College Hockey - 2011/2012

[solbes]

A merger only makes sense to me if it has 2 divisions within. Play teams within your division twice and once for teams in the other division. This makes for an interesting conference in my mind.

Working against it is the increased travel costs and the reduction to a single auto bid. Not sure how they'd avoid/ignore that last disadvantage and controlling costs is absolutely critical to a few of these teams.

If no merger occurs, the WCHA will continue to gather up the stronger teams and the CCHA will have to add weaker schools from Atlantic conference. CCHA has to be way more into the merger than the WCHA is.

[scsavre]

Any updates on this notre dame stuff. I know I've heard several times that the big 10 turned notre dame down a month or so ago. No football means no hockey for big 10. I'm glad tho. Notre dame has no business there. This week there has been a lot of independent talk due to their private network looking at hockey. Hockey east looks like a 3rd to the nhch or whatever it I.

[solbes]

Hockey East already has enough members, although I'm sure they'd take ND. Too many within conference games for ND's preference I think.

NCHC offers many more non-con games and still presents the chance for auto bid. NCHC has to be option #1.

Independent would only work monetarily for them if they got their own broadcast deal, but honestly how tradtion rich is Notre Dame in Hockey? Would be their worst options for improving their position in the hockey world.

BTHC will never work as ND will never give up their exclusive football money.

[Jarrid Houston]

BEMIDJI BEAVERS PERIOD.....

[scsavre]

Yah, sounds like notre dame football almost laughed at the big 10s attempt t allow them in for hockey if other sports joined. So big 10 said no to hockey. I don't think any big 10 schools want them to join anyway. Honestly notre dame sounds more like a pain in the rear then anything else. Not sure why anyone would want a money loosing programn in their conference. I guess I don't know the profit sharring rules for th nchc tho. There's gotta be a couple of other schools out there for nchc, maybe a eastern team....

Side note, got my goph sioux, vermont, and cc ticks yesterday. Should be fun.

[Shorelunch]

According College Hky News, the WCHA invited Lake Superior, Ferris, Alaska, Bowling Green and Western MI to the league. Teams have 30 days to decide. Notre Dame not invited.

Gee . . . being in Bemidji and after the blood, sweat and tears it took to get into the WCHA, it sure is swell from hosting/playing the likes of UMD, UND, DU, WI and "even the Gophers" to now go to the likes of Ferris and Bowling Green. Even with an annual exemption (Fairbanks/Anchorage), non-conference games will be fewer. Dandy. Thanks Penn State $88 million donor guy - and Barry Alvarez. Oh, and Huntsville is till scr@wed.

[scsavre]

I'm still blaming north dakota and denver. But who cares. I didn't want this to happen. For bemidji its still better then what they had

[solbes]

I agree, it did seem like a huge amount of work for Bemidji and UNO to get in and now...

So it's maybe not a "merger", but an "aquisition" of the CCHA? Atlantic teams would obviously stay put if all of the CCHA teams accept. There have been 2 merger meetings between WCHA and CCHA, so its not surprising.

[Bear55]

The great shuffle! If you think of the West back to the CHA days you had one small conference with small schools and two big conferences with mix of schools. Now you have two smaller conferences with bigger schools and maybe one large conference with smaller schools. Heck I would almost rather pick the conferences out of a hat.

[Bran32]

Well I got my wish of getting LSSU and UA Fairbanks, so that makes 8!! If we (WCHA) can get Ferris and MSU-Moorhead in the fold that would be the best bet for this league in the long run IMO! You would have 4 Mich. schools, 4 Minn. schools, and 2 Alaska schools, break it into two divisions of east (LSSU, MTU, UNM, FSU, UAF) and west (SCSU, Mankato, BSU, Moorhead, UAA) and you play your div. foes 4 times and the other div. 2 times for a total of 26 games and you could still have 10 to 12 NON Conf. games!! Plus we could still have the original Final FIve format! Hopefully BGSU, and WMU say no because I think the first chance they got to go the NcHC (if it doesn't happen now), they would bolt on the WCHA! A ten team WCHA would be strong still, just gotta hope Moorhead can get it done now!

[solbes]

The surprising thing about the merger is the loss of an auto bid if this goes through. That had to be high on the list for WCHA/CCHA. After all is said and done, there will only be 1 less at large bid starting in 2013/2014. And we will still lose UAH, as they do not appear to be in anyone's plans. If you can add Bowling Green, you can add the Chargers.

You could not have predicted this weird shakeup even if someone gave you 100 tries.

[cbrooks]

.

You could not have predicted this weird shakeup even if someone gave you 100 tries.

Ain't that the truth. I'm still wandering what the heck Notre dame plans are...

[Shorelunch]

Ain't that the truth. I'm still wandering what the heck Notre dame plans are...

As much as it would be cool to have the Notre Dame name in the NCHC, part of me would like to tell them to pound sand . . . they can go independent and have a traveling trophy with Huntsville.

[cbrooks]

Whats up shore...you don't like Notre Dame or are you frustrated with how long its taking them to make there Decision?

I kind of think it will be a downer if they choose not to go to the NCHC. It could help with the TV rights with verus(thats the rumor anyway)

[scsavre]

No body watches notre dame now, why would they help any futue tv plans.

Tell em to pound sand. They have not earned all this attention they are getting. Just make a stinking decision aready.

That is tuff loosing the auto bid, I suppose we still have the same amount then. Loose 2 get 2 if u count cha.

[cbrooks]

]No body watches notre dame now, why would they help any futue tv plans.

Tell em to pound sand.

Somehow I'm not surprise that you would be on the "Go pound Sand" wagon .

I got to think Notre Dame will take the offer. Why wouldn't they? Why are they taking there sweet time? Thats whats driving me nuts. Can't make sense of it

[Shorelunch]

Whats up shore...you don't like Notre Dame or are you frustrated with how long its taking them to make there Decision?

I kind of think it will be a downer if they choose not to go to the NCHC. It could help with the TV rights with verus(thats the rumor anyway)

I don't mind ND, and I agree it would help the "brand awareness" of the NCHC. But this stringing out of "the decision" is ridiculous.

[scsavre]

I still have to wonder why do you care about a team with no attendance and revenue. Arent these the teams you are trying to get away from. Why not just stay in the WCHA at that rate.

[solbes]

More news on the realignment in '13/14. It appears that Lake Superior State, Alaska Fairbanks, and Ferris State have accepted their invitations into the re-expanding WCHA. This means the CCHA will be DOA come 2013. The option of 4 Atlantic Hockey schools joining the CCHA appears to have also died.

Now where do Notre Dame, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green go? Notre Dame has been discussed a lot. Western Michigan would like to follow them to NCHC or Hockey East. I'm assuming they would push for NCHC if Notre Dame goes Independent. There's a blog out there suggesting they would not join the new WCHA. Bowling Green has stated they would like to go NCHC, but this really doesn't make much sense. If only one of these teams joins NCHC, there would likely be a push to add another WCHA member, probably Saint Cloud. Saint Cloud has been in some closed door meetings with NCHC officials. Still no talks of any invitation for Alabama Huntsville.

Oh and NCHC is going to be based out of Colorado Springs. Not Grand Forks or Denver as many people had speculated.

[cbrooks]

Schlossman's link http://undhockey.areavoices.com/?p=88336

He figures that Notre Dame will make its decision after all the dominoes fall into place. I think it only makes sense for Notre Dame to join the NCHC. I just don't see them as a independent like they are in football and they have told there recruits this year they will be playing in the NCHC conference(example Mario Lucia).

[solbes]

Also read something interesting about the realigned WCHA. So far there are no D1 only schools in the conference. They need either Western Michigan or Bowling Green to join to keep their vote at the D1 NCAA table. Assuming Notre Dame joins NCHC, Western Michigan folllows them, suddenly Bowling Green becomes a wanted commodity for WCHA members. Kind of weird.

[Bear55]

Good info solbes, I nominate you our personal hockey detective.

[cbrooks]

Intersting point Solbes. It will be intersting if that plays into the decision

[solbes]

Still no decision from the Fighting Irish. I feel like my butt will be in a maroon or gold seat at Amsoil watching them play in early Oct before they will make up their minds.

With the college football shakeup going on, they may be waiting for more info. B10 is courting them again. Even with their NBC TV deal they have to be wondering how it will all shake out. Or they are waiting for a Vs hockey deal to be worked out.

Also heard that NCHC is having dicussions with WMU, Bowling Green, and SCSU. Maybe "what if" scenarios if the Irish join elsewhere? Only 6 teams so far and 8 would be better.

[Shorelunch]

Gopher fans . . . Gopher Puck Live podcast. It's getting closer . . . drop the puck!

[archerystud]

Sound like the NCHC got tired of waiting for Notre Dame. WMU and SCSU apparently joining the NCHC.

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2011/09/21_wmu,_st_cloud_to_join_nchc.php

[Bear55]

Not sure I like this move for St. Cloud, heck even for UMD. I understand why they are doing it but they could have been powers in the "new" WCHA and probably made the NCAA's most years. All the big schools in the new big conferences are going to beat up on eachother and that will leave plenty of room for these guys to slide into 16 team field similar to the way the ECAC teams do it.

[archerystud]

It's all about recruiting. The better recruits want to play in the better conference and get more recognition. Also, I'm sure SCSU will like not having to travel to Alaska once or twice a year.

Agreed that they should have spent most years near the top of the new WCHA and they will spend some years in the cellar in the new conference.

On the flip side I'm hoping that FSN picks up college hockey for the NCHC and maybe I can start seeing my home team on cable here once in a while.

[solbes]

I'm glad SCSU will be in the new conference. I will still be able to go to games up Hwy 10 and see the Bulldogs play. I agree both the Huskies and Bulldogs have better chances of making NCAA's if they stayed. But balancing that a little bit is the recruiting (agree with Archery). Also unless you play the best teams week in and week out, you have less shot of ever making it to the F4, much less the championship (see Union, Yale, etc).

WMU, well I would have rather had Notre Dame. It seems more and more likely that Notre Dame will hinge it's future based on the football shakeup, and hockey will come a long for the ride. Probably about a 200 to 1 ratio of money and interest generated between the 2 sports. Still a possibility that the Irish join, but it seems smaller now.

[scsavre]

This just makes me again wonder what the point of this new conference was. The whole thing is done. What about the like minded hockey program theory. They sould just call the new conference the wcha, at this point it has more teams. St cloud is not making a smart choice. I don't see a big difference this will make for them in recruiting. If anything its worse. They can be the mankato or mich tech of the new league. Players would rather go to a winning team that can make playoffs, then go to a bad team in a good conference. Dumb move.