UConn to apply to Hockey East

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Compared to the other 2/3 of college hockey teams that have never won one at all . Suprising that NBC sports has had 3 RPI home games on in the last 2 seasons. Maybe it has to do with atmosphere, tradition and knowing that RPI is actually has recognition for people that actually tune into college hockey broadcasts. UConn will go to HE and still get about as much national TV coverage as UMass, Umass Lowell, Merrimack & Northeastern. People tuning into college hockey are hockey fans and they don't really care about womens hoop and as much as some on this board believe that UConn is a big name in college football...... THEIR NOT!

The point isn't that UCONN is a big name in college football or that womens basketball fans will flock to hockey games. the point is that UCONN has demonstrated it knows how to successfully take a program from a lower level and make it competetive at the next level (football from 1AA to 1A) or take a program that nobody cared about and make it successful (womens basketball). Initially your are correct. UCONN won't be on tv much...who knows, maybe they get a game here or there as a sacrificial lamb for BC or BU or Maine or somebody. But over time if they do with hockey what they have managed to do with other sports they will produce a competetive team and one that has a respectable following...perfect world they win a national championship some day...I'm NOT predicting that, but as a fan I'm hoping for it eventually.

 

[kingdobbs]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Cool for BC and RPI fans if this is true... although I wonder why MSG would do this (is MSG the organizer of that event?).... hasn't Red Hot Hockey been sold out every time they have done it?

Assuming BC-RPI in New York is a guaranteed seat-filler in the same way that Cornell-BU has been, because selling 36,000 tickets over one night of events is a lot of money for MSG. More money, in fact, than if they had just the one game.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Assuming BC-RPI in New York is a guaranteed seat-filler in the same way that Cornell-BU has been, because selling 36,000 tickets over one night of events is a lot of money for MSG. More money, in fact, than if they had just the one game.

Although it would probably sell a lot of tickets, I have a hard time believing it would sell out.

 

[kingdobbs]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Although it would probably sell a lot of tickets, I have a hard time believing it would sell out.

The point, really, is that a second game is pretty much icing on the cake as far as MSG is concerned. All BC-RPI really has to do is sell enough tickets to cover the marginal cost of operating the arena for those three hours, in other words "one dollar more than the next best option, including leaving the arena idle for those hours", and in all likelihood, there probably isn't a next best option given that you do have the arena set up for a hockey game later that evening.

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Assuming BC-RPI in New York is a guaranteed seat-filler in the same way that Cornell-BU has been, because selling 36,000 tickets over one night of events is a lot of money for MSG. More money, in fact, than if they had just the one game.

That makes sense then... I was reading it as a two games for one ticket doubleheader... with seperate admissions they could do a matinee and evening game..

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

If anyone ever finds any independent mention of a BC-RPI game at MSG, please post it. For all I know, RPI really should read RIT -- it's not like that mixup hasn't occurred before, although IMHO RIT would make less sense than RPI.

 

[johnk]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

That makes sense then... I was reading it as a two games for one ticket doubleheader... with seperate admissions they could do a matinee and evening game..

Doubting they would have seperate admissions. My guess is an average of $5 more a ticket for the 2 game doubleheader. That would generate $90k more revenue not counting concessions.

 

[RITProf]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

If anyone ever finds any independent mention of a BC-RPI game at MSG, please post it. For all I know, RPI really should read RIT -- it's not like that mixup hasn't occurred before, although IMHO RIT would make less sense than RPI.

Not us as far as I've heard, but it might make more sense than you think. Jerry York was Wayne Wilson's coach at BGSU and there are several other Rochester-BC connections. Of course none of that has had BC give us a game yet (they got their chance to beat us out at Minnesota in the finals of the Mariucci Classic (Yes, we beat Minny when we were the designated whipping boy). (FWIW: Michigan is coming to play us at the BCA for RIT's "homecoming" game in 2013 ... Penn State this year. So you never know.)

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Doubting they would have seperate admissions. My guess is an average of $5 more a ticket for the 2 game doubleheader. That would generate $90k more revenue not counting concessions.

Do the teams get any portion of the revenue? If so that $5 per ticket would not overcome the compensation to the teams, I would not think....

The other negative is that the event would change from playing in front of a packed house, to playing two games in a half full arena... definitely not as good for the atmosphere.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Doubting they would have seperate admissions. My guess is an average of $5 more a ticket for the 2 game doubleheader. That would generate $90k more revenue not counting concessions.

Right, plus with the people from the early game hanging around for the late game, they should end up doing alright with concessions with the whole captive audience there.

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Right, plus with the people from the early game hanging around for the late game, they should end up doing alright with concessions with the whole captive audience there.

No way... think first round of the beanpot... the arena would be 60% full for each game...

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

You will have to forgive him. He probably saw RPI in Storrs this year. At the end of the season they were much stronger.

Actually, I have gone to see RPI play in Houston many times, and enjoyed watching them. (I don't root against any team in the nation, except for Minnesota.)

What The Dolt from Dover and Semi-Literate JohnK (among others) can't seem to grasp is that nothing personal should be taken via the comments here regarding which program best fits-in as the 12th HEA team. This thread is about evaluating those candidates objectively, OK? (Not that any official from HE has even mentioned RPI in the first place... Why would they?)


To review: UConn is a brand-name from coast to coast, while nobody west of Scenectady has ever heard of RPI. And the Engineers are fairly obscure to even serious college hockey fans outside of the tiny ECAC sphere. There is absolutely no TV money waiting to be spent on televising them nationally.

Clearly- even to the most myopic Engineer fan- UConn's "up-side" is far, far more promising, if HE really needs to add another team. UConn may never be any good, but at least the casual sports fan will recognize which state they're from.


(This entire RPI conversation is completely ridiculous, actually...I liked the league a lot better before Notre Dame got in.)

 

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Actually, I have gone to see RPI play in Houston many times, and enjoyed watching them. (I don't root against any team in the nation, except for Minnesota.)

What The Dolt from Dover and Semi-Literate JohnK (among others) can't seem to grasp is that nothing personal should be taken via the comments here regarding which program best fits-in as the 12th HEA team. This thread is about evaluating those candidates objectively, OK? (Not that any official from HE has even mentioned RPI in the first place... Why would they?)


To review: UConn is a brand-name from coast to coast, while nobody west of Scenectady has ever heard of RPI. And the Engineers are fairly obscure to even serious college hockey fans outside of the tiny ECAC sphere. There is absolutely no TV money waiting to be spent on televising them nationally.

Clearly- even to the most myopic Engineer fan- UConn's "up-side" is far, far more promising, if HE really needs to add another team. UConn may never be any good, but at least the casual sports fan will recognize which state they're from.


(This entire RPI conversation is completely ridiculous, actually...I liked the league a lot better before Notre Dame got in.)

I think you summed it up well. Look I'm a UCONN alumnus and I've followed the Huskies hockey program since my undergraduate days when they played outdoors. Even filled in on the student station's broadcast once( I have a face for radio) as the color commentator. So I am thrilled that this opportunity has come around. That having been said, I tend to agree with you that Hockey East didn't need to expand. But once it decided to add Notre Dmae, I htink it was inevitable that they add a 12th member for scheduling, for the tournament, for flexiblity...And once you make that decision, I really think UCONN makes the most sense as a major public university, which has domonstrated its ability to build successful athletic programs in a variety of sports. If they do this correctly, you have to think their upside is very high. Not their short term potential, but 5 years out or 10 years out. If the Big 10 were not required to add Penn State but rather had a choice of other programs in its footprint or Penn State, do you think they'd have taken Ferris State? Despite the fact that Ferris has much more success, much more history, I have no question that the Big would still have taken Penn State for exactly the same reasons Hockey East wants UCONN and not Union.

 

[BC/HE]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

UConn may or may not live up to the task of the 12th member. Only time will tell. What Hockey East needed was a 12th team for better scheduling and the chance to have 22 league games to open up 12 NC games. That was the main objective. Most anyone could fit that. Next is to obtain a team that draws well and brings in revenue both home and away with a good travelling fanbase. Third to cut down on travel costs. This is where UConn fits best. The last would be to avoid a constant cellar dweller, not a championship contender, just someone who does not always sit in the cellar. As I said only time will tell.

 

[Onion Man]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

UConn to Hockey East is a done deal.

 

[RSTuthill]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

UConn to Hockey East is a done deal.

And I am guessing that UConn v Brown will be an OOC game played fairly often in the future.

 

[Onion Man]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

And I am guessing that UConn v Brown will be an OOC game played fairly often in the future.

Maybe.

I still don't understand why Hockey East would take UConn, though. It does nothing to benefit anyone except UConn.

 

[ericredaxe]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Maybe.

I still don't understand why Hockey East would take UConn, though. It does nothing to benefit anyone except UConn.

Since they made the mistake of going to 11 teams, they needed a 12th team to round things out... so it might as well be UConn.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Since they made the mistake of going to 11 teams, they needed a 12th team to round things out... so it might as well be UConn.

regretfully

 

[Priceless]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Since they made the mistake of going to 11 teams, they needed a 12th team to round things out... so it might as well be UConn.

Ding!

Because we all know that compounding one mistake by making another always works well.