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The New WCHA (2013-14)

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Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Personally I would welcome Huntsville and let's not worry if these other programs are about to hatch or not.( I think not). I know it adds to travel and that it will take more time but there are some benefits. In the mean time the marketing needs to get on the ball.

DG relax, it was three weeks ago now. Maybe you could go give OP some Courvoisier or something.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

The only way Huntsville gets in is with travel subsidy and long term commitment. Other than Bowling Green and maybe Ferris State, it's an almost impossible bus trip due to the 48 hour rule. Even from LSSU it's at least 16 hours when you account for meal stops. And I wouldn't expect that the NCAA would relax the 48 hour rule for UAH, because then they would be flooded with requests for exceptions. I hope UAH can do it. It's a good hockey town and much warmer than Fairbanks in February!
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Speaking of travel subsidies... UA_ gets out of theirs by switching conferences (and with the demise of the CCHA), and UAA already had a much relaxed financial assistance package for the remaining WCHA members... what's the new status of both Alaska School's travel subsidies?
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Minneapolis (ease of air travel)

Huntsville

personally, I would waaay rather go to Bemidji or Huntsville (cool space rocket stuff) (warmer weather) than Stearns County or KZoo.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I really hope that this thread gets sent to or read by at least half the AD's at the schools in the "new WCHA". It seems with all the talk of whats happening in the future, the one constant is I never hear anything from the WCHA. In my opinion, I love love to hear at least (3) things..

1. We are moving our offices immediately from Denver to either BSU, NMU or MTU (Any of the three are the most centrally located) or to Minneapolis for exposure. With this move, all of our staff will be replaced with new, younger and more progressive people who realize that the status quo is no longer an option, that we must sell the new league thru its own WCHA channel (Roku?) or Internet streaming options. As a fan of one team I will pay for the service and so would a great deal of others if given a fair value.
2. We are moving forward with the idea of adding a 10th team to round out the schedule and playoff format. Ideally that team is MSU-Moorhead so that we can solidify the Fargo/Moorhead market and its in the footprint of MN's hockey fan base. If the Iowa State and UW-Green bay rumors are true, than great, we can go to twelve and split into geographical divisions.
3. The Playoff Format will be the same as today, except the Tourney will be played at "???". I think that they should try a few areas to see what fits, but I thought all along that Green bay or Duluth would be the best options. As much as i would like to believe the Chicago option would work, i just don't believe it will. Mpls or St. Paul is always an option too, because once the "Not so super 8" conference is played at the Xcel in front of about 7,000-8,000 fans (on a good year, when UND doesn't make it there will be about 2-3K people there) they will see that the general public might rather go to mariucci to watch good hockey at a better price. But, this requires creative marketing and getting out there to sell the league.

I loved the interview on CHT with Denver's coach, and it is getting so annoying that nobody will answer the question what Miami and Western michigan offers that BSU and MSU-mankato didnt??
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

huskyfan said:
Minneapolis (ease of air travel)

Huntsville

personally, I would waaay rather go to Bemidji or Huntsville (cool space rocket stuff) (warmer weather) than Stearns County or KZoo.
Click to expand...
I can't speak to Kalamazoo, I've only drive through there, but I agree about Stearns County and their cute little community college. The only redeeming quality that place has is a nasty bar with a nasty old bartender that Brent likes to hit on, that also has bouncers that occasionally kill people instead of just throwing them out, and that despite all that is still a fun time. I would really look forward to a trip to Huntsville.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Stearns County = Val's

that's it

and they arrest innocent Tech fans for laying drunk on the sidewalk, what's with that? like half of their population isn't laying drunk on the sidewalk at any given time.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Val's is so overrated, it isn't even funny. The burgers are mediocre at best and the supposedly best fries ever are way over salted and otherwise on par with middle of the road fast food quality.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

jdmaxim23 said:
I really hope that this thread gets sent to or read by at least half the AD's at the schools in the "new WCHA". It seems with all the talk of whats happening in the future, the one constant is I never hear anything from the WCHA. In my opinion, I love love to hear at least (3) things..

1. We are moving our offices immediately from Denver to either BSU, NMU or MTU (Any of the three are the most centrally located) or to Minneapolis for exposure. With this move, all of our staff will be replaced with new, younger and more progressive people who realize that the status quo is no longer an option, that we must sell the new league thru its own WCHA channel (Roku?) or Internet streaming options. As a fan of one team I will pay for the service and so would a great deal of others if given a fair value.
2. We are moving forward with the idea of adding a 10th team to round out the schedule and playoff format. Ideally that team is MSU-Moorhead so that we can solidify the Fargo/Moorhead market and its in the footprint of MN's hockey fan base. If the Iowa State and UW-Green bay rumors are true, than great, we can go to twelve and split into geographical divisions.
3. The Playoff Format will be the same as today, except the Tourney will be played at "???". I think that they should try a few areas to see what fits, but I thought all along that Green bay or Duluth would be the best options. As much as i would like to believe the Chicago option would work, i just don't believe it will. Mpls or St. Paul is always an option too, because once the "Not so super 8" conference is played at the Xcel in front of about 7,000-8,000 fans (on a good year, when UND doesn't make it there will be about 2-3K people there) they will see that the general public might rather go to mariucci to watch good hockey at a better price. But, this requires creative marketing and getting out there to sell the league.

I loved the interview on CHT with Denver's coach, and it is getting so annoying that nobody will answer the question what Miami and Western michigan offers that BSU and MSU-mankato didnt??
Click to expand...
Fans of the new WCHA, and for that matter the NCHC, are kidding themselves if they think a conference tournament in a "Final 5" type format will be even remotely successful. It won't.

What you will see is similar to the ECAC tournament games now held in Atlantic City. You'll get 3000, maybe 4000 fans for each game.

That works for the ECAC, because most of their rinks are so small they wouldn't do any better if they actually held the games at the higher seed's rink.

The WCHA Final 5 was popular, and successful for a couple of basic reasons. They played it the Twin Cities, which is the home of one of the teams that happens to have a very big hockey following. Hockey is a very popular sport in the Twin Cities. It was within about 4 hours driving distance from all the largest schools in the WCHA, and 7 schools total.

There is a reason the WCHA just decided to go with St. Paul and abandoned the experiment of holding it in Milwaukee every few years. It wasn't successful in Milwaukee, even when Wisconsin was in the Final 5.

Strangely enough the new Big 10 conference could probably hold a successful, single location conference tourney. The schools and fan bases are large enough. Yet they are going to start by playing tournament games in the home rink of the higher seeds.

The WCHA and NCHC, which have little or no chance of having a successful Final 5 type event, and should absolutely go with the old format of higher seed hosts, is instead likely to go with the single location format. Go figure.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

SJ- I think the reason most people are in favor of the single location tournament is due to the fact of the large geographical footprint of the league. Knowing a year ahead of time where the tournament will be held makes it easier for fans to make their travel plans. If one has to fly, trying to find decent airfare on a week's notice is darn near impossible. Give them a year, or even six months, and the odds are better.

I think most of us realize that the "new" WCHA will not have the 18000 attendance that the "old" WCHA had. For that reason, I would hope that a single site with a mid sized (5000-10000) arena is the choice.

On a side note, I would love, from a purely selfish standpoint, to see UAH in the new WCHA. Yes, it increases travel in the league, but I would love for the BSU-UAH rivalry to be able to continue year in and year out. Plus, that is one roadtrip I could probably get my wife to take in the middle of winter!
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

aparch said:
Speaking of travel subsidies... UA_ gets out of theirs by switching conferences (and with the demise of the CCHA), and UAA already had a much relaxed financial assistance package for the remaining WCHA members... what's the new status of both Alaska School's travel subsidies?
Click to expand...

Don't be so quick to assume that UAF will no longer subsidize travel.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

So I have a question. Let's say that every so often my team goes up to alaska twice in a season. do I get two exemptions? in other words 4 extra games either at home or whatever.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

manurespreader said:
So I have a question. Let's say that every so often my team goes up to alaska twice in a season. do I get two exemptions? in other words 4 extra games either at home or whatever.
Click to expand...
yes, as long as you play a team from Alaska. I don't think you're allowed to make 2 trips to play the same Alaskan school and still get both sets exempt.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I'm so glad that I stopped paying attention to anything dg and select other DU people were saying after their tune changed from "the BTHC is evil because they're leaving the other WCHA and CCHA teams in the lurch" to "we have the NCHC now, so screw the leftover WCHA/CCHA teams".

Evidently, their tone (or at least dgs) has only gotten worse recently.
 
Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Shirtless Guy said:
yes, as long as you play a team from Alaska. I don't think you're allowed to make 2 trips to play the same Alaskan school and still get both sets exempt.
Click to expand...

What about if you have to travel to Alaska for a playoff series? Are those games exempt?

Wouldn't it be something if say the #5 and #6 schools each have to go up to Alaska, but are on the cusp of getting an at-large bid, and they both lost. They then set up a quick non-conference series thanks to the exempt games, and whoever won the series was bumped up high enough to make the NCAA Tournament. How much advance notice do schools need to give for their schedule?

Also, am I right in assuming that exempt games must be used in the year that the Alaska games were played (i.e. no keeping extra games for the next year)? Didn't Michigan get in trouble for something like this a few years back?
 
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