WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

[Puck Swami]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I think the WCHA is a total meatgrinder, and I would rather see less conference games. A 22 game schedule would be fine with me.

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I think the WCHA is a total meatgrinder, and I would rather see less conference games. A 22 game schedule would be fine with me.

The problem I have is even programs like DU will have problems filling their schedule with non-WCHA teams. I would assume if this happens the CCHA will do the same thing, which would help. Of course do DU or any other WCHA teams really want to see Western michigan or ferris state come to town? I am sure everybody would love to see Notre Dame and Miami, but that is about it. The top teams in the east only have so many non-conference games. So really dggoddard is off base because they won't get any more games with those teams than they do now unless the ECAC and hockey east play a smaller conference schedule.

 

[Goon]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Agreed.

This is why I was opposed to bringing in BSU & UNO. This was always going to be the result.

Actually, as a fan I like having UNO and BSU in the league because of their closeness to UND.

 

[Goon]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Anyone for the NCC hockey conference? UND, UMD, UNO, MSU-M and SCSU all we need is a 6th team.

 

[Slap Shot]

Looks like the "cluster pair" format won't be around for long.

The WCHA is discussing going to a 22 game schedule, so each program will play a two game series against each team in the conference.

Fine, as long as UM schedules 2 NC games against UND and UW each. Otherwise I think the idea sucks.

 

[Beer Pong Horn]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Anyone for the NCC hockey conference? UND, UMD, UNO, MSU-M and SCSU all we need is a 6th team.

With the GLIAC trending towards more Ohio and Indiana colleges, you might get all three of the Upper Peninsula schools.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I would assume if this happens the CCHA will do the same thing, which would help.

No way will the CCHA schools want to give 3 prime dates with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Miami & Notre Dame each season. Plus they'll never get elite non-conference schools to visit Bowling Green, Ferris, Lake State, Western & Northern Michigan.

So really dggoddard is off base because they won't get any more games with those teams than they do now unless the ECAC and hockey east play a smaller conference schedule.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with this.

DU, Minnesota, UND & Sconnie are going to get games with whomever they want back east. Obviously DU will get them based on Gwozdecky's network of friends and buddies.

In the past five years DU has played non-conference games against...

2004-05
Minnesota (HOF game)
BC
Northeastern

2005-06
Maine
Notre Dame
BU
UMass

2006-07
Miami
RPI
Umass-Lowell

2007-08
Maine
Notre Dame
Dartmouth

2008-09
Notre Dame (HOF game)
Ohio State
BU

2009-10
Vermont
Ohio State
BC

 

[toehimp]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

This sure seems to be a lot of trouble. I vote we kick out UNO and BSU before they even get here. Sometimes change isnt good

stev

 

[Goon]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

With the GLIAC trending towards more Ohio and Indiana colleges, you might get all three of the Upper Peninsula schools.

MTU, UMD, UND, SCSU, MSU-M, UNO, NMU and LSSU still stronger than the ECAC.

 

[Goon]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I'm going to respectfully disagree with this.

2008-09
Notre Dame (HOF game)
Ohio State
BU

Did you play US AFA as well?

 

[dggoddard]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Did you play US AFA as well?

Every season once a year since Air Force started their program. Lately its turned into quite the rivalry.

 

[Goon]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Every season once a year since Air Force started their program.

Colgate was the other team you guys played that weekend. So DU played 8 games, how the heck are our teams going to get another four games, the CCHA top teams like MSU and Michigan won't travel to anything but the Show Case.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Colgate was the other team you guys played that weekend. So DU played 8 games, how the heck are our teams going to get another four games, the CCHA top teams like MSU and Michigan won't travel to anything but the Show Case.

It won't be hard. There are 20 teams back east that draw less than 2,000 fans per game. Offer them $20,000 to visit the Ralph and they'll be there in two seconds. Instead of playing each other for peanuts, they'll take the cash to play western schools. Its probably the only time all season most of the teams will even get on a plane.

http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2009/MIH attendance.pdf

Some pretty good "name brand" opponents who draw less than 2,000 fans per game at home.

Providence
Army
Merrimack
Princeton
Air Force
Colgate
Holy Cross

 

[moose97]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

It won't be hard.

Oh yeah, it'll be a piece of cake. As noted, the BTN has no pull over HEA, AHA and ECAC, so let's go with each of the 24 W and CCHA schools all of a sudden needing to fill 4-6 additional N/C games each year. That's 48+ new series that have to be created out of thin air (seeing as those HEA, AHA and ECAC schools will still have full schedules themselves), again, each year. Like I said, piece of cake...

edit - and there's the Alabama-Huntsville situation. UAH is finding out that they are having a tough time finding N/C games next year (as an independant), especially in January and February, when every other school is playing conference games.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

Oh yeah, it'll be a piece of cake. As noted, the BTN has no pull over HEA, AHA and ECAC, so let's go with each of the 24 W and CCHA schools all of a sudden needing to fill 4-6 additional N/C games each year. That's 48+ new series that have to be created out of thin air (seeing as those HEA, AHA and ECAC schools will still have full schedules themselves), again, each year. Like I said, piece of cake...

The CCHA will never willingly agree to less conference games. None of the small CCHA members want to give up the Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame & Ohio State crack pipe.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

edit - and there's the Alabama-Huntsville situation. UAH is finding out that they are having a tough time finding N/C games next year (as an independant), especially in January and February, when every other school is playing conference games.

This is about money. Nobody who's going to make money out of this cares about Alabama-Huntsville.

 

[moose97]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

The CCHA will never willingly agree to less conference games. None of the small CCHA members want to give up the Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame & Ohio State crack pipe.

And what makes you think BSU, Minn State, SCSU, UMD, et. all are all that willing to "give up" the UND, UMinn and UWisc "crack pipe?" It's not like the BTN can force this on anyone...

This is about money. Nobody who's going to make money out of this cares about Alabama-Huntsville.

I'm not talking about UAH. Read what I'm trying to say - if you've got one conference (or two) that have signifantly less games than any other - it's gonna be a pain in the *** to schedule games (especially in January and February). Now, there are certainly exceptions (UMinn, Wisco, Denver), but the bulk of the conference will get ****ed about the extra work for not much extra gain (heck, for BSU - or even SCSU or MSU - the schedule would end up looking a lot like most CHA years for BSU - that's 6 WCHA teams on that schedule - what's the point agreeing on something like that?) pretty quick...

As noted above - I can see what's in it for the big schools (more home games, etc.), but the small schools, who lose home games against those "big fish" don't gain much - especially if the other conferences don't follow suit.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I guess we'll have to see how it all shakes out, but obviously a 28 game schedule that's unbalanced with teams potentially having significantly different WCHA S.O.S. is a pretty silly idea.

A 22 game schedule would give perhaps 8 or 9 teams a chance to be above .500 and shot at an NCAA bid each season depending on the Pairwise. The smaller schools in the WCHA could schedule easier non-conference opponents and that wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[moose97]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I guess we'll have to see how it all shakes out, but obviously a 28 game schedule that's unbalanced with teams potentially having significantly different WCHA S.O.S. is a pretty silly idea.

A 22 game schedule would give perhaps 8 or 9 teams a chance to be above .500 and shot at an NCAA bid each season depending on the Pairwise. The smaller schools in the WCHA could schedule easier non-conference opponents and that wouldn't be a bad thing.

The thing is, I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you. The problem ends up getting HEA, the CCHA and AHA to go along with the idea (I guess I forgot that the ECAC only plays 22 league games anyway). Also, I don't think that changing because a TV network that doesn't even care about hockey wants the WCHA to change is a good reason to do so (because the BTN wants more BT games to televise? Okay, they're not televising the BT games that there are now... What are they gonna do when there are twice as manny? Ignore them twice as much?).

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: WCHA 2010-'11 through '14-'15 "rival pairs" announced

I think the WCHA is a total meatgrinder, and I would rather see less conference games. A 22 game schedule would be fine with me.

I enjoy the meatgrinder aspect of it though. The second half of the WCHA season is as intense as you're going to see in hockey. Especially with the familiarity of the teams. Most of the second half series are against teams that played each other in the first half of the season, which always makes things more interesting.

In mid-February, would you rather see your team play a Wisconsin or North Dakota in a series where four points could move your team up three places in the standings, or would you rather see them play two random games against UMass-Lowell or Merrimack that don't mean anything?