Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

[Red Cows]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Hockey attracts a financially upper-class fan base, Battista said, making for a potentially more lucrative bank of donors. An ice rink does not require the level of grandeur as Penn State's. Sharing facilities with minor league teams could help offset costs.

I disagree with the first sentence above, at least, insofar as the fan base here in Omaha is concerned, both as it pertains to UNO and to the Omaha Lancers.

Further, one of the bigger reasons (but not THE reason) UNO is currently building an on campus arena is precisely BECAUSE UNO is sharing their building. The team does not often get to practice on their home ice at the CenturyLink Center because it is a multi-use/multipurpose city owned facility that sees near constant use for concerts and other sporting events.

Since the inception of the program in 1997, UNO has had to practice wherever they can and the team has since practiced at 7 different facilities around town since the program started. This has been used as a recruiting tool against UNO for years. Coach Blais, upon his arrival here, immediately made this issue a cause celebre and he has said since day one that we need our own arena to be taken seriously as a hockey program, particularly as it pertains to recruiting efforts. You can't be taken seriously as a hockey program if you have no always-available practice ice and have your guys schlepping gear all over town to practice all the time.

Sharing a facility has been an albatross around the neck of the UNO hockey program since it started. Any school contemplating this would be wise to think twice.

 

[UMICH]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

I disagree with the first sentence above, at least, insofar as the fan base here in Omaha is concerned, both as it pertains to UNO and to the Omaha Lancers.

Further, one of the bigger reasons (but not THE reason) UNO is currently building an on campus arena is precisely BECAUSE UNO is sharing their building. The team does not often get to practice on their home ice at the CenturyLink Center because it is a multi-use/multipurpose city owned facility that sees near constant use for concerts and other sporting events.

Since the inception of the program in 1997, UNO has had to practice wherever they can and the team has since practiced at 7 different facilities around town since the program started. This has been used as a recruiting tool against UNO for years. Coach Blais, upon his arrival here, immediately made this issue a cause celebre and he has said since day one that we need our own arena to be taken seriously as a hockey program, particularly as it pertains to recruiting efforts. You can't be taken seriously as a hockey program if you have no always-available practice ice and have your guys schlepping gear all over town to practice all the time.

Sharing a facility has been an albatross around the neck of the UNO hockey program since it started. Any school contemplating this would be wise to think twice.

If you want to prove it with more than mere words simply say the name Jed Ortmeyer...

 

[Red Cows]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

If you want to prove it with more than mere words simply say the name Jed Ortmeyer...

This.

Ortmeyer had a bird's eye view of this issue since he played for the Omaha Lancers for two seasons, which overlapped the first two years of the UNO hockey program.

UNO played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, then, as the Qwest/CenturyLink Center had yet to be built. So practice time in THAT building was a problem for UNO for the same reasons it is at the Clink, now, since the Civic was the city's primary arena facility until the Clink was built.

Ironically, the Lancers home back then was AkSarBen Coliseum, which was to have been the home of UNO hockey until all those season tickets got sold and it was one of the facilities that UNO used for practice (and it was the closest to campus of all the available options), when they could, until the Coliseum closed in late 2002.

Ortmeyer got a great, great look at what UNO players are put through as far as practice facilities are concerned.

He is legend to Lancer fans here and a turncoat to UNO fans. I mean, he was from Omaha and he and his brother were the first two local players to play for the Lancers in their history. In fairness to Ortmeyer, the UNO program was only two years old at the time and was not yet even conference affiliated. Kind of hard to blame him, really.

It would be fascinating to ask him if the practice situation played in any role at all in his leaving Omaha to play at Michigan. Have to believe it played at least some part in his thought process, though, but I have my doubts it was the primary reason, I mean, Michigan? Red Berenson? Yost Ice Arena? The CCHA (which UNO was not yet in)?

 

[UMICH]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

It would be fascinating to ask him if the practice situation played in any role at all in his leaving Omaha to play at Michigan. Have to believe it played at least some part in his thought process, though, but I have my doubts it was the primary reason, I mean, Michigan? Red Berenson? Yost Ice Arena? The CCHA (which UNO was not yet in)?

And that was back when Yost was Yost. DB Brandon recently rennovated it, and in his defense it needed it. However, IT IS NOT THE SAME. Before rennovation is literally just oozed tradition, the smell of roasted almonds wafted through the air, you could literally hear chants from years ago still echoing in the building, the wood bleachers just felt like history, the ghosts of Grant, Heyliger, Morrison, et al. jus floated around the rink. Unfortunately it was an archaeic facility though so massive reconstruction was required. A new refrigeration surface for ice, new bleachers (now these alumimun pieces of crap), new boards, new plexiglass, and the one positive regarding the rennovations: Natural light (the huge windows that were covered for years were opened back up).

I want the old Yost back but it was time. I hate Brandon but I can't really blame him for that...

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Here Butchy Butchy Butchy Butchy...

Looks like Yukon scored as much this weekend on the ice as they did on the gridiron. Jim Delaney must be salivating as he is about to dial the last number to Susan and Warde. Ahahaha.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

And that was back when Yost was Yost. DB Brandon recently rennovated it, and in his defense it needed it. However, IT IS NOT THE SAME. Before rennovation is literally just oozed tradition, the smell of roasted almonds wafted through the air, you could literally hear chants from years ago still echoing in the building, the wood bleachers just felt like history, the ghosts of Grant, Heyliger, Morrison, et al. jus floated around the rink. Unfortunately it was an archaeic facility though so massive reconstruction was required. A new refrigeration surface for ice, new bleachers (now these alumimun pieces of crap), new boards, new plexiglass, and the one positive regarding the rennovations: Natural light (the huge windows that were covered for years were opened back up).

I want the old Yost back but it was time. I hate Brandon but I can't really blame him for that...

I think you need to look up the definition of "literally" in a dictionary.

 

[Aerman]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

I think you need to look up the definition of "literally" in a dictionary.

+1

 

[huskyfan]

And Dippin' Dots. Still "The Ice Cream of the Future!"

for the win

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

What you're saying is true, but it's kind of silly go look at TV games on BTN when comparing hockey and lacrosse. Until this year, the only Big Ten schools with D-I men's lacrosse teams were Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan, who started their D-I program just 3 years ago. BTN has no interest in showing a Virginia-Syracuse game. (To be clear, I agree with the rest of your comment, not to discount the growth lacrosse has seen recently.)

Question is whether youre disputing the point. BTN could have easily switched to showing more lacrosse. But they aren't. Besides I don't see NBC, CBS, etc signing up to show those games.

In case your disputing it , Lacrosse doesn't draw. The most attended lacrosse school this year was Army (a 3-10 school) at an average of 3,800. If a 3-10 school can outdraw winning teams...that's not a recipe for a healthy sport. North Dakota drew almost four times the number. And the schools that in hockey are outdrawing UVA, No Carolina are tiny schools. The most attended lacrosse game of all time? 20k. We had two and half times that just this last winter and I don't think the lacrosse game had 5 degree temperatures.

The only reason that it gets any attention at all is that its national...while that may make it a pretty great sport to some, it will never be a great option for television.

 

[cetihcra]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Question is whether youre disputing the point. BTN could have easily switched to showing more lacrosse. But they aren't. Besides I don't see NBC, CBS, etc signing up to show those games.

In case your disputing it , Lacrosse doesn't draw. The most attended lacrosse school this year was Army (a 3-10 school) at an average of 3,800. If a 3-10 school can outdraw winning teams...that's not a recipe for a healthy sport. North Dakota drew almost four times the number. And the schools that in hockey are outdrawing UVA, No Carolina are tiny schools. The most attended lacrosse game of all time? 20k. We had two and half times that just this last winter and I don't think the lacrosse game had 5 degree temperatures.

The only reason that it gets any attention at all is that its national...while that may make it a pretty great sport to some, it will never be a great option for television.

Television listings for the 2013 NCAA Lacrosse Season. As far as national TV exposure, this is quite a bit more robust than hockey.

The most attended lacrosse game of all time is not 20k, as the championship game alone has fluctuated between 48k and 25k over the last 10 years.

Just saying [/facts]

r

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Question is whether youre disputing the point. BTN could have easily switched to showing more lacrosse. But they aren't. Besides I don't see NBC, CBS, etc signing up to show those games.

In case your disputing it , Lacrosse doesn't draw. The most attended lacrosse school this year was Army (a 3-10 school) at an average of 3,800. If a 3-10 school can outdraw winning teams...that's not a recipe for a healthy sport. North Dakota drew almost four times the number. And the schools that in hockey are outdrawing UVA, No Carolina are tiny schools. The most attended lacrosse game of all time? 20k. We had two and half times that just this last winter and I don't think the lacrosse game had 5 degree temperatures.

The only reason that it gets any attention at all is that its national...while that may make it a pretty great sport to some, it will never be a great option for television.

My point was something along the lines of BTN hockey broadcasts and ESPNU lacrosse broadcasts of ACC games being more comparable, while BTN lacrosse broadcasts are to lacrosse as NBCSN broadcasts of FCS games are to college football. I agreed with your comment in general, but a comparison of the two sports on BTN isn't a great one.

By the way, the NCAA lacrosse championship regularly draws over 30k, sometimes over 40k, and it just doesn't get under 20k anymore. Even the Denver Outlaws had a regular season game break 30k (no free tickets, either). I don't know where you got your figure for "most attended lacrosse game of all time." Again, I'm not disputing the general point you're making.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Subscribed because I have no idea how I missed this gem of a thread

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Before you know it, we'll have to change the thread title to the 6th team. I'm not sure if Wisconsin's program exists anymore.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

HEYYOOOOOoOoo

 

[Butch]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Here Butchy Butchy Butchy Butchy...

Looks like Yukon scored as much this weekend on the ice as they did on the gridiron. Jim Delaney must be salivating as he is about to dial the last number to Susan and Warde. Ahahaha.

I am absolutely sure he was drooling over our 13 basketball trophies. Ahahahaha.

By the way, have you checked out the upgrades the school is continuing to make? Poor BC will be stuck with Wake Forest forever. UMass-Lowell has more hope.

 

[slowe]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Here's an article from the University of Illinois Daily Illini. There's not much to it other than the writer making a case that U of I could have a team. It's not the most well written (it mistakenly has the BTN paying $2 million per school rumor) but I like how brazen it is. The paper over the last year has subtly mentioned the teams club status. But more and more they are directly advocating for D1.

http://www.dailyillini.com/sports/columns/article_93fbb27c-5975-11e4-ba20-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

 

[Red Cows]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Here's an article from the University of Illinois Daily Illini. There's not much to it other than the writer making a case that U of I could have a team. It's not the most well written (it mistakenly has the BTN paying $2 million per school rumor) but I like how brazen it is. The paper over the last year has subtly mentioned the teams club status. But more and more they are directly advocating for D1.

http://www.dailyillini.com/sports/columns/article_93fbb27c-5975-11e4-ba20-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

Yeah, this is basically an advocacy piece.

You could pretty much wipe out every mention of "Illinois" in the article and insert the name of any other school without D-1 hockey.

Meanwhile, the University of Nebraska has begun construction (finally) of the long awaited Breslow Arena in Lincoln:

http://facilities.unl.edu/projects/john-breslow-ice-hockey-arena

You know, the new ice facility that is right next door to Pinnacle Bank Arena (that they, oh, after all, put ice making capability into?) that looks suspiciously like a hockey team practice facility?

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

I think you need to look up the definition of "literally" in a dictionary.

Definition of LITERALLY

1
: in a literal sense or manner : actually <took the remark literally> <was literally insane>
2
: in effect : virtually <will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

Definition 2 has been in there a long time...

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Well the chances of it being UNC went from microscopic to negative this week.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Who will be the 7th member of the Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Well the chances of it being UNC went from microscopic to negative this week.

I can think of many reasons why the Tar heels won't be the next Big Ten hockey team.