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The new Super League is going down the tubes.

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Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

12 team conferences are best left to college football where there are a multitude of schools playing the game. We have 58 and soon 59 and maybe 60. 7 or 8 teams in a conference looks actually like good number for college hockey.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

dggoddard said:
Anybody want to bet that Notre Dame's "3rd Option" is the Big Ten?
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Well I wouldn't be surprised if thats being kicked around as a full time member, but it seems way more likely that they are just thinking of playing as an independent...maybe until they decide to join the big ten in everything.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

ecbrevik said:
Notre Dame is one of those few teams who have a truly national following. There are Irish fans no matter where you go.

Notre Dame fans may have heard of Western Michigan and Bowling Green, and may not be aware of Duluth and Omaha. But they will have heard of Miami of Ohio. And this is where marketing comes in. Especially the marketing that tells their fans about the deep and rich hockey history and multiple national championships of North Dakota and Denver, along with the fact that these schools are still national title contenders year in and year out. The fact that Duluth is the 2011 national champs. The fact that Miami and CC are power programs in hockey. I think that would go over better with Irish fans than being in a league with Western Michigan, Bowling Green, and Ferris State, schools that haven't contended for much of anything in the hockey world over the last 10-15 years. HE would give Notre Dame a similar ability to sale being in a power conference. No matter who the CCHA picks up to replace the Big 10 schools, Miami, and NMU, Notre Dame is going to be much harder pressed to sale the idea that they play in a power conference in the hockey world. And make no mistake about this, Notre Dame fans seem to feel that it is their God-given right to be associated with the power programs in the college sports world. If the Notre Dame fans view the new CCHA as a second tier conference, they aren't going to be happy having their team there.
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The Notre Dame fan has heard of Western Michigan and Bowling Green because they have Division-I football teams. The only team in the new conference that can say the same is Miami. It's much easier to sell a Notre Dame fan (who, let's face it, cares a hell of a lot more about football than hockey) that BGSU and WMU are fine matches because of their football teams than D-II Denver and North Dakota. It seems to me Notre Dame is waiting to see who else may join the new CCHA before they make the decision on where to go. I still expect them to go to the LTHC but I wouldn't be shocked to see them stay in the CCHA. I'm guessing that joining Hockey East is a bargaining chip so they can arrange a better deal with the LTHC or CCHA.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

Priceless said:
The Notre Dame fan has heard of Western Michigan and Bowling Green because they have Division-I football teams. The only team in the new conference that can say the same is Miami. It's much easier to sell a Notre Dame fan (who, let's face it, cares a hell of a lot more about football than hockey) that BGSU and WMU are fine matches because of their football teams than D-II Denver and North Dakota. It seems to me Notre Dame is waiting to see who else may join the new CCHA before they make the decision on where to go. I still expect them to go to the LTHC but I wouldn't be shocked to see them stay in the CCHA. I'm guessing that joining Hockey East is a bargaining chip so they can arrange a better deal with the LTHC or CCHA.
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Well first get your facts straight, Denver is D1, North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha are in the transition phase to full D1 (UND is further in the process).
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

Shirtless Guy said:
Well first get your facts straight, Denver is D1, North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha are in the transition phase to full D1 (UND is further in the process).
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What I should have said is that none of them have Division-I football, which is what the ND fan cares about. There is absolutely no rivalry with any of those schools, whereas ND played Western as recently as 2010.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

ecbrevik said:
No matter who the CCHA picks up to replace the Big 10 schools, Miami, and NMU, Notre Dame is going to be much harder pressed to sale the idea that they play in a power conference in the hockey world. And make no mistake about this, Notre Dame fans seem to feel that it is their God-given right to be associated with the power programs in the college sports world. If the Notre Dame fans view the new CCHA as a second tier conference, they aren't going to be happy having their team there.
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Seems folks tend to think the obvious choice is ND joining the national. It may go down that way...but I don't know that its necessarily the most beneficial.

Its been talked about that rivalries with BC are big because of ND's other Big East affiliations. But again what matters for ND...as with other teams...is TV revenue. I'm sure ND is factoring that in...and I just don't know if the national is a great fit from a TV revenue standpoint. Big East is better there.

dggoddard said:
Anybody want to bet that Notre Dame's "3rd Option" is the Big Ten?
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Multiple posibilities...to Shirtless point, most are probably impacted or involve the Big Ten. This has been alluded to by this odd comment about how they are interested in a conference with 'six teams'.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

Shirtless Guy said:
Well first get your facts straight, Denver is D1, North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha are in the transition phase to full D1 (UND is further in the process).
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Correct. By the time the National forms, North Dakota will be out of the transition phase, and playing the majority of their sports in the Big Sky Conference.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

I often wonder if Mankato will ever go full D-I. My guess is yes, but not anytime remotely soon. They seem to be perfectly happy sitting D-II and racking up wins in basketball and wrestling.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

5mn_Major said:
Its been talked about that rivalries with BC are big because of ND's other Big East affiliations. But again what matters for ND...as with other teams...is TV revenue. I'm sure ND is factoring that in...and I just don't know if the national is a great fit from a TV revenue standpoint. Big East is better there..
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Doubtful that TV revenue is an advantage for Hockey East.

I believe Hockey East either pays to have their games on NESN or it ends up being revenue neutral. With 11 vs. 7 teams in the conference, there are also less opportunities to be on TV.

If they playing in the National they can still play BC non-conference.
 
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Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

dggoddard said:
Doubtful that TV revenue is an advantage for Hockey East.

I believe Hockey East either pays to have their games on NESN or it ends up being revenue neutral. With 11 vs. 7 teams in the conference, there are also less opportunities to be on TV.

If they playing in the National they can still play BC non-conference.
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ND could end up going to the national...but I got to disagree with your post.

HE is where ND's existing rivalries are in basketball (potential hockey audience growth), HE schools have more schools with widespread reputations...and perhaps most importantly, that's where the largest number of sports fans live. Ask the Dallas Cowboys about that one.

There's huge opportunity in the east to get their TV house in order. TV is a main reason why I maintain that UMD was a necessicity for the national conference...but unless a deal is put together with the Big Ten, the national won't compare to the opportunity the east holds for ND.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

5mn_Major said:
ND could end up going to the national...but I got to disagree with your post.

HE is where ND's existing rivalries are in basketball (potential hockey audience growth), HE schools have more schools with widespread reputations...and perhaps most importantly, that's where the largest number of sports fans live. Ask the Dallas Cowboys about that one.

There's huge opportunity in the east to get their TV house in order. TV is a main reason why I maintain that UMD was a necessicity for the national conference...but unless a deal is put together with the Big Ten, the national won't compare to the opportunity the east holds for ND.
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Yep of course not. :rolleyes:
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

5mn_Major said:
HE schools have more schools with widespread reputations...and perhaps most importantly, that's where the largest number of sports fans live.
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Maybe for baseball or football or basketball. But hockey? I can't agree with you there. The northeast is not exactly known as "hockey country." Hockey has an enormous fanbase throughout the upper midwest. Plus, the game is growing rapidly in the "lower" Midwest (ohio, indiana, etc.). My point is that ND, due to its national brand, could go either direction and grow their program without too much trouble.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

MiamiRedhawks2008 said:
Maybe for baseball or football or basketball. But hockey? I can't agree with you there. The northeast is not exactly known as "hockey country." Hockey has an enormous fanbase throughout the upper midwest. Plus, the game is growing rapidly in the "lower" Midwest (ohio, indiana, etc.). My point is that ND, due to its national brand, could go either direction and grow their program without too much trouble.
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For the national, Wisconsin and Michigan are likely out...hence the importance of UMD and schools like SCSU. Beyond that you have Denver, Omaha and competition between Miami and OSU for Ohio. This versus New England and some spillover into the New York metro. No question the percentages are higher in the midwest...but if you can move the needle even a little in the northeast (which possibly Notre Dame and a new TV deal could do), eastern gains can swamp comparative markets in the plains.
 
Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

I think people are over-thinking the importance of TV for conference realignments. College hockey games lose money for the broadcasters, with the exception of the Gophers deal on FSN-North which may break even or make a little money. The value for the networks (BTN, FSN-North, FS-Detroit, Versus, CBS-U, Root-Denver, NESN, ESPN) is that it provides content. The value for the schools is that it provides exposure. The value for recruits is that family and scouts can see the games.
 
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Re: The new Super League is going down the tubes.

dggoddard said:
I think people are over-thinking the importance of TV for conference realignments. College hockey games lose money for the broadcasters, with the exception of the Gophers deal on FSN-North which may break even or make a little money. The value for the networks (BTN, FSN-North, FS-Detroit, Versus, CBS-U, Root-Denver, NESN, ESPN) is that it provides content. The value for the schools is that it provides exposure. The value for recruits is that family and scouts can see the games.
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Thank you- thank you THANK YOU! Let's get off this TV revenue thing. There "ain't" appreciable TV revenue in college hockey.

The NCHC is about brand marketing. It's not about TV revenue. They've publicly said that. However, I'm convinced it doesn't do much to affect enrollment either. Studies have indicated that. For Notre Dame how much more branding do they need? They need to be in a conference that allows them to do 5X3 NC scheduling with teams that fill their building. The Big 10 IS the best conference for them. But I would be surprised if that's possible. The NCHC doesn't do much for them. It's all way to west. it's a dilemna for them.
 
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