The new Super League is going down the tubes.

[Shirtless Guy]

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

What point have I ignored? The potential shrinking of the NCAA tourney? That's a bad thing, yes.

But how has the NCHC made that situation worse? What program will go away as a result of the NCHC, and why? For the 3rd time, UAH couldn't find a home before any of this happened - the NCHC has not made that situation any better or worse.

St. Cloud just left. Add Alabama-Huntsville, today, why not? But the WCHA won't do it today anymore than they would have a year ago. Where's the greater good?

Right now the WCHA has the largest footprint in college hockey...For a league that should probably be thinking about traveling less, there are now trips between Bemidji & Big Rapids (possibly Bowling Green). 2 teams in alaska means some teams will probably be making 2 trips to Alaska in one season. There is no quality cental location for a tournament. Green Bay is the closest thing to the central and its still 3-4 hours from any school. If the NCHC has happen and it was UND, DU, CC, UNO, ND, Miami, WMU, BGSU I would not be complaining nearly as much because the "new" wcha would have a nice bus league with BSU, MSU, SCSU, UMD, MTU, NMU and some outliers in LSSU, UAA, UAF, FSU. Giving up on the WCHA as it was really doesn't make sense to me. Creating this new conference without Notre Dame "in" from the beginning is just plane stupid. During a Q&A today Brad Schlossman said he thought the NCHC would get to 10 teams...so how does that really end up better for the WCHA teams that left? If you wanted to say that you didn't want to split playoff $ 10 ways anymore...fine, but that isn't it.

 

[Priceless]

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

BREAKING: St Cloud State University just changed from the 'Huskies' to the 'Cannon Fodder.'

 

[bunt_q]

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

so how does that really end up better for the WCHA teams that left? If you wanted to say that you didn't want to split playoff $ 10 ways anymore...fine, but that isn't it.

It's just a better mix, that's all. It's not a huge change in the end. So WHAT, in the end, is your complaint with the WCHA? The NCHC has formed, it's in the past.

I generally don't have a lot of sympathy for travel arguments, with any sport... it's a non-starter for me. But then, I live 800 miles from the nearest city. Colorado schools fly to every game, everywhere, in every sport. We traveled 6 hours one-way for league games in high school, and had to fly for CLUB sports in college, if you can imagine that. So it's a non-issue in my mind.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

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

You are saying that SCSU and BSU grew ONLY because they were able to play North Dakota and Denver every year?

Well, that's not something you are entitled to. That is charity. If those schools only want to schedule each other, that's their right.

EDIT: The WCHA can take BGSU too. Why not?

No one cares about Denver, I really don't think any program is better off because of games with Denver. You really have a screwy idea of what charity is because as far as I am concerned. Denver and CC have probably benefited more from "charity" than any other programs in the WCHA over the last decade. Their fans did not go to St Paul and spend money on playoff tickets and yet DU takes home the big check. Michigan Tech probably has more fans attend the Final Five each year than DU and CC combined.

 

[GoBeavers]

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

That is how hockey USED to grow. You're going to have to find a new model now.

That is not, however, how other sports grow. Teams start is a mediocre conference. They get established, then after some success, they try and move to a bigger conference. Western Michigan and St. Cloud are good models of that for college hockey. TCU football. Texas State football now - they're FCS - now they're looking at moving up and maybe into the WAC - someday, who knows, the Big 12 maybe. Lots of examples out there. Don't be naive, the days of kumbaya conferences between the WCHA (we'll take Anchorage) and the CCHA (you take Fairbanks) are over.

If you have anybody to blame, it might be the CCHA, and now the new WCHA. They are the lower-profile conference - they're the ones who should accept an Alabama-Huntsville. The NCHC just made room - they took St, Cloud off your hands. So quit being selfish - let them in.

A new tool for the shed.

 

[bunt_q]

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

No one cares about Denver, I really don't think any program is better off because of games with Denver. You really have a screwy idea of what charity is because as far as I am concerned. Denver and CC have probably benefited more from "charity" than any other programs in the WCHA over the last decade. Their fans did not go to St Paul and spend money on playoff tickets and yet DU takes home the big check. Michigan Tech probably has more fans attend the Final Five each year than DU and CC combined.

That's probably true. So what are you complaining about? Just North Dakota? It still seems to me, if we ignore Minnesota and Wisconsin (nothing we can do there), you're better off today than you would have been without the NCHC.

I don't know about the Alaska schools...we can say what we will about growing the sport, but they don't really benefit anybody. (I lived in Hawaii for 2 years - UH had the same problems in every sport but football.) But in a state that doesn't have income taxes, if I were the WCHA, I'd be having the State if Alaska cut a fat check every year for the privilege of playing in my conference (if that doesn't happen already).

 

[bunt_q]

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

A new tool for the shed.

Nice mature, productive comment there. But I would expect no less from the backwoods. Is that the caliber of graduates coming out of Bemidji?

That's your response to the WCHA taking Alabama-Huntsville?

 

[Priceless]

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

The LTHC is supposed to be a "national" conference for college hockey...so UAH is well within the footprint of the league. The WCHA covers the "Western" part of college hockey, and UAH is not in the west. The conference that claims to be national and has space for another team should have plenty of room for the Chargers.

 

[MUhawks628]

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

The LTHC is supposed to be a "national" conference for college hockey...so UAH is well within the footprint of the league. The WCHA covers the "Western" part of college hockey, and UAH is not in the west. The conference that claims to be national and has space for another team should have plenty of room for the Chargers.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

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

Nice mature, productive comment there. But I would expect no less from the backwoods. Is that the caliber of graduates coming out of Bemidji?

That's your response to the WCHA taking Alabama-Huntsville?

He just said what we're all thinking. Your arrogance is what apparently permeates throughout the athletic departments at DU and UND. The fact that relationships, history, tradition and rivalries mean nothing in a niche sport like college hockey is disgusting to me. The reason I loved college hockey was because it was different. Programs seemed to care about each other, respect each other, help each other out. The little guys got their shot against the big boys and it worked. The WCHA Final Five and the NCAA Frozen Four were basically holidays for me. Those events were amazing with the camaraderie among WCHA fans and hockey fans in general. You can sit here and ask me whats wrong with the way things will be and I can only say that ditching 4 programs for 2 teams that haven't won anything is quite laughable to me. DU just threw away a long time relationship with Michigan Tech so that gwozdecky and blasi can suck each other off 4 times a year...

 

[Tundra]

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

So why won't anybody answer my direct questions?

1. If you were SCSU, would you join the NCHC, or stay in the WCHA?

2. What is the real complaint from the remaining WCHA teams? (Other than the fact that the conference was created - I mean, complain with the outcome.)

1. yes join NCHC If I were SCSU. more money, stable, and "elite".

2. It's been mentioned several times (before SCSU), that remaining teams (bottom bracket) in WCHA are really getting kicked out of the conference in a round about way.

MSUM, BSU, UAA (90's) are relatively new division I programs , I do feel bad for those schools with longer history like MTU and BG.

 

[Priceless]

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

And I'll continue to beat this dead horse until the "national" hockey conference makes good.

 

[MUhawks628]

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

And I'll continue to beat this dead horse until the "national" hockey conference makes good.

Your arm is going to be very very sore

 

[Priceless]

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

Your arm is going to be very very sore

I'll make the sacrifice. Wonder if the same can be said of that so-called "national" conference.

 

[uaafanblog]

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

1. yes join NCHC If I were SCSU. more money, stable, and "elite".

No it isn't. It's less money. And a 10 team WCHA wasn't stable? Oh ... they're "elite". I see.

 

[Priceless]

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

We'll likely have to go back to a 12 team format. That's not good for anybody.

Not true! It's great for the higher seeds who earn byes right into the Quarterfinals! They get the day off while two lower-seeded teams slug it out for the right to play again. Bet BC and Miami wish they had a bye this season Would suck for UNO, CC, UNH and RPI though.

 

[bunt_q]

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

The little guys got their shot against the big boys and it worked.

The little guys still get their shot in a couple of ways.

First off, you can still win. You can still qualify for the national tourney. You can still win it all. We're not talking BCS-level-exclusion here. You still have all the access you had before. The only thing you lose is playing North Dakota, Denver, St. Cloud, UNO, and CC each year. Now, you'll play Lake Superior, Northern Michigan, Ferris State, and Fairbanks instead. That's a wash.

Second off, we're really just re-defining the "little guys" and you're a bit bitter that you're not included in the new definition. CC is a little guy. CC is THE quintessential little guy. My high school was about 10 blocks from CC - and which do you think was the bigger school? Yes, my high school. CC is the little guy.

As for the rest...times change. A lot of that "caring" was illusory to begin with. It's a different world now for collegiate athletics all around. Adapt or die.

 

[bunt_q]

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

And I'll continue to beat this dead horse until the "national" hockey conference makes good.

Are you really going to go there because of the name they chose, because it has "national" in it? That's a little petty.

How about beating on the Big 10. They have 12 teams, talk about a glaring inconsistency.

Or how about Hockey East take Alabama-Huntsville - an eastern team on my map.

How about beating on the ECAC for the same reasons?

Not true! It's great for the higher seeds who earn byes right into the Quarterfinals! They get the day off while two lower-seeded teams slug it out for the right to play again. Bet BC and Miami wish they had a bye this season Would suck for UNO, CC, UNH and RPI though.

While I don't think anybody relishes the thought of a 12 team tourney again... looking at the attendance at the regionals last year, it's a little hard to argue if the NCAA decides it's not worth the trouble.

 

[BII]

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

It's cute that you think college hockey is the same level as college football. There will never be anywhere close to the money that flows through college football and basketball going through college hockey. College hockey is a niche sport and will forever be.

And Gallo Red outsells all Bordeaux wines.

 

[The Rube]

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

The only thing you lose is playing North Dakota, Denver, St. Cloud, UNO, and CC each year. Now, you'll play Lake Superior, Northern Michigan, Ferris State, and Fairbanks instead. That's a wash.

Folks, this statement proves how little he really knows about the college hockey landscape.