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Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

Shirtless Guy said:
Are a few more scholarships really worth being one of possibly 16 teams to get an autobid? Based on my experience with the unbalanced schedules of a 12 team conference, I hate to think of what the schedule would look like. If you're going to get to 16 teams, why not just keep the CCHA alive with the AHA, WMU, BGSU, FSU, UAH. Granted thats what I was hoping for to begin with.
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A few more scholies - possibly worth it. Those AHA teams are almost guaranteed to have a 1:12 shot right now. A restructured WCHA with 16 teams would very possibly send two teams most years, so 1:8 shot.

I think the problem for the AHA4 keeping the CCHA alive as you mention is that they are not very interested in a six team conference that could be less stable due to some of the members who would consider changing conferences, if the right invitation came along, or dropping hockey. They would want at least eight teams if UAH were one of the teams. Once FSU accepted, that idea was pretty much dismissed.

With the WCHA at 9 right now, if BGSU and WMU joined (11), I could see considering adding just two of the AHA teams (13) and Moorhead or UAH (14), then going to two 7-team divisions. That would probably help travel-wise and maybe with scheduling (since this is pretty speculative, I am not going to try to figure out the scheduling details).
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

manurespreader said:
3. They drop Hockey. also possible. They are short of money. Not a great solution though and it doesn't seem on the table at this point.

Maybe they are waiting for WMU and if WMU goes to the WCHA, I can see BG going along, but if not then well we'll see. At any rate I think the decision has pretty much been made.
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Short of money? Really? You might want to check your sources. BG's "Bring Back the Glory" campaign has raised millions of dollars and put the program back on solid financial ground. There are about $4 million in renovations planned for the arena alone.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

5hole said:
I would not be at all surprised if some or all of the AHA4 are exploring the idea of applying to the WCHA, especially if BGSU and WMU accept. There would be some issues, mostly regarding travel. I am wondering if some type of pod schedules such as those used in the CCHA would be a means of controlling that travel issue?
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But there's no way they'd set up a "pod" scheduling where one pod has both Alaska schools. This would mean that the AHA-4 would one way or another end up having to travel to Alaska on a regular basis as well as the UP and Minnesota on a semi-regular basis. That still flies in the face of their reported objections to joining the CCHA while Alaska and LSSU were still members.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

TigerFan86-87 said:
But there's no way they'd set up a "pod" scheduling where one pod has both Alaska schools. This would mean that the AHA-4 would one way or another end up having to travel to Alaska on a regular basis as well as the UP and Minnesota on a semi-regular basis. That still flies in the face of their reported objections to joining the CCHA while Alaska and LSSU were still members.
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I will admit I have never looked closely enough at the CCHA pod scheduling to understand it or know the details. Just thought it was a possibility that could be worked out but have not had the time to really get into. But I agree, trying to work out a fair schedule with both Alaska teams in the same league may not work for the AHA4.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

The WCHA has a pod schedule right now. You play the three teams in your pod four times, your pod plays four teams from another pod twice on the road and then your pod plays the four teams from the third pod twice at home. 28 games, 14 home, 14 road.

You and your rival are always in the same pod. The other two teams in your pod rotate from year to year. Bemidji's rival is UNO, so the Beavers will always have them four times. Last year, the pod mates were UND and St. Cloud (rivals). This year the Beavers are with Denver and Colorado College (rivals). The other rival pairings are UAA-Mankato, Duluth-Tech and Wisconsin-Minnesota.

About the only change I would make is that if the two schools are close enough (ie., Bemidji to Duluth, Bemidji to UND or Bemidji to SCSU), to do a home and home weekend. Although, it is kind of nice to get to a town and "settle in" instead of driving every day/night.

Of course, this all goes "caput" in two years.......
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

davyd83 said:
Short of money? Really? You might want to check your sources. BG's "Bring Back the Glory" campaign has raised millions of dollars and put the program back on solid financial ground. There are about $4 million in renovations planned for the arena alone.
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yes, really. in 2009 figure skater Scott Hamilton kicked in half a million to keep the program going. since then alums have started the BBtG and successfully raised 4 million. is it enough? time will tell.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

huskyfan said:
yes, really. in 2009 figure skater Scott Hamilton kicked in half a million to keep the program going. since then alums have started the BBtG and successfully raised 4 million. is it enough? time will tell.
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Not even close. The money was used primarily for maintenance items. which is a big no- no. So yeah they are short of funds.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

manurespreader said:
Not even close. The money was used primarily for maintenance items. which is a big no- no. So yeah they are short of funds.
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That's funny. The picture you paint is vastly different than the one that I hear from people at Bowling Green.
 
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Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

davyd83 said:
That's funny. The picture you paint is vastly different than the one that I hear from people at Bowling Green.
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we're Tech fans. we even think we are going to win this year...
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

huskyfan said:
we're Tech fans. we even think we are going to win this year...
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I would think Tech would be better this season. What did they win 4 games? I think 10-15 games might be a possibility.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

TigerFan86-87 said:
But there's no way they'd set up a "pod" scheduling where one pod has both Alaska schools. This would mean that the AHA-4 would one way or another end up having to travel to Alaska on a regular basis as well as the UP and Minnesota on a semi-regular basis. That still flies in the face of their reported objections to joining the CCHA while Alaska and LSSU were still members.
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Agreed, if the four Atlantic teams wanted to be apart of 16 team conference, it would make a lot more sense to see if the ECAC would be willing to expand then to join the WCHA.
 
manurespreader said:
Not even close. The money was used primarily for maintenance items. which is a big no- no. So yeah they are short of funds.
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When your annual donors threaten to cut off their donations if hockey dropped, your program is on stable ground. In other words, it will cost the university far more to cut the program than to fund it.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick told WSBT on Saturday that the future of Notre Dame hockey will be announced in 7-10 days, which would me next Tuesday at the latest. Of course they were going to announce at the CCHA meetings...by the start of the football season...

I would expect BG and Western to take their decisions up to this weekend's deadline and possible ask for a 1-2 week extension if Notre Dame has not made a decision by then.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

davyd83 said:
Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick told WSBT on Saturday that the future of Notre Dame hockey will be announced in 7-10 days, which would me next Tuesday at the latest. Of course they were going to announce at the CCHA meetings...by the start of the football season...

I would expect BG and Western to take their decisions up to this weekend's deadline and possible ask for a 1-2 week extension if Notre Dame has not made a decision by then.
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Assuming BG and Western are working in concert, they could ask for the extension with a reasonable expectation of getting it since I'm sure the WCHA would like at least one for the Division I aspect.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

bronconick said:
Assuming BG and Western are working in concert, they could ask for the extension with a reasonable expectation of getting it since I'm sure the WCHA would like at least one for the Division I aspect.
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I don't know if they are working in concert or not. Western says they are making their decision all on their own. But it would appear, as I've said before that they are still waiting for the Notre Dame decision and the ramifications of that, and that Bowling Green is waiting for both of them, to see where they then fit.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

I don't see too many realistic scenarios where BGSU doesn't end up in the WCHA. They've hinted at it in the media ("...tracking toward WCHA") and despite their D1 program and past NCAA title, they don't have the budget or facilities of the other NCHC schools. They've also not made any public overtures like Why Western. I was in Toledo last week and visited the BGSU Arena for the first time. Despite the recent renovations, it still doesn't have the modern amenities of many other college arenas. I still couldn't guess what Notre Dame will do.....NCHC? East? Indy? If they go NCHC, I think WMU will also be invited as a provisional member. If not, I think Western goes to WCHA. Western's recent statement that they'll play top talent no matter where they end up suggests that they're preparing for the possibility of going to the WCHA.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

davyd83 said:
Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick told WSBT on Saturday that the future of Notre Dame hockey will be announced in 7-10 days, which would me next Tuesday at the latest. Of course they were going to announce at the CCHA meetings...by the start of the football season...

I would expect BG and Western to take their decisions up to this weekend's deadline and possible ask for a 1-2 week extension if Notre Dame has not made a decision by then.
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Given this time frame and the rumblings in college football, I wonder if this time frame coincides with the future of other ND sports.
 
Re: Will Bowling Green and/or Western Michigan join the WCHA?

Probably related to the Grand Forks Herald article tonight that WMU and Saint Cloud would be getting NCHC invites -- though it is a bit vague as they say "sometime this week". It sounded to me like WMU was getting one immediately, and SCSU might be playing backup if ND were to decide to decline their standing invitation.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/216174/group/Sports/
 
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