The end of leagues as we know?

[Craig P.]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

OK - I guess I don't get it. These leagues realize that in general 1/2 the teams finish below .500 and somebody must be last each year? They also realize that there is still only one autobid per conference?

They also figure they're going to have relatively expansive nonconference schedules and, if they win most of those games, they can afford to go around 0.500 in league and still qualify for the NCAA tournament. We would see hockey starting to look a bit more like basketball in that regard.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Bemidji, Mankato, and St. Cloud might have a case if Duluth tries to run off without them. Tying the four other Minnesota schools together by the Minnesota goverment would block UND from having a close travel partner, and might make them a little less likely to jump.

Where was the Minnesota legislature when Minnesota was leaving the WCHA?

 

[Biddco]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

One things for sure. The golden age of college hockey is over. The pile of rubble that's left when this is over won't ever be the same.

To me, this is a dark day for college hockey. Although my alma mater will be joining the Super League, I'm 100 percent disgusted by the fact that it has come to this point. My fandom (as most people on here), does not end with my team. It goes throughout the entire landscape of college hockey, from Fairbanks to Orono and everywhere in between.

It makes me physically sick to think of the repercussions this could (and probably will) have on smaller, historic programs. To think of schools like SCSU, MTU, NMU, and BGSU being just tossed to the curb disgusts me.

Part of what drew me into college hockey, and to a hockey school, was the fact that it wasn't like the other NCAA sports, always divided into the haves and have-nots. Sadly, that is what we have lost.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Biddco]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Where was the Minnesota legislature when Minnesota was leaving the WCHA?

Haha you took him seriously.

 

[The Sicatoka]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

The remnants of the WCHA and CCHA are set up fairly well to create their own conference and align it with east and west divisions for ease of scheduling and travel. Add in UAH to boot. And that group won't be as intimidating to a start-up as say the current WCHA but will still have some credibility for calibre of hockey.

Assuming the new conference is UND, DU, CC, UNO, UMD, MoOH, NDU, and WMU what is left is:

HRC (Hockey Remnants Conference):
West - SCSU, MSU-M, BSU, UAA, UAF, (new team here, say MSU-Moorhead)
East - BGSU, FSU, NMU, MTU, LSSU, UAH

This group is set perfectly to try to get schools to add hockey and split into two separate conferences later. Lindenwood in the west. Who knows, maybe another MAC school in the east.

 

[fishcore12]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless,
Tempest-tossed to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

 

[JB]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

They also figure they're going to have relatively expansive nonconference schedules and, if they win most of those games, they can afford to go around 0.500 in league and still qualify for the NCAA tournament. We would see hockey starting to look a bit more like basketball in that regard.

Well that depends on how many leagues we end up with. I am looking at 7 currently: ECAC, HE, B1G Mistake, BHHC, Atlantic, Minn-Upper Mich, What's left plus western Atlantic teams wanting to spend more. Maybe we end up with 8 if there is a great perceived value in all these autobids and hence the ECAC splits to ivy and non-ivy conferences.

That reduces 2 autobids maybe 3 and if there is any contraction might leave the sport with a 12 team 7 autobid tournament. This puts many traditional powers in a strange place as at least 3 autobids (12 or 16 team field) maybe 4 (with ECAC) as teams they look down their noses at in, while they sit home during the NCAAs.

For a fan base used to being high on the pecking order how good is that “super conference” (the arrogance of that name) looking now?

UND and DU panicked Miami was already concerned about the CCHA leftovers and that hysteria has driven something I believe is ill conceived. The travel is going to be a killer. The B1G is actually getting a better travel foot print and as schools they have more money.

 

[MavsFan]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

My season-ticket renewal package arrived in the mail today. Great timing. I'd laugh if it didn't hurt so much.

 

[Dirty]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

If you wanted to not be screwed, you should've had a better team. Tough luck. The only thing I regret is now I won't be able to win free money from all the SCSU schmucks in the WCHA Fantasy League.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

This really doesn't reflect very good on the key players. This doesn't happen without UND and possibly DU. We'll see about ND.

I may be wrong...but I believe the reason that the WCHA and the CCHA were originally set up was to help protect college hockey by separating UMI and MSU from UW and MN. Each of the players were on board with the concept.

As we went forward, U Minnesota fought hard to protect the WCHA and its members and through this the health of college hockey. It tried to shelter programs throughout the midwest and invited BSU in when it looked like they were dead. Minnesota fought WI in its attempt to create a new conference at every point. Michigan and MSU to their credit didn't push for change.

The Big Ten happened and believe me was against the will of U Minnesota. Sure I"m originally a MN fan...but in hindsight, it appears the programs decade long moves benefited the sport until it was pulled out against its will into the Big Ten.

Compare this behavior with that of other remaining programs who took...what...3 months to rip up current agreements. This whole episode reflects horribly on those programs that hold the cards in this move.

 

[SCSU Euro]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Look on the bright side, there are now 10 more teams that have a legitimate shot at making the tourney

We already had a good chance of making the NCAAs, thanks. Now I think SCSU's chance goes down... even if they're the best in the league one year, they have to win a tourney where at the end its single elimination.

You'd have to think the plan is to bring in either Notre Dame & Western Michigan OR St. Cloud and Mankato.

I disagree, I think if you're gonna go MN teams, I think its St. Cloud and Bemidji

 

[SCSU Euro]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

If you wanted to not be screwed, you should've had a better team. Tough luck. The only thing I regret is now I won't be able to win free money from all the SCSU schmucks in the WCHA Fantasy League.

Please, in two years you won as much money as SCSU has Frozen Fours.

 

[JB]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

HRC (Hockey Remnants Conference):
West - SCSU, MSU-M, BSU, UAA, UAF, (new team here, say MSU-Moorhead)
East - BGSU, FSU, NMU, MTU, LSSU, UAH

Go for the 2 autobids out of the gate.
NEW WCHA
SCSU, MSU-M, BSU, NMU, MTU, LSSU, UAA, UAF, (if Alaska teams continue to cover travel) Maybe some sort of travel partner thing. If MSU-Moorhead goes Div 1 bounce an Alaska school to the CCHA.

NEW CCHA
BGSU, FSU, UAH, NU, RIT, Robert Morris (I think I picked 3 AH teams wanting to spend.) If an Alaska school comes in pull another AH team that wants to spend. This actually fixes a current Atlantic Hockey problem

The idea is to maximize NCAA tournament exposure with the existing league autobids. If you go east-west format you only keep the one bid of the 2 you already have. The bonus is to stick it to the BTHC and BHHC by consuming slots these “small” schools used to have a hard time getting.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

I may be wrong...

I believe you are.

but I believe the reason that the WCHA and the CCHA were originally set up was to help protect college hockey by separating UMI and MSU from UW and MN.

Originally, the WCHA was all there was. The CCHA split off to create a reduced-travel league. As far as I know, Michigan and MSU elected to join to reduce costs, not out of any altruistic for-all-of-hockey motives.

 

[Bale]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Schools like SCSU and MSU-Mankato were given a shot when they joined the WCHA (and I remember when each joined).

Why haven't they developed "fly on their own" programs? Or is it just easier to ride along in a league.

SCSU and MSU-M should be ****ed at themselves. The only one I feel sorry for is BSU.

You mean like SCSU doing a multi-million dollar renovation and MSU building a new stadium 10 years ago? Yeah, F-them for not ever putting anything into their programs.

 

[Osorojo]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

New conferences don't necessarily destroy teams. The split between the ECAC and HE actually created openings for more teams, and old rivalries continue in inter-conference games. The last two times Cornell and BU met in Madison Square Garden they sold out, and they probably will again this year.
What's to keep BSU and UND from playing a non-conference game at a neutral site midway between the schools, someplace like Erskine or Maple Lake?

 

[MavsFan]

The remnants of the WCHA and CCHA are set up fairly well to create their own conference and align it with east and west divisions for ease of scheduling and travel. Add in UAH to boot. And that group won't be as intimidating to a start-up as say the current WCHA but will still have some credibility for calibre of hockey.

Assuming the new conference is UND, DU, CC, UNO, UMD, MoOH, NDU, and WMU what is left is:

HRC (Hockey Remnants Conference):
West - SCSU, MSU-M, BSU, UAA, UAF, (new team here, say MSU-Moorhead)
East - BGSU, FSU, NMU, MTU, LSSU, UAH

This group is set perfectly to try to get schools to add hockey and split into two separate conferences later. Lindenwood in the west. Who knows, maybe another MAC school in the east.

Oh, yeah, that conference just screams "big-time college sports."

 

[Zyklon]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Go for the 2 autobids out of the gate.
NEW WCHA
SCSU, MSU-M, BSU, NMU, MTU, LSSU, UAA, UAF, (if Alaska teams continue to cover travel) Maybe some sort of travel partner thing. If MSU-Moorhead goes Div 1 bounce an Alaska school to the CCHA.

NEW CCHA
BGSU, FSU, UAH, NU, RIT, Robert Morris (I think I picked 3 AH teams wanting to spend.) If an Alaska school comes in pull another AH team that wants to spend. This actually fixes a current Atlantic Hockey problem

The idea is to maximize NCAA tournament exposure with the existing league autobids. If you go east-west format you only keep the one bid of the 2 you already have. The bonus is to stick it to the BTHC and BHHC by consuming slots these “small” schools used to have a hard time getting.

IF RIT could spend they would... RIT does not offer scholarships and I don't think they'd jump on a league like that so quick unless the league managed to get them the same status RPI, Colorado College, Clarkson, etc. have.

 

[MavsFan]

What's to keep BSU and UND from playing a non-conference game at a neutral site midway between the schools, someplace like Erskine or Maple Lake?

Oh, I don't know, maybe the lack of a 5-10,000 seat arena?

 

[state of hockey]

Re: The end of leagues as we know?

Crap.