Save Uah Hockey!

[tnlong]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The 6 closest teams to UAH are in the CCHA. Of the 8 closest teams to UAH, 7 are in the CCHA. UNO's move to the WCHA appeared to be part of the solution to a problem that affected the health of D1 hockey. After the UNO move was made, the CCHA's action says "Good, we got rid of UNO and screw the health of college hockey (as we watch one of own programs fold also)".

 

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Ok, so, all the talk about geographic footprints: UAH isn't in any of them. It IS closest to the CCHA's footprint, if you define it as the area within Indiana, Ohio and most of Michigan with Fairbanks as an outlier. Next closest is the WCHA (from the western UP to southern Wisconsin to Colorado, plus Anchorage), then the AHA and ECAC (both Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, though the AHA has an outlier in Colorado).

Would it have been geographically doable for the WCHA to take on UAH instead of UNO? Well, yes. Does it make sense geographically? Not particularly. Does it make sense geographically for the CCHA to take on UAH? Much more so, especially for Miami.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

For all of you that misunderstood my comment about within the footprint of the CCHA, I was talking about letting Wayne State fold and now there is another program...that geographically makes the most sense with the CCHA and again the CCHA rejects this team too...

 

[fairman]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

For all of you that misunderstood my comment about within the footprint of the CCHA, I was talking about letting Wayne State fold and now there is another program...that geographically makes the most sense with the CCHA and again the CCHA rejects this team too...

Please, again, do not compare Wayne State with UAH.

UAH was fine in the CHA, Wayne State was not. Wayne State had NO institutional support, ~200-300 people at most of their hockey games, a poor student support, and relatively bad hockey with a short time of commitment. Sure, they were near Detroit, but that's the only thing they had going for them for CCHA inclusion.

 

[tnlong]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Since the CCHA is in the contraction mode and since UAH is fighting for survival, maybe it's time to start thinking about both UAH and their friend Alaska moving to the WCHA. Alaska's moving to the WCHA is the move that made even more sense than UNO going to the WCHA. The WCHA could get nearly all of the AK extra games, the AK's could have their full rivalry series, and WCHA teams traveling to AK could get 4 games out of the trip.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Please, again, do not compare Wayne State with UAH.

UAH was fine in the CHA, Wayne State was not. Wayne State had NO institutional support, ~200-300 people at most of their hockey games, a poor student support, and relatively bad hockey with a short time of commitment. Sure, they were near Detroit, but that's the only thing they had going for them for CCHA inclusion.

I am not comparing the rest...what I am saying is that the CCHA let a program fold within their footprint...now there is a program with more dedication, more funding, better support and decent success over the years that would be considered a "long bus ride" for the majority of its members and they said no to that too...

 

[4four4]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

A lot of people here need to look at a map -- UAH is NOT is the CCHA's geographic footprint. People can keep repeating that, but it still won't make it so.

Yep.

Why did they decide to admit UNO again? They are no where near the CCHA's geographic footprint.

No, soh has to be correct. Gopher fans want the BTHC so they can actually win a Big Ten Championship in a sport more than three people care about.

I would venture if Mr. Smith stays around for another five years the University Of Minnesota wins a Big Ten Championship.

 

[ChargerBlue]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Why doesn't the WCHA get any blame here?

They could have taken UAH when Bemidji wanted to get in- instant 12 team conference.

Yet, they took a team from another conference. Now that other conference is the bad guy.

So this whole bad guy started with the WCHA taking a team from them.

As far as I can tell, the WCHA equally shares in the blame, or on the list of who hates Huntsville. Especailly since they could have taken them first. Talk about elitism.

Actually, 95% of the blame lies with Atlantic Hockey. If they hadn't accepted Air Force, Robert Morris and Niagara then the CHA would still exist.

 

[true2BSU]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Blame isn't doing any good. With BSU and UNO moving to the WCHA there are few options left that make sense to help UAH. This Big Ten stuff to me sounds like opium dream material. Take enough nyquil and you can have a Big Ten conference.

I dislike FSN coverage of hockey but am holding on to a hope of seeing Kevin Gorg of FSN fame wearing a Save UAH hockey t-shirt. Now that would be cool.

 

[Slap Shot]

Why doesn't the WCHA get any blame here?

They could have taken UAH when Bemidji wanted to get in- instant 12 team conference.

Yet, they took a team from another conference. Now that other conference is the bad guy.

UNO applied to the WCHA - UAH didn't.

 

[state of hockey]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

UNO applied to the WCHA - UAH didn't.

Exactly. The Red Landcows are Charger haters.

 

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Since the CCHA is in the contraction mode and since UAH is fighting for survival, maybe it's time to start thinking about both UAH and their friend Alaska moving to the WCHA. Alaska's moving to the WCHA is the move that made even more sense than UNO going to the WCHA. The WCHA could get nearly all of the AK extra games, the AK's could have their full rivalry series, and WCHA teams traveling to AK could get 4 games out of the trip.

Psst: a fourteen team league is a little bit much.

My money says the CCHA is hoping for a team (Bowling Green, Ferris, Western or Lake State) to drop hockey, a team (Penn State or Iowa State) to add hockey, a good chunk of their schools to jump ship into a new conference, or some combination. Either way, we're at unstable equilibrium, and sooner or later the dominoes will start falling again.

 

[Jon]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Am I evil for looking at this and thinking there should be a "N" instead of a "A". Never mind...

 

[UNHHurstFan]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Actually, 95% of the blame lies with Atlantic Hockey. If they hadn't accepted Air Force, Robert Morris and Niagara then the CHA would still exist.

I'm not sure if you are kidding or not but I don't see how the AHA takes any blame here. If you want to build the case around Air Force, go ahead although Air Force seemed to have been the one to seek the change in an effort to build the natural rivalry with Army. There was also the consistent speculation that Navy would eventually move to D-1 and join the AHA so this was an effort to keep all the Academies together. As far as RMU and Niagara, they weren't accepted until after it was determined that the CHA was going to fold. Atlantic Hockey then accepted two teams that made very logical sense geographically, fitting nicely around RIT, Canisius, and Mercyhurst. The AHA did not poach these teams and break up the league.

I'm still confident that the CCHA will ultimately change it's mind and accept UAH. At worst, hopefully one of the leagues enters into a temporary scheduling agreement with UAH to help it succeed as an independent for a while.

 

[cooperalls]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The travel doesn't matter their are flights directly from the Huntsville area into an area where most of the teams in Atlantic Hockey are all in a congested area. It's already out that they were willing to cover travel cost for CCHA teams to come to Huntsville and were still denied which means they want the big draw type of game for revenue to help build their rink so they can sell out every night so it was greedy.

If Navy goes D1 which it will within the next few years it will give the South a 2nd team. If UAH was to go to Atlantic Hockey with the same proposal that they went to the CCHA with then they probably would get in. But the sounds of Game of UAH vs. Canisius at home tonight doesn't sound to appealing when you could have had UAH vs. Michigan or UAH vs. Nortre Dame.

The CCHA has no intention of letting them in, UAH is an expense to them because if they say you have to be patient and see what develops the history of UAH Hockey will be exactly that History. UAH AD and President do the right thing and seek membership into Atlantic Hockey.
Right the best thing for their program was to get the crap beaten out of them every night. Level wise they are a better fit in Atlantic Hockey and would be verey competitive not so in the CCHA and that is what they should have looked at in the first place rather than who they can draw into the arena that has a big name!

No, they weren't "being greedy." They were "doing what's best for the program."

Trips to Sacred Heart, UConn, Bentley and AIC are no better than the trips to Air Force (which we'd get back) and Bemidji that we had before.

The only harsh(er) trip we'd be trading out with the CCHA is Bemidji for Alaska. We've done NMU and/or Lake State and/or Western pretty much every year for the past 4-5.

Plus, it aligns us with our two geographically closest opponents: Miami and Ohio State.

 

[4four4]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The travel doesn't matter their are flights directly from the Huntsville area into an area where most of the teams in Atlantic Hockey are all in a congested area. It's already out that they were willing to cover travel cost for CCHA teams to come to Huntsville and were still denied which means they want the big draw type of game for revenue to help build their rink so they can sell out every night so it was greedy.

If Navy goes D1 which it will within the next few years it will give the South a 2nd team. If UAH was to go to Atlantic Hockey with the same proposal that they went to the CCHA with then they probably would get in. But the sounds of Game of UAH vs. Canisius at home tonight doesn't sound to appealing when you could have had UAH vs. Michigan or UAH vs. Nortre Dame.

The CCHA has no intention of letting them in, UAH is an expense to them because if they say you have to be patient and see what develops the history of UAH Hockey will be exactly that History. UAH AD and President do the right thing and seek membership into Atlantic Hockey.
Right the best thing for their program was to get the crap beaten out of them every night. Level wise they are a better fit in Atlantic Hockey and would be verey competitive not so in the CCHA and that is what they should have looked at in the first place rather than who they can draw into the arena that has a big name!

The big problem with the CCHA is outside of Michigan and Michigan State games they can't draw anybody. IMO, they still are not a decent viewing hockey conference.

 

[GreatLakerMohawk]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The travel doesn't matter their are flights directly from the Huntsville area into an area where most of the teams in Atlantic Hockey are all in a congested area. It's already out that they were willing to cover travel cost for CCHA teams to come to Huntsville and were still denied which means they want the big draw type of game for revenue to help build their rink so they can sell out every night so it was greedy.

If Navy goes D1 which it will within the next few years it will give the South a 2nd team. If UAH was to go to Atlantic Hockey with the same proposal that they went to the CCHA with then they probably would get in. But the sounds of Game of UAH vs. Canisius at home tonight doesn't sound to appealing when you could have had UAH vs. Michigan or UAH vs. Nortre Dame.

The CCHA has no intention of letting them in, UAH is an expense to them because if they say you have to be patient and see what develops the history of UAH Hockey will be exactly that History. UAH AD and President do the right thing and seek membership into Atlantic Hockey.
Right the best thing for their program was to get the crap beaten out of them every night. Level wise they are a better fit in Atlantic Hockey and would be verey competitive not so in the CCHA and that is what they should have looked at in the first place rather than who they can draw into the arena that has a big name!

Hoo boy.

Annapolis, Maryland is the south now? Better add Oxford, Ohio to the list of southern teams then since they go about as far south as Annapolis does.

And how do you know Navy is definitely getting a program together? If/when Navy gets a program, they'll go to whatever conference has Air Force and Army - it's a nice governmental package deal that they'd stick together to make sure they all get to play each other.

Since when are Atlantic Hockey teams "all together" geographically? Nevermind Air Force in this discussion but Erie, PA is nowhere near Boston, MA. Half the conference is in New England and the other half is in Western New York and Western Pennsylvania.

UAH is a terrible fit for Atlantic Hockey for a thousand different reasons and putting them in there would cause a lot of problems for a lot of ne'er-do-well programs that call the AHA home, nevermind that you're proposing a possible 14 team conference (which they would be if they added UAH and Navy began playing hockey).

 

[4four4]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Psst: a fourteen team league is a little bit much.

My money says the CCHA is hoping for a team (Bowling Green, Ferris, Western or Lake State) to drop hockey, a team (Penn State or Iowa State) to add hockey, a good chunk of their schools to jump ship into a new conference, or some combination. Either way, we're at unstable equilibrium, and sooner or later the dominoes will start falling again.

Sorry the CCHA is not hoping one of their own members drops ice hockey.

 

[4four4]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Hoo boy.

Annapolis, Maryland is the south now? Better add Oxford, Ohio to the list of southern teams then since they go about as far south as Annapolis does.

And how do you know Navy is definitely getting a program together? If/when Navy gets a program, they'll go to whatever conference has Air Force and Army - it's a nice governmental package deal that they'd stick together to make sure they all get to play each other.

Since when are Atlantic Hockey teams "all together" geographically? Nevermind Air Force in this discussion but Erie, PA is nowhere near Boston, MA. Half the conference is in New England and the other half is in Western New York and Western Pennsylvania.

UAH is a terrible fit for Atlantic Hockey for a thousand different reasons and putting them in there would cause a lot of problems for a lot of ne'er-do-well programs that call the AHA home, nevermind that you're proposing a possible 14 team conference (which they would be if they added UAH and Navy began playing hockey).

Maryland is considered the south by the majority of the country.

 

[cetihcra]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Maryland is considered the south by the majority of the country.

yup:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason-Dixon_Line