I just want to know. BG has little reason to complain. As has been said, the trip is shorter than others. Also, it's all Interstate. Also, snow is unlikely most of the way.

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: New WCHA is dead

What has BG said (complaints) about the trip to Huntsville? I'm not arguing with anyone; I just want to know. BG has little reason to complain. As has been said, the trip is shorter than others. Also, it's all Interstate. Also, snow is unlikely most of the way.

Yeah, I'd like to know too! The only whining I ever heard about travel (besides to AK) was Bergeron complaining about the 23 hour trip to Bemidji that one time. I've never heard anyone (fan or from the program) complain about travel to Huntsville.

And we do pretty well with the 1-for-1's.

EDIT: I reread Geoff's comments. Complaining about playing someone is different than complaining about travelling to play someone. And to be honest, I have personally heard our AD complain about the financial commitments of certain league members. Which Geoff alluded to below.

 

[Bill]

Re: New WCHA is dead

And we do pretty well with the 1-for-1's.

You're the only fully D1 school of the seven and you have 6 former CCHA D1 schools within close proximity (OSU, Miami, WMU, Notre Dame, UM, MSU). No surprise that you would have more luck with the 1 for 1s. Even makes it easy for home and home 1 for 1s.

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: New WCHA is dead

You're the only fully D1 school of the seven and you have 6 former CCHA D1 schools within close proximity (OSU, Miami, WMU, Notre Dame, UM, MSU). No surprise that you would have more luck with the 1 for 1s. Even makes it easy for home and home 1 for 1s.

We generally get 3 home-and-homes a year:

This year home-and-home with Miami State, Western, and Notre Dame
Last year home-and-home with Bobby Mo, Ohio State, and Western
Year before home-and-home with Western and Sparty (and should have been Miami State but they asked for HH/AA over two years instead of HA/AH)
Year before home-and-home with Western and Ohio State (see previous comment about Miami State)
Year before home-and-home with Western, Ohio State, and Miami State

There's a pattern here...

 

[davyd83]

The problem with that is most of the schools that the seven would like to play OOC don't want to come to the barns of the seven, or if they do consider doing it, it's usually in 2 for 1 deals. That makes scheduling a decent number of home games for the seven a problem.

I'd like to add UAH as an 8th team but I don't get to make that decision.

NMU is in the midst of even swaps with St Cloud, Cornell, Michigan St, Boston U and Notre Dame.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: New WCHA is dead

EDIT: I reread Geoff's comments. Complaining about playing someone is different than complaining about travelling to play someone. And to be honest, I have personally heard our AD complain about the financial commitments of certain league members. Which Geoff alluded to below.

Okay, so I feel like telling truth today!

For the R7, you have two tiers:

Mankato, BG, maybe Tech, maybe Northern (given the commitment at/after the hiring of Potulny) definitely have the resources and drive.
Maybe Bemidji, Ferris, Lake State do; maybe they don't.

I could see any of the four schools in the top tier joining most any league in the country, if invited, and at minimum holding their own. I don't see the other three doing that.

So the question, then, is this: do you want to add a fourth school in that second category, especially when two of the three that you do have are the two most far-flung schools in two of the smallest metropolitan areas in the league?

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: New WCHA is dead

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

You can separate BG from metro Toledo and classify us as our own podunk midwestern town along with the other six. We're actually OK with that.

 

[Bill]

Re: New WCHA is dead

NMU is in the midst of even swaps with St Cloud, Cornell, Michigan St,!Boston U and Notre Dame.

Dave, how successful was NMU getting even swaps before Potulny got there? Just curious.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

*puts on devil's advocate hat*

And how many of them follow Charger hockey at all, let alone attend Charger hockey games? Or do most of them switch over to basketball once Crimson Tide pigskin is done for the year?

 

[pdt1081]

Okay, so I feel like telling truth today!

For the R7, you have two tiers:

Mankato, BG, maybe Tech, maybe Northern (given the commitment at/after the hiring of Potulny) definitely have the resources and drive.
Maybe Bemidji, Ferris, Lake State do; maybe they don't.

I could see any of the four schools in the top tier joining most any league in the country, if invited, and at minimum holding their own. I don't see the other three doing that.

So the question, then, is this: do you want to add a fourth school in that second category, especially when two of the three that you do have are the two most far-flung schools in two of the smallest metropolitan areas in the league?

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

BG's "actual" population is no where near it's "official" population. There's a large amount of University students that claim residency, yet contribute very little locally.

Off the top of my head, Bowling Green is closer to Huntsville than NMU, Tech, and Bemidji. Travel wise, they'd rather go south in the winter. Competition wise, well......

If Huntsville commits to their new building within the next year, they have a shot at #8. Regardless, WCHA men's hockey is dead.

 

[MTUHuskies]

Re: New WCHA is dead

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

That's the problem, Huntsville is too big to be "like minded" with the rest of them.

 

[Hockey John]

Okay, so I feel like telling truth today!

For the R7, you have two tiers:

Mankato, BG, maybe Tech, maybe Northern (given the commitment at/after the hiring of Potulny) definitely have the resources and drive.
Maybe Bemidji, Ferris, Lake State do; maybe they don't.

I could see any of the four schools in the top tier joining most any league in the country, if invited, and at minimum holding their own. I don't see the other three doing that.

So the question, then, is this: do you want to add a fourth school in that second category, especially when two of the three that you do have are the two most far-flung schools in two of the smallest metropolitan areas in the league?

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

I hope you get your new arena funded and are the 8th team in the new CCHA. I enjoyed my trip down there.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: New WCHA is dead

BG's "actual" population is no where near it's "official" population. There's a large amount of University students that claim residency, yet contribute very little locally.

Off the top of my head, Bowling Green is closer to Huntsville than NMU, Tech, and Bemidji. Travel wise, they'd rather go south in the winter. Competition wise, well......

If Huntsville commits to their new building within the next year, they have a shot at #8. Regardless, WCHA men's hockey is dead.

I don't agree with this statement at all...unless those 7 are trying to get away from some top WCHA officials? If the Alaska schools fold up shop, and those 7 are ok with keeping UAH there is no reason to leave.

 

[Andrew J Carter]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Okay, so I feel like telling truth today!

It never fails me that a bunch of schools from a bunch of podunk towns in the Midwest want to look down on a university with an amazing research reputation, two Division II titles, and a metro area that is larger than the six non-BG schools combined, twice over. Okay then. More people live in my suburb of Huntsville than live in Bemidji, Big Rapids, Houghton, and the Soo.

GFM

Hey Geof. I'm not in the inner circle of BSU hockey, but I have always heard of the great rivalry we've had (have) and I have heard no one eager to part ways with Huntsville. Actually, there is a "We hate Huntsville" crowd that really loves you guys. Hopefully, this can all work out.