New WCHA is dead

[MTUHuskies]

Re: New WCHA 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.

Suppose the Alaska schools fold up shop and the Rogue 7 leave, does UAH keep the rights to the WCHA brand like BG has the CCHA? I would think that it stays because of the women's league. If the Rogue 7 accept UAH as #8, that would mean the new league would be the same eight teams with a new name and new administrators. I can live with that.

 

[davyd83]

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

Mankato has the biggest commitment. BG, Tech, NMU & Bemidji all show pretty solid support to their programs as well.

 

[Alaska Hockey]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Suppose the Alaska schools fold up shop and the Rogue 7 leave, does UAH keep the rights to the WCHA brand like BG has the CCHA? I would think that it stays because of the women's league. If the Rogue 7 accept UAH as #8, that would mean the new league would be the same eight teams with a new name and new administrators. I can live with that.

The bus will not cross the Mason Dixon Line. It's too far and the Hotel is the best road trip hotel bar none....

 

[davyd83]

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.

Huntsville would also have to significantly increase its budget in a number of areas, recruiting and travel being the most prominent. 20+ hour bus trips don’t do you any favors selling your program on the recruiting trail either.

 

[pdt1081]

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.

Complete separation of the men's and women's leagues.

 

[joecct]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2019

"Next step for University of Alaska: Declaration of Financial Exigency"

https://www.webcenter11.com/tvtv/co...ka-Declares-Financial-Exigency-512618201.html

If you get a 404 error, try here:

https://www.webcenter11.com/content...s-Declaring-Financial-Exigency-512618201.html

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Part of that is because those stories don't play in the media. There has long been a divide between the public and private schools in Hockey East. With the rare exception of one of the UMass teams doing well the state schools inevitably finish in the lower half of the league while the private schools (except Merrimack) compete for Hockey East championships and NCAA tournament appearances.

The private schools could take a few "like minded" members of the ECAC and leave the state schools behind. It would be financially beneficial to to do so. After what happened to the Big East (which BC helped found) and the NCHC I thought this was where we were headed. Three different people told me that wouldn't happen because BC (and particularly Jerry York) was committed to making Hockey East work.

Sure sounds like he places a higher value on loyalty than money. But he's just a Hall of Famer so he probably isn't much of an example.

Your sarcasm wears thin.

And if you're saying that the BC sports are driven by what Jerry wants, regardless of the bottom-line for all the other programs..?

Please.

 

[fairbanks hockey puck]

Re: New WCHA is dead

The University of Alaska is expected to file for Financial Exigency Monday BUT University President Jim Johnsen.....
Classes for the fall semester will go on as scheduled, he said. Nonacademic programs would be the first targets for rapid cost reduction, including athletics, Johnsen said.

Cost reductions to athletics, no mention of suspending sports for the upcoming season....

His first mention of athletics.

Meantime the legislature says they will meet again Wednesday.....

 

[gfmorris]

Re: New WCHA is dead

*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?

Aha! You have found the rub and the flaw in my argument.

GFM

 

[UAHStatman]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Huntsville would also have to significantly increase its budget in a number of areas, recruiting and travel being the most prominent. 20+ hour bus trips don’t do you any favors selling your program on the recruiting trail either.

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago. We also need an AD who will put in the effort to increase attendance and revenue so we can do that stuff.
https://uahhockey.com/blog/2019/07/02/uah-needs-to-be-prepare-for-the-wchas-looming-demise/

 

[davyd83]

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago. We also need an AD who will put in the effort to increase attendance and revenue so we can do that stuff.
https://uahhockey.com/blog/2019/07/02/uah-needs-to-be-prepare-for-the-wchas-looming-demise/

I’ve been having that conversation from the time Huntsville was looking to join the league. And I’ve felt strongly that, with these things that UAH could not only be competitive, but would have a good chance to be successful.

 

[BGDrew]

I’ve been having that conversation from the time Huntsville was looking to join the league. And I’ve felt strongly that, with these things that UAH could not only be competitive, but would have a good chance to be successful.

Right. But at what point do you start to realize it might not ever happen? I think that’s why the Spited 7 did what they did.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: New WCHA is dead

Right. But at what point do you start to realize it might not ever happen? I think that’s why the Spited 7 did what they did.

possibly but let’s remember just how UAH got here, they lost their league, almost lost their program and played Indy for how long? Things are headed in the right direction and an on-campus rink that’s right right size would go a long way to helping them.

 

[davyd83]

possibly but let’s remember just how UAH got here, they lost their league, almost lost their program and played Indy for how long? Things are headed in the right direction and an on-campus rink that’s right right size would go a long way to helping them.

The new arena has been put in the Master Plan. Unfortunately, funding for it has not.

 

[gmann]

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

UAH. Lipstick on a pig. It is what it is.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: New WCHA is dead

UAH. Lipstick on a pig. It is what it is.

Hey buddy!

The BoT did us no favors with that multi-use area plan.

GFM

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

UAH. Lipstick on a pig. It is what it is.

Gmann, good to see you are still around. We should do lunch sometime.

 

[DrunkTrainPolka]

Re: New WCHA is dead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2019

REVISED MEDIA ADVISORY: University of Alaska Board of Regents to consider declaration of financial exigency at its July 15 special meeting

WHAT: Special Meeting of the University of Alaska Board of Regents

WHEN: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Monday, July 15.

WHERE: REVISED MEETING LOCATION: Room 109 in the Butrovich Building on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The board meeting also will be live streamed at www.alaska.edu/bor/live/

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: President Johnsen will be available for individual media calls between 3:30 and 4:30 pm after the regents meeting. To scheduled, please contact Roberta Graham, associate vice president of public affairs at 907-360-2416 (cell).

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: New WCHA is dead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2019

REVISED MEDIA ADVISORY: University of Alaska Board of Regents to consider declaration of financial exigency at its July 15 special meeting

WHAT: Special Meeting of the University of Alaska Board of Regents

WHEN: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Monday, July 15.

WHERE: REVISED MEETING LOCATION: Room 109 in the Butrovich Building on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The board meeting also will be live streamed at www.alaska.edu/bor/live/

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: President Johnsen will be available for individual media calls between 3:30 and 4:30 pm after the regents meeting. To scheduled, please contact Roberta Graham, associate vice president of public affairs at 907-360-2416 (cell).

So is this the meeting where the staff at hand sits down and starts figuring out how to make the new budget number? Or is this just a meeting acknowledging that they need to have more meetings to figure things out?

 

[ticapnews]

Re: New WCHA is dead

So is this the meeting where the staff at hand sits down and starts figuring out how to make the new budget number? Or is this just a meeting acknowledging that they need to have more meetings to figure things out?

Time isn't their friend. I have to assume they already have a plan and the meeting is just necessary to determine how to implement it.