WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

[Seawolf Fan]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Nacho makes more sense from both money and travel standpoints.
Puts the nacho at an odd number of teams.
WCHA can wave goodby to kato.
Sad but realistic.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Nacho makes more sense from both money and travel standpoints.
Puts the nacho at an odd number of teams.
WCHA can wave goodby to kato.
Sad but realistic.

Who knows, maybe another pac-12 school announces addition soon to keep things even or someone else (WMU?) decides they don't like the travel requirements. The question then becomes who is the most attractive to NCHC and really wants to join them? The fact of the matter is that right now, the NCHC isn't really helping anyone so why would MSU, MTU, FSU or BGSU want to leave? And the answer might actually be BGSU to keep WMU and Miami happy on travel and add another full D1 school.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Ideally, next week we hear that Washington, Utah, USC, Arizona and Colorado all want to add hockey too.

(not happening, BTW)

 

[UpNorthHockey]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Nacho makes more sense from both money and travel standpoints.
Puts the nacho at an odd number of teams.
WCHA can wave goodby to kato.
Sad but realistic.

I think Nacho might go after BGSU and ASU instead of Kato and ASU. Gives Nacho a D1 "big school" presence and gives Miami a conference rival. No offense to Kato, but the rebranding as "Minnesota State" doesn't change the fact they play football in D2.....

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I think Nacho might go after BGSU and ASU instead of Kato and ASU. Gives Nacho a D1 "big school" presence and gives Miami a conference rival. No offense to Kato, but the rebranding as "Minnesota State" doesn't change the fact they play football in D2.....

Then we (WCHA) add Robert Morris, and all is good.

 

[aparch]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

Who knows, maybe another pac-12 school announces addition soon to keep things even or someone else (WMU?) decides they don't like the travel requirements. The question then becomes who is the most attractive to NCHC and really wants to join them? The fact of the matter is that right now, the NCHC isn't really helping anyone so why would MSU, MTU, FSU or BGSU want to leave? And the answer might actually be BGSU to keep WMU and Miami happy on travel and add another full D1 school.

I fear if the NCHC sheds WMU and Miami, it will cost the WCHA BGSU and potentially FSU.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I fear if the NCHC sheds WMU and Miami, it will cost the WCHA BGSU and potentially FSU.

If WMU and Miami leave, then there is no reason for BGSU to want to be there. They just want to be with WMU and Miami.

 

[Squarebanks]

Nacho makes more sense from both money and travel standpoints.
Puts the nacho at an odd number of teams.
WCHA can wave goodby to kato.
Sad but realistic.

The only way the NCHC makes sense for ASU is for travel. That's it. They would dwarf every school in that conference in presence and finances just like they would the WCHA. And I don't think ASU is too worried about travel costs.

 

[Squarebanks]

I doubt that ASU wants to go D1, only to travel twice a season to Alaska, and twice a season to the UP to play teams that no one on campus has ever heard of. Its unfortunate, but I'm afraid that it is true. I'm not real heartbroken, as I don't think we need them as a conference. They'd fit the fist-pumper, popped-collar nature of the NCHA better than the WCHA anyway.

You think Arizona State fans would be pumped to play St. Cloud, Western Michigan, and the wrong Miami? I can assure you the ASU fan base doesn't give two *****s about North Dakota or Denver.

The only way the NCHC might make more sense for them is travel distances. That's it. They would dwarf every NCHC or WCHA program regardless.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

The only way the NCHC makes sense for ASU is for travel. That's it. They would dwarf every school in that conference in presence and finances just like they would the WCHA. And I don't think ASU is too worried about travel costs.

ASU's plan is to start the process of forming a Pac-12 hockey conference. Plain and simple, going to the NCHC would be nothing more than a place holder until enough Pac-12 schools add hockey.

 

[Squarebanks]

ASU's plan is to start the process of forming a Pac-12 hockey conference. Plain and simple, going to the NCHC would be nothing more than a place holder until enough Pac-12 schools add hockey.

I'll admit, I'd love to see NCAA hockey in Oregon and Washington for many reasons, not the least of which is it might chase the WHL out of those states.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

You think Arizona State fans would be pumped to play St. Cloud, Western Michigan, and the wrong Miami? I can assure you the ASU fan base doesn't give two *****s about North Dakota or Denver.

The only way the NCHC might make more sense for them is travel distances. That's it. They would dwarf every NCHC or WCHA program regardless.

It makes more sense. It doesn't make complete sense, but only the Big 10 (yeah, right) would.

The reason the Nachos make more sense is 1) D1 schools. Yes, UND, Denver, Miami and Western are pretty small are fairly unknown, but they are still Division 1 schools in all sports. That matters to a school like ASU. Regardless of the fact that ASU is 10x the size, if not more, than DU. 2) The Nacho need ASU. They will openly campaign to get a team like ASU, because it will allow them to inch closer to that false-dream of actually being a nationally relevant entity, outside of the normal college hockey circles. The WCHA won't have the desire to add a team like ASU, like the Nacho will, and therefore won't make the same kind of concessions. 3) Like you said, travel. But you mentioned budget earlier, it isn't about budget, like you said, they won't care about how much it costs. They will care about ease of travel. It is a pain in the *** to travel to Michigan Tech, Lake State, Ferris State, Bemidji State, etc. The Nacho teams are located in cities that are much less of a pain in the *** to travel to.

 

[pdt1081]

I think Nacho might go after BGSU and ASU instead of Kato and ASU. Gives Nacho a D1 "big school" presence and gives Miami a conference rival. No offense to Kato, but the rebranding as "Minnesota State" doesn't change the fact they play football in D2.....

The majority of us here in BG hope that doesn't happen. Trading a large travel league for a larger travel league doesn't make sense. Miami and Western are both on the future non-con schedule as home and homes. Being in the same league isn't as big a deal as some make it out to be. At this point, the only way I see BG leaving the WCHA is for a more regionally based league.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I'm pretty sure the discussion of WMU and Miami leaving NCHC probably doesn't lead to BGSU and FSU going to NCHC, it leads to a new conference with Robert Morris and Niagara

 

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

It makes more sense. It doesn't make complete sense, but only the Big 10 (yeah, right) would.

The reason the Nachos make more sense is 1) D1 schools. Yes, UND, Denver, Miami and Western are pretty small are fairly unknown, but they are still Division 1 schools in all sports. That matters to a school like ASU. Regardless of the fact that ASU is 10x the size, if not more, than DU. 2) The Nacho need ASU. They will openly campaign to get a team like ASU, because it will allow them to inch closer to that false-dream of actually being a nationally relevant entity, outside of the normal college hockey circles. The WCHA won't have the desire to add a team like ASU, like the Nacho will, and therefore won't make the same kind of concessions. 3) Like you said, travel. But you mentioned budget earlier, it isn't about budget, like you said, they won't care about how much it costs. They will care about ease of travel. It is a pain in the *** to travel to Michigan Tech, Lake State, Ferris State, Bemidji State, etc. The Nacho teams are located in cities that are much less of a pain in the *** to travel to.

Not sure 1) is of any relevance to ASU. ASU is a Pac 12 school. Whoever they play, they'll never really feel like part of that conference, unless there's a Pac 12 hockey conference. It will just feel like someplace to play, because being an independent is a worse alternative. They won't feel any more kinship with Denver or NoDak then they would with Kato or Bemidji. More likely is for them to try to do like Pac 12 wrestling has done, and cobble together enough regional schools to call it a conference, even though its members aren't Pac 12 in other sports. 2) may be important to the Nacho, but isn't it equally important to the WCHA to be thought of as a "big time" conference?. 3) I think is a significant issue. Are Oxford and Grand Forks and St. Cloud podunk hick towns? Yes, but they're podunk hick towns a reasonable drive from major US cities. The same really can't be said for much of the WCHA. If ASU goes to join one conference or the other (and I still think their main effort will be to establish a Pac 12 conference with some other western schools, plus any full-fledged Pac 12 schools that want to add hockey), I think it will be the NCHC because of the travel issue.

 

[aparch]

I'm pretty sure the discussion of WMU and Miami leaving NCHC probably doesn't lead to BGSU and FSU going to NCHC, it leads to a new conference with Robert Morris and Niagara

That's what I was eluding to with my post.

I don't want to lose WCHA teams, but that's the most likely outcome.

 

[Freddie]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

The majority of us here in BG hope that doesn't happen. Trading a large travel league for a larger travel league doesn't make sense. Miami and Western are both on the future non-con schedule as home and homes. Being in the same league isn't as big a deal as some make it out to be. At this point, the only way I see BG leaving the WCHA is for a more regionally based league.

What he said

 

[gfmorris]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I don't want to lose WCHA teams, but that's the most likely outcome.

And then we get nervous again, because the Alaska schools have the exemption while we don't.

GFM

 

[manurespreader]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

I don't think they really have their act together out there and it might get pushed out a year.

Travel is not an issue as I said in the other thread because most likely they will charter out as does the b1g to games so going to bemidji or Houghton is not different than going to kalamazoo or denver. They really need more than 32 million if you ask me, given the expenses involved in getting going, and I question the numbers they are using. From experience, people that want something to happen, get a pro forma built up that might not be as accurate as reality. No matter what league they get in to the other teams in that league will end up with higher travel budget no question.

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: WCHA 2014-15: Semi-colons make things seem important

And then we get nervous again, because the Alaska schools have the exemption while we don't.

GFM

You never know. ASU adds another travel orphan to the group out west, at least for the time being. If conferences were restructured again into something that made more sense geographically, it would be easier for each conference to take one Alaska school and either UAH or ASU while the other conference takes the other two.