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WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

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Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

Oddly enough, BGSU's president Mazey is on the board to try to bring ASU into the WCHA. So is BG still grumbling about the travel costs?

I wouldn't be surprised if it can be used as a recruiting tool, and if ASU gets its games on Pac12 Network, thats huge for the rest of the WCHA.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

I wouldn't be surprised if it can be used as a recruiting tool, and if ASU gets its games on Pac12 Network, thats huge for the rest of the WCHA.

Why would having games on the Pac12 Network make any difference?
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

Why would having games on the Pac12 Network make any difference?

Games on television aren't helpful? I get the Pac12 network right now...you really think getting games on a regional network that any of us could get with the right cable/satellite package isn't a big deal to the WCHA? How many games do we have on TV? The WCHA tournament is the only thing I know of?
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

Why would having games on the Pac12 Network make any difference?

We are a bunch of small market schools that most people haven't heard of. Getting on any large network is enough to get a small blurb out there and raise your recognition. You know... for the 20 people watching ASU hockey in the first year... :D
 
We are a bunch of small market schools that most people haven't heard of. Getting on any large network is enough to get a small blurb out there and raise your recognition. You know... for the 20 people watching ASU hockey in the first year... :D

I will say this...I was surprised by the number of ASU fans when they played in Anchorage.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

Simply put, TV coverage out west helps us with an area that is more steadily being heavily-recruited. Knowing that we exist is half of what all of our programs need. I expect that about half of the people in the hockey world that know that UAH has a team only know us because of our "story". We don't have D-I titles like the UP schools and BG, and we're not from the State of Hockey, and we don't have some dumb statue on top of that.

So yeah.

GFM
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

Games on television aren't helpful? I get the Pac12 network right now...you really think getting games on a regional network that any of us could get with the right cable/satellite package isn't a big deal to the WCHA? How many games do we have on TV? The WCHA tournament is the only thing I know of?

I don't see it helping anybody else that is on TV right now. It's always nice to be able to see your team on TV, but if we're being realistic, the number of fans that are going to seek out and watch those games, and don't already have a WCHA.tv subscription, is maybe triple digits at some of the bigger schools. It doesn't provide any tangible benefit to the league itself, while going up against the very tangible costs that traveling to Arizona would incur.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

I don't see it helping anybody else that is on TV right now. It's always nice to be able to see your team on TV, but if we're being realistic, the number of fans that are going to seek out and watch those games, and don't already have a WCHA.tv subscription, is maybe triple digits at some of the bigger schools. It doesn't provide any tangible benefit to the league itself, while going up against the very tangible costs that traveling to Arizona would incur.

If being on TV has no value than why did the Big Ten Conference happen? It's about exposure, being on a channel that many people get sounds like a big deal to me. If on friday night, people out west can tune it to ASU hockey on Pac12 Network, that feels like a big deal for WCHA schools. Getting your name out there more seems like a big deal to me. Yes travel costs would not be great, but maybe the other aspect we're missing is all these WCHA schools have alumni, many alumni end up retiring Arizona. Maybe there is quite a bit of value to being able to connect with those alumni when the team visits. I know there is expected to be a rather larger MTU alumni gathering this January.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

If being on TV has no value than why did the Big Ten Conference happen?
They needed programming to fill the 1am-4am time slots on Tue, Wed and Thur.

I would be TOTALLY in favor of an 11 team conference. Nothing gets you twelve teams quicker than the prospect of having eleven. Based on the WCHA's history, if they think they have ANY chance of getting ASU, I'm betting they've already talked to other schools about joining as well so they come in as another pair - #11 and #12.

Ryan J
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

They needed programming to fill the 1am-4am time slots on Tue, Wed and Thur.

I would be TOTALLY in favor of an 11 team conference. Nothing gets you twelve teams quicker than the prospect of having eleven. Based on the WCHA's history, if they think they have ANY chance of getting ASU, I'm betting they've already talked to other schools about joining as well so they come in as another pair - #11 and #12.

Ryan J

Come on Minnesota-Crookston! or maybe Wisconsin Green Bay? Wisconsin deserves a decent team...
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

Simply put, TV coverage out west helps us with an area that is more steadily being heavily-recruited. Knowing that we exist is half of what all of our programs need. I expect that about half of the people in the hockey world that know that UAH has a team only know us because of our "story". We don't have D-I titles like the UP schools and BG, and we're not from the State of Hockey, and we don't have some dumb statue on top of that.

So yeah.

GFM

How many recruits are we really going to get from the West coast from playing ASU? I can't imagine top California players will spend their Friday and Saturday nights watching ASU hockey, eyes glued to the TV, elated about the possibility of spending 4 winters in Yooperland.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

If being on TV has no value than why did the Big Ten Conference happen? It's about exposure, being on a channel that many people get sounds like a big deal to me. If on friday night, people out west can tune it to ASU hockey on Pac12 Network, that feels like a big deal for WCHA schools. Getting your name out there more seems like a big deal to me. Yes travel costs would not be great, but maybe the other aspect we're missing is all these WCHA schools have alumni, many alumni end up retiring Arizona. Maybe there is quite a bit of value to being able to connect with those alumni when the team visits. I know there is expected to be a rather larger MTU alumni gathering this January.

And we've seen how that has gone with the Big Ten. In three years, they've reduced their schedule(only one double-header this year), tilted it heavily towards certain teams(Minnesota, whose games were already on TV anyway), and axed their pre-game studio coverage. They're edging towards the minimum they can possibly do because it just hasn't been successful.

Saying people out west could tune into a game and will tune into a game are two very different things, and it's a guarantee that the audiences those games bring in will be so small as to be insignificant. The money wasted on flying out there is better spent elsewhere.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

And we've seen how that has gone with the Big Ten. In three years, they've reduced their schedule(only one double-header this year), tilted it heavily towards certain teams(Minnesota, whose games were already on TV anyway), and axed their pre-game studio coverage. They're edging towards the minimum they can possibly do because it just hasn't been successful.

Saying people out west could tune into a game and will tune into a game are two very different things, and it's a guarantee that the audiences those games bring in will be so small as to be insignificant. The money wasted on flying out there is better spent elsewhere.

I tend to agree. It has been a failure, and I really can't imagine there would be any different outcome with hockey on the PAC12 Network. They'd probably give a try for a few games, see that about 71 people total watched, and go back to showing volleyball highlight shows.

But, I think you guys are arguing 2 different things. You're arguing about whether ASU hockey on PAC12 Network is viable enough for it to actually happen, and therefore have any chance at making an impact on other WCHA schools. Others are making the incorrect assumption that it would be automatic that ASU games would be televised, and that would be benefit for the teams. If games are televised, that is a benefit, we can argue about how large of one, but I think if they are televised they'd be too few and far between that the benefit would be quite small.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

I tend to agree. It has been a failure, and I really can't imagine there would be any different outcome with hockey on the PAC12 Network. They'd probably give a try for a few games, see that about 71 people total watched, and go back to showing volleyball highlight shows.

But, I think you guys are arguing 2 different things. You're arguing about whether ASU hockey on PAC12 Network is viable enough for it to actually happen, and therefore have any chance at making an impact on other WCHA schools. Others are making the incorrect assumption that it would be automatic that ASU games would be televised, and that would be benefit for the teams. If games are televised, that is a benefit, we can argue about how large of one, but I think if they are televised they'd be too few and far between that the benefit would be quite small.

I'm just trying to figure out why the WCHA would even invest money in going down there and trying to convince ASU to join them, especially when we're already so spread out and many team supposedly are complaining about travel costs...maybe part of the attraction is more teams means less trips to Alaska, and who wouldn't like a trip to Arizona 3 of every 4 years? I do think the alumni part of the equation certainly has value to a school like MTU.
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

How many recruits are we really going to get from the West coast from playing ASU? I can't imagine top California players will spend their Friday and Saturday nights watching ASU hockey, eyes glued to the TV, elated about the possibility of spending 4 winters in Yooperland.

That's difficult to say, but I can tell you for a fact that it helps recruiting if they've actually heard of you before. I talk to our coaches about it, and it's probably the easiest now that it's been in the last ten years — a period of time where we haven't been very good but have also made the NCAAs twice. ;)

To answer your question, it would help to look at how many D-I kids are coming from the Southwest all-told, where they're going, etc. That takes some time to run, but I may find the time.

GFM
 
Re: WCHA 2015-16: So here's what we think that we know...

I hope the Commissioner’s strategy of having the Nooks throw their game with ASU does not go for naught. ;)

yeah, the Commish had BG follow the same strategy when we gave UAH its first conference win. keeping everybody happy and onboard.
it hurts, but sometimes gotta take one for the conference. ;)
 
yeah, the Commish had BG follow the same strategy when we gave UAH its first conference win. keeping everybody happy and onboard.
it hurts, but sometimes gotta take one for the conference. ;)

We're team players, unlike those greedy ******** from Anchorage who strung ASU along to overtime just to give them a false sense of hope. ;)
 
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