Stonehill to D-I Independent for 2022-23

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Something will have to give over the next few years. LIU, Stonehill, Utica etc...there is no long term path as independents. At least I don't think there is.

Actually the more "indy" teams there are the easier it gets to survive that way. They can schedule teams with conferences early in the season and then when conference play starts they indys have their games against each other for the balance of the season.

There are certainly enough now to put together a full schedule if they are willing to all play each other. What they give up by remaining indy is the potential for an autobid. It will be tough to put together a good strength of schedule so getting an NCAA at large bid is a tall task.

 

[UncleRay]

I can’t believe you guys took Drew’s comment that seriously.

We did because we know Drew. He's serious about the blither he blathers. Unbelievably.

 

[J.D.]

The same Merrimack that went full division 1? I know you BC guys have fetishes but this one tops it. This is a looney tunes comment.

Another bizarre post from you

 

[Split-N]

Army will not move away from AFA...

Cue the annual blather about Navy being on the cusp of starting a D1 program and joining Atlantic Hockey.

 

[buoldtimer]

Stonehill's schedule for 2022-23 will be a hybrid, between D1, D2/D3, I speculate.

They went 7-19-2 against D2/D3 last season.

Any games against D1 competition will be ugly, no?

 

[QUAlum2004]

Stonehill's schedule for 2022-23 will be a hybrid, between D1, D2/D3, I speculate.

They went 7-19-2 against D2/D3 last season.

Any games against D1 competition will be ugly, no?

I mean not necessarily. They are a team that I expect will use the portal to get Division I players to help fill out the roster. Teams like that will have to use the portal over the next few years to get some established players that can help with the transition to the D1 level.

 

[J.D.]

I mean not necessarily. They are a team that I expect will use the portal to get Division I players to help fill out the roster. Teams like that will have to use the portal over the next few years to get some established players that can help with the transition to the D1 level.

Good point. Maybe the portal is opening eyes in regard to quickly being able to at least throw a team out there.

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

So this is what is out there for independent programs. Do I have everyone?

CURRENTLY PLAYING AS INDEPENDENTS:
Alaska
Arizona State
Long Island

ANNOUNCED TO BE STARTING:
Stonehill (MA)
Lindenwood (MO)
Augustana (SD)
Alaska-Anchorage

HMMMMMM:
Utica (NY)
Navy
Illinois
Alabama-Huntsville

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

So this is what is out there for independent programs. Do I have everyone?

CURRENTLY PLAYING AS INDEPENDENTS:
Alaska
Arizona State
Long Island

ANNOUNCED TO BE STARTING:
Stonehill (MA)
Lindenwood (MO)
Augustana (SD)
Alaska-Anchorage

HMMMMMM:
Utica (NY)
Navy
Illinois

Put Huntsville in the HMMMMMM category?

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

Put Huntsville in the HMMMMMM category?

I personally think Huntsville is done. Killed once by the administration, donors step up to save the day. Killed again by the administrations, donors have tried to step up and save the day, administration says they need a conference to be revived. Conferences are going to be leery of a school that has killed its program twice.

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

I personally think Huntsville is done. Killed once by the administration, donors step up to save the day. Killed again by the administrations, donors have tried to step up and save the day, administration says they need a conference to be revived. Conferences are going to be leery of a school that has killed its program twice.

They're sitting on a big pile of cash donations (some of it is mine) that's looking to be spent. Their longer term funding model isn't any different than RMUs or the Alaska's.

What am I saying? I'm trying to talk myself into disagreeing with you. But I don't. Yeah, agree they're dead. Ignore my comment(s).

 

[AMC]

They're sitting on a big pile of cash donations (some of it is mine) that's looking to be spent. Their longer term funding model isn't any different than RMUs or the Alaska's.

What am I saying? I'm trying to talk myself into disagreeing with you. But I don't. Yeah, agree they're dead. Ignore my comment(s).

Are we sure that RMU or the Alaskas longer term funding models will work at all for more than a couple of years?

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

So this is what is out there for independent programs. Do I have everyone?

CURRENTLY PLAYING AS INDEPENDENTS:
Alaska
Arizona State
Long Island

ANNOUNCED TO BE STARTING:
Stonehill (MA)
Lindenwood (MO)
Augustana (SD)
Alaska-Anchorage

HMMMMMM:
Utica (NY)
Navy
Illinois
Alabama-Huntsville

Conference affiliation is either guaranteed or a prerequisite for Utica, Illinois and UAH, should any of them make the jump. And it’s assumed for Navy that Atlantic would take them.

Depending on some breaks, it looks like we’re left with “only” 7 independents. Which is bonkers.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Are we sure that RMU or the Alaskas longer term funding models will work at all for more than a couple of years?

RMU? Probably. Their axing was more capricious and less based on hard realities than UAA or UA(F).

The Alaskas are on generally shaky ground, especially with UAA no longer being able to afford Sullivan and now playing at a practice rink.

A glut of teams trying to join AHA (by latest count: LIU, Stonehill, Utica and Navy all have a reasonable chance of trying to join the Atlantic) makes a breakaway more likely, which might give UAH an outside shot at having a home.

 

[Drew S.]

RMU? Probably. Their axing was more capricious and less based on hard realities than UAA or UA(F).

The Alaskas are on generally shaky ground, especially with UAA no longer being able to afford Sullivan and now playing at a practice rink.

A glut of teams trying to join AHA (by latest count: LIU, Stonehill, Utica and Navy all have a reasonable chance of trying to join the Atlantic) makes a breakaway more likely, which might give UAH an outside shot at having a home.

I’ve thought about this the last few days and to me what would make sense is Hockey East breaking in two and adding five teams. If you had UME, UNH, UVM, UML, MC, Bentley, Stonehill, and maybe AIC or someone else that would be a decent conference. The other conference would be BC, BU, NEU, PC, UMA, Uconn, Holy Cross, and Quinnipiac. One nice thing is that all the legacy hockey east teams would have some good out of conference options that they don’t have now. You could have a community shield type game as a curtain raiser and other fun things between the leagues that would be great for college hockey in New England.

A knock on effect of this would be more room in Atlantic Hockey for some of the programs you mentioned above. People hate change so much Hockey East likely won’t do anything.

 

[J.D.]

Given the struggles of the northern state schools in NE, I could understand a breakaway league with Merrimack, Bentley etc. But I don't know why you keep putting Lowell in that group. A separate league would give those schools an auto bid to fight for and like you said they can fill up the non conference slate with old HE rivals. A lot depends on if schools like Maine, UNH, UVM throw in the towel and say we're tired of sucking and not competing in the current landscape.

 

[BlackBearFan19]

Given the struggles of the northern state schools in NE, I could understand a breakaway league with Merrimack, Bentley etc. But I don't know why you keep putting Lowell in that group. A separate league would give those schools an auto bid to fight for and like you said they can fill up the non conference slate with old HE rivals. A lot depends on if schools like Maine, UNH, UVM throw in the towel and say we're tired of sucking and not competing in the current landscape.

Maine isn’t leaving hockey east and neither is UNH. They’re founding members of the conference and with enough success this millennium to justify being there. Odds are Maine bounces back prior to UNH just due to some uncertainty on the coaching staff there.

Lowell belongs in the conversation of splitting the conferences just because of overall athletic goals. They’re all america east schools and have a ceiling as far as competing in the major college sports. Based on recent history Lowell belongs in the conversation with the big boys. It’ll be interesting to see if BU and BC want to re-commit to hockey with their recent struggles. Their arenas have been like morgues lately.

I think more than likely you’ll see Atlantic hockey split into two conferences or divisions. With LIU and RMU coming back and Stonehill and Utica announcing d-1 plans, they could do what the little 10 did and make a 7 team conference.

 

[Drew S.]

Given the struggles of the northern state schools in NE, I could understand a breakaway league with Merrimack, Bentley etc. But I don't know why you keep putting Lowell in that group. A separate league would give those schools an auto bid to fight for and like you said they can fill up the non conference slate with old HE rivals. A lot depends on if schools like Maine, UNH, UVM throw in the towel and say we're tired of sucking and not competing in the current landscape.

I’m talking about a split not a breakaway group. Lowell is in America East with Maine, UNH, and UVM so obviously it would make sense to group them together. Their biggest rival is Merrimack and I believe they used to be in a conference with Bentley and Stonehill so there is a little bit of a rivalry there. I envision a north of boston(Stonehill is obviously a little south) division/conference and a Boston south division/conference. If you split the legacy hockey east teams six-five I don’t see another team that works for the northern group.

As others have said it doesn’t make sense for teams to leave for the sake of leaving so a split would be the only way forward. I think smaller leagues where teams play each other three times versus two would make a big difference in getting people interested again.

 

[J.D.]

A split/breakaway is the same thing really if the idea is to get another auto bid. They can obviously still all play each other. I just wonder if any administrators are tired of banging their head against a wall and seeing the Ls pile up.

 

[J.D.]

Maine isn’t leaving hockey east and neither is UNH. They’re founding members of the conference and with enough success this millennium to justify being there. Odds are Maine bounces back prior to UNH just due to some uncertainty on the coaching staff there.

Lowell belongs in the conversation of splitting the conferences just because of overall athletic goals. They’re all america east schools and have a ceiling as far as competing in the major college sports. Based on recent history Lowell belongs in the conversation with the big boys. It’ll be interesting to see if BU and BC want to re-commit to hockey with their recent struggles. Their arenas have been like morgues lately.

I think more than likely you’ll see Atlantic hockey split into two conferences or divisions. With LIU and RMU coming back and Stonehill and Utica announcing d-1 plans, they could do what the little 10 did and make a 7 team conference.

I'm not sure what you mean by BC re-committing to hockey unless you mean forcing York out or building a new arena. They are most definitely committed to hockey.