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The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

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Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Saw this tweet by @BGSU_Hockey

Bruce McLeod: The WCHA will soon announce its championship site for next season. It will partner with Fox Sports to televise games.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

From the UAH Still Breathing thread...

The WCHA is looking at doing away with the Final Five format and proposing that only the top eight make the playoffs. This seems to be what Hockey East does now.

I actually like that idea (and no, not because this prevents the dead last team from travelling to NMU and upsetting them). It makes the games mean more than just playoff seeding, and it sets up a fantastic one weekend playoff before the Championship weekend. this should eliminate some attendance issues since semi-final weekend should be one week after most spring breaks.

While I'll miss the Final Five format (from what I've heard, I've never seen it in person), the CCHA's version of it sucked hard for attendance, so having four teams all weekend is better for attendance.

I know the "Walt Kyle Invitational" third place games aren't popular, but it does mean you get to see your team twice all weekend, and it adds an interesting wrinkle to the PWR. No word if the WCHA will have a third place game tho.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Has there been any dates mentioned to as when we will start getting some ansers on all these topics? I know they take time to finalize, but I cant help but feel like the league is once again the last to move and explain itslef while everyone else has next year figured out for the most part. Also, Any hope of killing the ridiculous "Alaska playoff plan" next year if the 8 team format is true? I personally would still like to see a 24 game regular season schedule, allowing my team (BSU) to schedule more non conference games against in state rivals.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

jdmaxim23 said:
Has there been any dates mentioned to as when we will start getting some ansers on all these topics? I know they take time to finalize, but I cant help but feel like the league is once again the last to move and explain itslef while everyone else has next year figured out for the most part. Also, Any hope of killing the ridiculous "Alaska playoff plan" next year if the 8 team format is true? I personally would still like to see a 24 game regular season schedule, allowing my team (BSU) to schedule more non conference games against in state rivals.
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In fairness to the WCHA, they have to do a balancing act that the other conferences don't. While we may have a "Screw 'em, They're leaving us" attitude towards several schools, those schools are still WCHA members for now, and the WCHA needs to focus on making this season as financially successful as possible. Once the Final Five ends, I would expect to see a lot more out of the league offices concerning next year and future years.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

jdmaxim23 said:
Has there been any dates mentioned to as when we will start getting some ansers on all these topics? I know they take time to finalize, but I cant help but feel like the league is once again the last to move and explain itslef while everyone else has next year figured out for the most part. Also, Any hope of killing the ridiculous "Alaska playoff plan" next year if the 8 team format is true? I personally would still like to see a 24 game regular season schedule, allowing my team (BSU) to schedule more non conference games against in state rivals.
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The best policy is to announce something when you have something to announce. To do so before things are signed, sealed and delivered is a recipe for disaster.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

aparch said:
From the UAH Still Breathing thread...

The WCHA is looking at doing away with the Final Five format and proposing that only the top eight make the playoffs. This seems to be what Hockey East does now.
Click to expand...
Does now, but no more after this year. Next year we become a Participation Trophies For Everybody League. Yuck. Here's what I had to say in the thread bemoaning Hockey East changing their format:

UncleRay said:
I agree. I don't understand the point of the regular season if you don't eliminate a few teams from post-season play. At the end of the regular season this year there will be only four teams eliminated from becoming the national champ: Penn State, Huntsville, and two teams from Hockey East. That's it. In my opinion, a twelve-team league should only take six or eight teams to their tourney, a six-team league should only take four. I get why they do it - it's all about the Benjamins. People say that eliminating teams isn't fair to them. I say not eliminating teams isn't fair to those that have done well enough to deserve to go on.
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Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Here would be my playoff proposal to minimize playoff travel costs. Split into two divisions, with an Alaska school in each one and Bemidji, Mankato, Tech and NMU on one side, LSSU, Ferris, Bowling Green and Huntsville on the other. Top four in each division make the playoffs, #4 at #1 and #3 at #2. The two series winners on each side advance to the tourney. You avoid Mankato/Bemidji and Ferris/Bowling Green matchups and pretty much guarantee all bus trip matchups outside of the Alaskas and maybe a potential LSSU/ Huntsville meeting. For regular season purposes, you play your division 4 times each and two each vs four teams on the other side, with one team being a four game set on a rotating basis.

And like some of the others, I'm all for having teams eliminated in the regular season. Heck, why not take the Top 4 and just go right to the League Tourney? Please don't say...that's not fair. If all teams are playing under the same conditions, it's fair. The playoffs are too bloated as it is with nearly all conferences set to be "participation ribbon" conferences. If you're gonna do that, whey even have a tourney? Save all that money and just send each kid a little trophy.
 
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Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

davyd83 said:
Here would be my playoff proposal to minimize playoff travel costs. Split into two divisions, with an Alaska school in each one and Bemidji, Mankato, Tech and NMU on one side, LSSU, Ferris, Bowling Green and Huntsville on the other. Top four in each division make the playoffs, #4 at #1 and #3 at #2. The two series winners on each side advance to the tourney. You avoid Mankato/Bemidji and Ferris/Bowling Green matchups and pretty much guarantee all bus trip matchups outside of the Alaskas and maybe a potential LSSU/ Huntsville meeting. For regular season purposes, you play your division 4 times each and two each vs four teams on the other side, with one team being a four game set on a rotating basis.
Click to expand...

Why does it have to be 28 games? Why not do 26 (4x4, 5x2)? Everybody else is getting an onslaught of NC games (aside from Atlantic)...
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

FlagDUDE08 said:
Why does it have to be 28 games? Why not do 26 (4x4, 5x2)? Everybody else is getting an onslaught of NC games (aside from Atlantic)...
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Because it guarantees each team 14 home games, and with at least one Alaska on your schedule each year, that means you can play at least 8 non conference games to fill, and 10 in some years. The Big 10 and NCHC schools aren't offering up many even trades for non conference games, instead offering 2 or 3 for 1 "opportunities. If you play 26, you are likely to see many WCHA teams having to play those additional 2 games on the road for the most part.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

davyd83 said:
Because it guarantees each team 14 home games, and with at least one Alaska on your schedule each year, that means you can play at least 8 non conference games to fill, and 10 in some years. The Big 10 and NCHC schools aren't offering up many even trades for non conference games, instead offering 2 or 3 for 1 "opportunities. If you play 26, you are likely to see many WCHA teams having to play those additional 2 games on the road for the most part.
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You mean to tell me you can't get an Atlantic team, many of which can't even fill an entire schedule, to go out there? Heck, I believe there's a certain team in the ECAC who has a very short list of teams they've never played, and you happen to be on that list... ;)
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

FlagDUDE08 said:
You mean to tell me you can't get an Atlantic team, many of which can't even fill an entire schedule, to go out there? Heck, I believe there's a certain team in the ECAC who has a very short list of teams they've never played, and you happen to be on that list... ;)
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Atlantic teams require buying plane tickets when you go there.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

FlagDUDE08 said:
Even Mercyhurst and Robert Morris?
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Not everyone can play Mercyhurst and Robert Morris on a single day bus trip. I'm sure they, along with the Buffalo schools will be in the mix for Ferris and Bowling Green. But NMU, for instance isn't likely interested in adding second day trips that are longer than Omaha, Ohio State and Miami were. If you have to do it here and there to fill out your schedule, sure. But filling 8 non-con games and getting at least 4 at home isn't going to be easy for many of these teams, and to add another non-conference series without out of the ordinary expense or travel could be very difficult.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Updated fake standings:

Against nWCHA opponents only:

1. LSSU - 14 points
2. MSU - 12 points
3. UAF - 10 points
4. MTU - 9 points
5. FSU - 8 points
6. BGSU - 7 points
7. BSU - 6 points
8. NMU - 5 points
9. UAH - 3 points
10. UAA - 2 points

Overall current conference records:

1. FSU - 24 points
2. UAF - 23 points
3. MSU - 21 points
T4. LSSU - 17 points
T4. BGSU - 17 points
T6. NMU - 14 points
T6. MTU - 14 points
8. BSU - 12 points
9. UAA - 8 points
10. UAH - N/A

Upcoming nWCHA games this weekend:

UAA at Michigan Tech
Ferris State at Northern Michigan
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

davyd83 said:
Because it guarantees each team 14 home games, and with at least one Alaska on your schedule each year, that means you can play at least 8 non conference games to fill, and 10 in some years.
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It's time for both Alaska schools to lobby the NCAA to eliminate the Alaska/Hawaii Exemption. While providing incentives to help the schools in those states gain membership to conferences was a good idea (and it probably saved UAF and UAA's hockey programs years ago), it has instead become a tool of inequity as thinking above indicates. The schools (UAA and UAF) now provide ENOUGH incentive to maintain conference affiliations through subsidizing travel. When other conference members begin to think about and use the extra games without an inkling of consideration that both Alaska schools travel as much as 1000 percent more than other members then it's time to end it.

No doubt that conference affiliates are only thinking in their own self interests. I don't blame them for that. But the fact that both Alaska schools get ZERO benefit for making 6 or 7 or 8 trips to the lower 48 while every other school gets huge benefits from traveling up there ONCE is beyond maddening. It is completely antithetical to the NCAA's mandate for fairness.

They get 8 or 10 non-conference games simply by traveling to Alaska one time and both Alaska schools NEVER get more than 6? Eff that.
 
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uaafanblog said:
It's time for both Alaska schools to lobby the NCAA to eliminate the Alaska/Hawaii Exemption. While providing incentives to help the schools in those states gain membership to conferences was a good idea (and it probably saved UAF and UAA's hockey programs years ago), it has instead become a tool of inequity as thinking above indicates. The schools (UAA and UAF) now provide ENOUGH incentive to maintain conference affiliations through subsidizing travel. When other conference members begin to think about and use the extra games without an inkling of consideration that both Alaska schools travel as much as 1000 percent more than other members then it's time to end it.

No doubt that conference affiliates are only thinking in their own self interests. I don't blame them for that. But the fact that both Alaska schools get ZERO benefit for making 6 or 7 or 8 trips to the lower 48 while every other school gets huge benefits from traveling up there ONCE is beyond maddening. It is completely antithetical to the NCAA's mandate for fairness.

They get 8 or 10 non-conference games simply by traveling to Alaska one time and both Alaska schools NEVER get more than 6? Eff that.
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Drop that exemption for Alaska and See just how many schools are willing to come. The travel subsidy in the new WCHA doesn't mean a free trip for the other schools. They'll pay a minimum of the cost of their most expensive trip in the lower 48. If I can bus 7 hours to St Cliud for a nonConference match vs spending 15 hrs running around airports to get there is a no brainier. My total travel time for the Fairbanks trip was 18 hrs going out and 16 coming back. So without the exemption, what is the benefit of going to Alaska? At minimum the cost is equal to your longest lower 48 trip and the travel, twice as long. The bottom line is that without that exemption becomes the only benefit to going to Alaska. For a Ferriis, LSSU, Bowling Green, with no exemption, why not dump the Alaska and invite Robert Morris and Mercyhurst?
 
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