The New WCHA (2013-14)

[bronconick]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I'd like to see NMU continue on with WMU. The rivalry of the four years (was it) of playing you guys in the playoffs; it's been fun and I'd like to see it extended.

Ideally, I would like NMU to have long term deals with WMU, tOSU, SCSU, tUMD, Wisconsin, and UNO. I know that secures our non-Conf games for a few years, but those are all schools that have worked with NMU.

I think SCSU, tUMD, WMU, tOSU and UNO will all make return trips to MQT.

The Wisconsin series is a good boost for NMU if they sell out the Resch Center.


I honestly never expect to see MSU or Michigan ever again in the BEC. And I'm okay with that.

It's going to be interesting for a few years. The WCHA will have 8-10 non-conference games per team, the NCHC will have 10, the Big Ten 14 (with expecting 10 at home). Sounds like Notre Dame will only have 6, or I'd think we'd see them quite a bit still being 75 minutes up the road. We might see them once every few years still. I dunno. No changes out east yet.

Unless you're going to shell out more money for "buy series" like major schools do in football and basketball, most schools should be still doing home and home contracts, given that there's more games available and exactly one more team (who may be demanding 10 home games themselves) to schedule. From what someone said on here, Atlantic Hockey schools already figured this out and are demanding more $$ from Big Ten schools to come out west after next season. Filling 5 non-conference weekends out of 7 is a bit harder than filling 2 or 3 of 3/4 weekends.

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Watching the tournament finals on TV this weekend, I was really surprised at the number of empty seats at the Joe. Even my wife commented that it looked like the tournaments of the old CHA days with the amount of open space, figuratively speaking, of course (8000 in a 16000 seat arena, 2000 in a 4000 seat arena).

I think BSU's biggest problem will be the pricing of the tickets. Will people schell out the "old" WCHA prices for the "new" WCHA league???

I have talked to several season ticket holders who have mentioned they may let their season tickets lapse once the "Big Boys" are off the conference schedule. Heck, this year you could have walked up for any game but the Saturday North Dakota game and gotten any seat you wanted. BSU's biggest two games were the Saturday game against North Dakota (sellout at 4373) and the Saturday game against Mankato (4344). Those were the only two games over 4000. BSU had an attendance of 63384 over 18 games, or a 3521 average for an 81% capacity.

Of course, as BSU proved with the Glas, winning puts butts in the seats........

 

[davyd83]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

DavyD: I think we pretty much settled that debate in the first few pages. Resch Center is the leading location (by the fans). Van Andel is second.

Since the Big Ten has said it will play its first tourney at the XCel and the second at the Joe, the WCHA has been looking at doing the reverse.

 

[Bale]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Tech gets a bigger boost from Northern than any other opponent. Minnesota and Wisconsin would be next, then Duluth and NoDak. We get no bump from playing DU or CC, unless it's Winter Carnival. I recall a few years ago, CC was ranked #1 and visited Houghton, Tech took three points and the MacInnes was about half full both nights. Almost no difference Saturday, even after Friday's 2-2 tie.

Can't speak for other schools though.

That's the case everywhere, I think. Historically, Mankato's worst attended series during the course of the year are DU and CC. A "high level of competition" does nothing for attendance in Kato....I'm assuming it's that way in most of these schools. It's all about the proximity of the opponent that draws in additional fans, not the best talent.

 

[Bale]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

So far concensus says no to getting equal commitments by the B1G and NCHC schools. I guess we'll see once the dust settles, but that's going to take five years for the honeymoon to end.


DavyD: I think we pretty much settled that debate in the first few pages. Resch Center is the leading location (by the fans). Van Andel is second.

I don't know about the MI teams, but in MN they seem to be planning to. From what I understand MN/SCSU/MSU are planning to have a scheduling arrangement. UMD and UND are both talking about some kind of "off year" arrangement with MSU and, of course, the much talked about Minnesota Cup seems to be coming to fruition. What I once thought was going to be a disaster for MSU seems to be turning into a pretty good situation.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Is it required that that weekend be playoff weekend?
If that is the case then Van Andel might be ok, though to tell the truth there are not a ton of hockey fans in west michigan, and so without the teams bringing fans, it would be pretty empty.It is at least fairly centrally located. I'm not thrilled with a campus location but maybe it's the best choice, At least until we get a handle on how many fans will go, and develop some rivalries.. I know it's a long ways, no matter where it is, but it would make money seems to me, vs losing it at the joe.

I don't see any of the teams having problems getting non con games, but I'm not thrilled with playing nchc teams,especially denver, and wmu. they can go pound sand.

 

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Since the Big Ten has said it will play its first tourney at the XCel and the second at the Joe, the WCHA has been looking at doing the reverse.

Thanks for that insight. I can see the B1G and WCHA fighting to keep the Xcel Center for their own after a few years.

Any word on the NCHC? (yeah, yeah, I know, wrong thread) They may fight for the Xcel Center too...

 

[4four4]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Since the Big Ten has said it will play its first tourney at the XCel and the second at the Joe, the WCHA has been looking at doing the reverse.

This is smart.

 

[The Darkness]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Since the Big Ten has said it will play its first tourney at the XCel and the second at the Joe, the WCHA has been looking at doing the reverse.

I wonder if the two conferences would be okay with just rotating sites every other year. I'm pretty sure Michigan and Michigan State more or less refuses to play the tourney in Minnesota every year and I doubt that Minnesota or Wisconsin would be happy playing in Detroit every year.

Even if the tourney in St. Paul out draws the Detroit tourney 10 to 1 or vice-versa I really don't see that changing. Of course knowing the B1G they may just decide to play the tourney in Indianapolis or Chicago.

 

[hattrick16]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Is it required that that weekend be playoff weekend?
If that is the case then Van Andel might be ok, though to tell the truth there are not a ton of hockey fans in west michigan, and so without the teams bringing fans, it would be pretty empty.It is at least fairly centrally located.

Once they build the bridge from Sheboygan to Muskegon all these points will be moot.

 

[Proud2baLaker]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Once they build the bridge from Sheboygan to Muskegon all these points will be moot.

A bridge to nowhere no matter which side you get on.

 

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Some rumor-mongering on my part, but it was just announced that "Niagara announces that it is dropping its women's hockey program in moves "to strengthen existing competitive opportunities" in other sports."

Could that potentially mean they're thinking of offering more Men's Hockey scholarships?

I'm unaware of the Male/Female ratio at Niagara, nor their scholarship opportunities offered for sports ratio.

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

A bridge to nowhere no matter which side you get on.

Anything to avoid the evils of Northern Illinois/Indiana I'm all all for...

 

[Almington]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Some rumor-mongering on my part, but it was just announced that "Niagara announces that it is dropping its women's hockey program in moves "to strengthen existing competitive opportunities" in other sports."

Could that potentially mean they're thinking of offering more Men's Hockey scholarships?

I'm unaware of the Male/Female ratio at Niagara, nor their scholarship opportunities offered for sports ratio.

I can't imagine that a school would drop a woman's program to add scholarships to the men's program. Honestly, it feels like a cost cutting and/or title IX move going from a higher expense 20 member team in hockey to a lower expense 40 member team in track and field.

 

[Squarebanks]

Even during the regular season this is something (attendance) that I'm worried about with the new WCHA in general. Are these teams going to be able to draw when they no longer have Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Denver, CC, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, Notre Dame, etc. coming to their venues at least once a year? Is this something to be concerned about?

Speaking for UAF, with the exception of the UAA game which sold out, we drew right about 3,000 fans night in and night out, no matter who was in town. This was with our worst W/L record since 2008.

bronconick is right, having a winning team does more to bolster attendance than anything else.

 

[hattrick16]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I wonder if the two conferences would be okay with just rotating sites every other year. I'm pretty sure Michigan and Michigan State more or less refuses to play the tourney in Minnesota every year and I doubt that Minnesota or Wisconsin would be happy playing in Detroit every year.

Even if the tourney in St. Paul out draws the Detroit tourney 10 to 1 or vice-versa I really don't see that changing. Of course knowing the B1G they may just decide to play the tourney in Indianapolis or Chicago.

Whether St. Paul, Green Bay, Grand Rapids or Detroit, I think it would be neat if the WCHA flirted with the idea of having all tournament games be single elimination at one site over a four day period like most college basketball conference tournaments. That way you'd have an incentive for fans of all nine (or ten?) teams to go to the tournament since everyone is guaranteed at least one game. I'd go, watch Ferris in St. Paul or Green Bay and stick around for a few extra games no matter what happens. But I'm not going to drive all the way there and buy a hotel if my team isn't going to be playing. Additionally, by having all the games at one venue everybody can plan on going well in advance. No emergency days off work on three days notice. No last minute travel requirements that usually cost more.

Ten teams is kind of tricky, but a four day single elimination tournament could easily be devised.

 

[Blueliner03]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Once they build the bridge from Sheboygan to Muskegon all these points will be moot.

A bridge to nowhere no matter which side you get on.

Easy...

 

[Numbers]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Sorry to interfere, but I have a curious question:

Has the scheduling rotation been totally worked out yet? You all have 9 teams, right? I had a spreadsheet worked out at one time that would allow the following?

UAA plays Alaska 4 games a year.
LSSU, NMU and MTU all play each other 4 games a year.

Everybody else rotates, and it all comes out even after 12 years. I was thinking of that because I suppose that, for attendance, those schools are going to want the home and home series.

So, again, do you folks all know what the rotation is?

Thanks.

 

[aparch]

So, again, do you folks all know what the rotation is?

Thanks.

A couple of the Techies may have their ears closer to that than I. I'm working on getting that information myself.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Sorry to interfere, but I have a curious question:

Has the scheduling rotation been totally worked out yet? You all have 9 teams, right? I had a spreadsheet worked out at one time that would allow the following?

UAA plays Alaska 4 games a year.
LSSU, NMU and MTU all play each other 4 games a year.

Everybody else rotates, and it all comes out even after 12 years. I was thinking of that because I suppose that, for attendance, those schools are going to want the home and home series.

So, again, do you folks all know what the rotation is?

Thanks.

We're still not set at 9 teams yet...but I assume a 9-team conference schedule would consist of the double rival pattern. Each team would have 2 teams that they play 4 times a year, every year, the rest would rotate. You'd play 2 designated rivals 4 times a year, plus 4 other teams 4 times a year, plus 1 team at home, 1 team away and that would rotate.