WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

[Gandalf the Red]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I think that what will happen is more Friday-Sunday or Sunday-Monday series along with single games on Wedensdays and Fridays. If BB can travel for a single weekday games, so can hockey. The other possibility is playing two teams in a weekend.

About the only Fri-Sat series that will exist for B1G schools are the NC games (even then it may eventually be limited to Away NC games).

Not a good change, IMHO.

This, should it come to pass, would be horrible. That changes 40+ years of UW Hockey tradition just for the B1G. BB is a revenue making sport, hockey is probably close to break even, maybe not these days, so it makes sense from an economical prespective to have a series on back to back days or the same weekend against the same team. The B1G is just as spread out as the WCHA was for UW (w/ the exception of Alaska). I just don't think weekday games are going to work, or at least not in the short term for the fans who have followed Bucky for decades (or even years) and have an expectation of the weekend series.

I agree w/ Timothy A, the weekend series is an event. I have had hockey weekends blocked off on my calendar for years now. This is minnesota weekend, this is the Denver weekend, this is Miami (OH) weekend, etc.

 

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I think that what will happen is more Friday-Sunday or Sunday-Monday series along with single games on Wedensdays and Fridays. If BB can travel for a single weekday games, so can hockey. The other possibility is playing two teams in a weekend.

About the only Fri-Sat series that will exist for B1G schools are the NC games (even then it may eventually be limited to Away NC games).

Not a good change, IMHO.

I think this is drastically overblown. I don't foresee any single game Big Ten games. That doesn't even make sense with the way college hockey is set up. College basketball does it because they play single games all season, I don't see this happening with Big Ten Hockey.

Will there be some Thursday/Friday, Friday/Sunday, Saturday/Sunday series? Probably, but we've known that for a while. Obviously the Big Ten Network is going to try and get as many games on its network as possible, but to say the only Fri-Sat series will be NC doesn't even make sense.

Remember that regional broadcast stations like FS Wisconsin and FS North will still show games that aren't live on the Big Ten Network.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I have watched the 1st 2 periods so far of the Sunday game. They basically got some good bounces for once (a longtime coming) and also have hit 2 posts so far. I like the physicality they are playing with as well. They need to continue to hammer people. I also like the sparks I have seen in the wrestling after the whistle stuff, they are playing like they hate these guys. Woods seems to be coming on a bit, he did the same thing last year as well. Watching him in space w/o the puck, Zengerlee just doesn't seem to have a spark inside of him right now.

 

[Almington]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I think this is drastically overblown. I don't foresee any single game Big Ten games. That doesn't even make sense with the way college hockey is set up. College basketball does it because they play single games all season, I don't see this happening with Big Ten Hockey.

Will there be some Thursday/Friday, Friday/Sunday, Saturday/Sunday series? Probably, but we've known that for a while. Obviously the Big Ten Network is going to try and get as many games on its network as possible, but to say the only Fri-Sat series will be NC doesn't even make sense.

Remember that regional broadcast stations like FS Wisconsin and FS North will still show games that aren't live on the Big Ten Network.

The only reason that the WCHA did the two game series initially is to limit travel costs (both $$ and time) out to CO. Out east they generally don't play weekend series, the ECAC does the travel partners and Hockey East has been playing weeknight games for years. I'm not saying that it is going to happen next season, but I do believe that with the move to the BT that the weekend series particularly for conference games will gradually fade away to help fill time on the BTN.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I think this is drastically overblown.

The tone in Posic's voice was not encouraging. The fact that he even brought it up says something, he's kinda got to toe the company line as he's the voice and a face of the UW.

 

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

The only reason that the WCHA did the two game series initially is to limit travel costs (both $$ and time) out to CO. Out east they generally don't play weekend series, the ECAC does the travel partners and Hockey East has been playing weeknight games for years. I'm not saying that it is going to happen next season, but I do believe that with the move to the BT that the weekend series particularly for conference games will gradually fade away to help fill time on the BTN.

Yes, there are odd weekday games from time to time out east, but look at the distance between the schools compared to the Big Ten.

 

[Almington]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Yes, there are odd weekday games from time to time out east, but look at the distance between the schools compared to the Big Ten.

If basketball can play single games, so can hockey.

Look at how much more money is in the Big Ten and with the BTN specifically. The traditional Fri-Sat series days are numbered, we may still have Fri-Sun or Sun-Mon series going forward, but I have to believe that eventually single games will become the norm with the need for BTN programming.

Tradition, as a reason for not doing something, is dead in college sports. Even with the Big Ten, money has come to rule the day.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

but I have to believe that eventually single games will become the norm with the need for BTN programming.

From a viewership standpoint, I would LOVE this. It's irksome that all of the games are on the same two nights a week. I enjoy watching other college hockey games, but often miss them due to the Badgers playing at the same time.

From a ticket-holder's point of view, I don't like it and believe that it will mean less games attended by me.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

If basketball can play single games, so can hockey.

In basketball they don't play conference opponents 4 times. It makes zero sense to pay for travel twice to Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State to play single game road games, or vice versa.

Never going to happen. I'm with Chuck on this. There might be a Friday/Sunday, Sunday/Monday, Thursday/Friday, etc... series, but nothing like there is out East.

 

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

If basketball can play single games, so can hockey.

Look at how much more money is in the Big Ten and with the BTN specifically. The traditional Fri-Sat series days are numbered, we may still have Fri-Sun or Sun-Mon series going forward, but I have to believe that eventually single games will become the norm with the need for BTN programming.

Tradition, as a reason for not doing something, is dead in college sports. Even with the Big Ten, money has come to rule the day.

You've brought up good points but in a sport with already dwindling attendance in a lot of places (including the team we follow), your theory would absolutely murder attendance numbers across the board. Hockey isn't the sport basketball is where they can draw 13k regardless of the night. You could play Wisconsin/Minnesota on a Wednesday in hockey at the Kohl Center and not draw 10k. The marginal potential gain in ad revenue (remember, spread out through 14 teams now, even though 8 don't have hockey) for a random week night hockey game isn't enough to offset the potential revenue losses from attendance decline of doing away with weekend series.

Yes, there will be occasional Thursday and Sunday games, but I do not foresee the Big Ten going to single game system, especially when you have to play each team in the conference four times per season. Basketball only plays twice per season, so they are only making one trip (max) to each town. It's just not financially feasible to make two trips to these towns per season for single games, especially since Wisconsin charters to most of these places.

 

[Almington]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

You've brought up good points but in a sport with already dwindling attendance in a lot of places (including the team we follow), your theory would absolutely murder attendance numbers across the board. Hockey isn't the sport basketball is where they can draw 13k regardless of the night. You could play Wisconsin/Minnesota on a Wednesday in hockey at the Kohl Center and not draw 10k. The marginal potential gain in ad revenue (remember, spread out through 14 teams now, even though 8 don't have hockey) for a random week night hockey game isn't enough to offset the potential revenue losses from attendance decline of doing away with weekend series.

Yes, there will be occasional Thursday and Sunday games, but I do not foresee the Big Ten going to single game system, especially when you have to play each team in the conference four times per season. Basketball only plays twice per season, so they are only making one trip (max) to each town. It's just not financially feasible to make two trips to these towns per season for single games, especially since Wisconsin charters to most of these places.

Basketball: 11 road trips per season
Hockey (single game per trip): 10 road trips per season.

That's not even counting if you play one team on Friday and a different team on Sunday.


It isn't even about ad revenue with the BTN, it is that move live events means that they can request higher carrier fees from the cable/sat networks.

Filling all of the Wednesdays between the end of the football season and the conference tournament would require each team to play in 2 Wednesday games.

I'm not saying that it will happen overnight, but I would not be surprised to see it in the next 5-10 years.

UW's attendance problems are the result of putting a generally unappealing and clearly sub-par product on the ice far to regularly over the past 7 seasons. People will come out to see a winning team play engaging hockey, even on a Wednesday, for any of the Big Ten programs.

 

[Carter]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Sorry to butt in here, but I'm wondering if there's anyone who could make me a copy of the Soldier's Field game. My DVR died, may it rest in peace, and I'd be happy to pay any expenses. You can reply to the email address in my profile. Thanks very much.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Sorry to butt in here, but I'm wondering if there's anyone who could make me a copy of the Soldier's Field game. My DVR died, may it rest in peace, and I'd be happy to pay any expenses. You can reply to the email address in my profile. Thanks very much.

Have you checked to see if the BTN is going to replay it? I have to imagine they will at some point. They often do with regular games.

 

[badger83]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

My family had saturday night season tickets for years. We dropped our season tickets this year due to the weird scheduling (sun -monday, no minnesota game, etc...) We live about a 1 1/2 hours from Madison so weeknights would be a major pain. If they go back to a normal Fri/Sat series this year we will opt back in for tickets. If not we may stay away.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

My family had saturday night season tickets for years. We dropped our season tickets this year due to the weird scheduling (sun -monday, no minnesota game, etc...) We live about a 1 1/2 hours from Madison so weeknights would be a major pain. If they go back to a normal Fri/Sat series this year we will opt back in for tickets. If not we may stay away.

Exactly.

Football and hockey have large chunks of their season ticketholders that are from around the state that come into town for the games. Not sure how basketball manages to get 'em in if they're coming in on weekdays or filling the stands with Madison people, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for them.

 

[Gandalf the Red]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

My family had saturday night season tickets for years. We dropped our season tickets this year due to the weird scheduling (sun -monday, no minnesota game, etc...) We live about a 1 1/2 hours from Madison so weeknights would be a major pain. If they go back to a normal Fri/Sat series this year we will opt back in for tickets. If not we may stay away.

The saturday night ticket holders totally got the shaft this season. A monday game, no minnesota, and a friday night game (can be difficult if you are traveling a distance and can't get off work early). If I didn't share tickets on saturday I would have dumped them. I live in Madison and would have just bought single game tix for the series I wanted to see, but my friend wanted to keep them, so I stuck w/ it.

I will be very interested to see how the schedule turns out next season, and see which hypothesis presented by others here may turn out true. I hope Chuck is right, but my gut tells me that fri/sat series will slowly stop being the norm.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

My family had saturday night season tickets for years. We dropped our season tickets this year due to the weird scheduling (sun -monday, no minnesota game, etc...) We live about a 1 1/2 hours from Madison so weeknights would be a major pain. If they go back to a normal Fri/Sat series this year we will opt back in for tickets. If not we may stay away.

Live 70 minutes from the KC parking, there's no way I'm even considering attending games on Monday-Thursday. I'd be taking kids who need to get to bed at a decent hour and I need to get up for work in the am. I'm breaking this rule with the Sunday Penn St. game, but one can catch a nap Sunday aft if needed in prep for a later Sunday.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Did anyone else notice UW players have begun using drop passes again? friggin finally a tinge of creativity. I don't recall seeing this in earlier games (and haven't seen much of it since the Sauer years really) this season but in both Rat games UW players attempted drop passes...no-one shot off those drops (which I feel they should have in a couple of instances) but at least they tried

 

[WiscTJK]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

The saturday night ticket holders totally got the shaft this season. A monday game, no minnesota, and a friday night game (can be difficult if you are traveling a distance and can't get off work early). If I didn't share tickets on saturday I would have dumped them. I live in Madison and would have just bought single game tix for the series I wanted to see, but my friend wanted to keep them, so I stuck w/ it.

I will be very interested to see how the schedule turns out next season, and see which hypothesis presented by others here may turn out true. I hope Chuck is right, but my gut tells me that fri/sat series will slowly stop being the norm.

Yes they did. I have both nights, but a lot of the guys around me on Saturday were complaining about the tickets this year due to just your reasons. I don't think this bodes well for next year, when you also consider the product. I could live with a Friday night, Sunday afternoon or even a Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon. But school nights for the "Saturday" tickets and you can bet a a lot of families won't be attending those games.

Honestly, my 2 younger kids prefer the LaBahn Arena and women's games over men's and the Kohl Center. I got season tickets for the women's games this year and it is a fun place to watch hockey.

 

[Gandalf the Red]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Yes they did. I have both nights, but a lot of the guys around me on Saturday were complaining about the tickets this year due to just your reasons. I don't think this bodes well for next year, when you also consider the product. I could live with a Friday night, Sunday afternoon or even a Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon. But school nights for the "Saturday" tickets and you can bet a a lot of families won't be attending those games.

Honestly, my 2 younger kids prefer the LaBahn Arena and women's games over men's and the Kohl Center. I got season tickets for the women's games this year and it is a fun place to watch hockey.

Agreed on the Women's hockey. I didn't make many games this season despite my season tickets, but the ones I did were loud and I like being right on top the action like that. I like loud a lot, and the KC hasn't been very loud for quite a few seasons.