WCHA, no more?

[JSR]

Read this today at Bucky's 5th Quarter blog:

http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2011/7/ ... #storyjump

The college hockey landscape as we know it may never be the same. According to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, Colorado College, and Minnesota-Duluth from the WCHA will join Miami from the CCHA in forming a new 'Super Conference' that is set to start play in 2013. That is the same season that Wisconsin and Minnesota will break away from the WCHA to join Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Penn State in the new Big Ten Hockey Conference.

Speculation as to what the remaining schools would do has been rampant since the Big Ten announced it would start to sponsor hockey as a conference sport in 2013. One of the major players in the discussion, Notre Dame has yet to announce where they will play when the dust settles. Schlossman mentions that they are still a possibility to join the 'Super Conference' but there has also been talk of them becoming members of the Hockey East conference with Boston College, Boston University, Maine, and New Hampshire, etc. Western Michigan has also been rumored as a possible team to join the new conference.

The biggest losers in all of this are the schools left behind in the WCHA and CCHA which include St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, Alaska-Anchorage, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Northern Michigan, and Alaska. Alabama-Huntsville is currently playing as an independent and could potentially join up with the remaining schools in some fashion.

*****************************************

Schlossman tweeted out this afternoon that he expects an official announcement to come sometime next week, possibly Wednesday. Additionally former Badger hockey beat writer Todd Milewski noted that the teams from the west who were left out of the 'Super Conference' are having a conference call today to discuss their statuses.

[Jbone]

This is one of the most ludicrous things I've ever heard of? St. Cloud is one of the most under rated teams who may suffer the most from this? On the flip side, maybe they'll be the top dogs in the conference which could help thier street cred? How sad is this! WCHA please don't leave!

[JSR]

This is one of the most ludicrous things I've ever heard of? St. Cloud is one of the most under rated teams who may suffer the most from this? On the flip side, maybe they'll be the top dogs in the conference which could help thier street cred? How sad is this! WCHA please don't leave!

Honestly, I understood why the Big Ten teams were doing what they were doing and I was sort of for that move. It was going to be sad to break up some traditional rivals but those schools play all their other sports as a conference and it made logisitcal as well as fiscal sense to do it. This move by these six teams makes no sense to me at all. They are traditionally great hockey schools but for the most part they do not have the appeal to the casual fan to make any more money than they make in their current conferences. Truthfully this seems to help Miami (OH) but I think this actually hurts the other five WCHA teams. Should have stuck with the 10 team WCHA they had intact and gone forward with that. This is silly if you ask me.

[WayOutWest]

Should have stuck with the 10 team WCHA they had intact and gone forward with that. This is silly if you ask me.

Uh huh.
But, you were all FOR Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving for a Big 10 Hockey Conference. And now the dominoes are falling in response to the creation of that new conference.

Bad idea. Bad for college hockey. You will see some programs fold because of it, and numerous traditional rivalries will go down in flames.

The state of college hockey is going to take a big hit.
Yeah, great idea, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fixin' something that wasn't broken, just caused the sport to take two giant steps backward.

[ACTUALFORMERPLAYER]

From Schlossman-

You will probably hear athletic directors use the “like-minded schools” line at Wednesday’s press conference in discussing why this new league is happening.

While administrators may not expand on that line, a source told the Herald that when business was conducted in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, there were often times two blocks of voting.

The schools with larger budgets typically wanted to spend money, invest and try new things. Schools with smaller budgets often resisted.

With Minnesota and Wisconsin departing for the Big Ten Hockey Conference, the smaller-budget schools take over control of the voting block. This caused athletic directors with larger budgets to worry about the future of the conference.

Wisconsin State Journal columnist Andy Baggot wrote this week: “The idea that Denver, Colorado College, North Dakota and defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth would prefer to start their own brand instead of sticking with one that’s been around since 1959 — claiming 37 national titles in the process — is a clear indictment of the WCHA and the suspect management style of its commissioner, Bruce McLeod.”

It is unclear whether the departing schools tried to get a change in leadership in the WCHA before leaving, but there obviously will be new hierarchy in front of them in two years.

[JSR]

Should have stuck with the 10 team WCHA they had intact and gone forward with that. This is silly if you ask me.

Uh huh.
But, you were all FOR Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving for a Big 10 Hockey Conference. And now the dominoes are falling in response to the creation of that new conference.

Bad idea. Bad for college hockey. You will see some programs fold because of it, and numerous traditional rivalries will go down in flames.

The state of college hockey is going to take a big hit.
Yeah, great idea, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fixin' something that wasn't broken, just caused the sport to take two giant steps backward.

You have already established to everyone on this board your complete lack of insight and intelligence on this subject so there is no point in arguing with you further

[JSR]

From Schlossman-

You will probably hear athletic directors use the “like-minded schools” line at Wednesday’s press conference in discussing why this new league is happening.

While administrators may not expand on that line, a source told the Herald that when business was conducted in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, there were often times two blocks of voting.

The schools with larger budgets typically wanted to spend money, invest and try new things. Schools with smaller budgets often resisted.

With Minnesota and Wisconsin departing for the Big Ten Hockey Conference, the smaller-budget schools take over control of the voting block. This caused athletic directors with larger budgets to worry about the future of the conference.

Wisconsin State Journal columnist Andy Baggot wrote this week: “The idea that Denver, Colorado College, North Dakota and defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth would prefer to start their own brand instead of sticking with one that’s been around since 1959 — claiming 37 national titles in the process — is a clear indictment of the WCHA and the suspect management style of its commissioner, Bruce McLeod.”

It is unclear whether the departing schools tried to get a change in leadership in the WCHA before leaving, but there obviously will be new hierarchy in front of them in two years.

Bingo! We have a winner! McLeod has been a pain in the rear for years and now he has NONE of his bell cow's left to manage. Nice job Bruce, way to lead....

[DMan-dad]

Should have stuck with the 10 team WCHA they had intact and gone forward with that. This is silly if you ask me.

Uh huh.
But, you were all FOR Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving for a Big 10 Hockey Conference. And now the dominoes are falling in response to the creation of that new conference.

Bad idea. Bad for college hockey. You will see some programs fold because of it, and numerous traditional rivalries will go down in flames.

The state of college hockey is going to take a big hit.
Yeah, great idea, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fixin' something that wasn't broken, just caused the sport to take two giant steps backward.

You have already established to everyone on this board your complete lack of insight and intelligence on this subject so there is no point in arguing with you further

West, I couldn't agree more. The creation of the BTHC was a terrible idea. I would love to see all collegiate teams boycott the BTHC and make them only play with themselves (pun intended). They will beg to come back.

[JSR]

Uh huh.
But, you were all FOR Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving for a Big 10 Hockey Conference. And now the dominoes are falling in response to the creation of that new conference.

Bad idea. Bad for college hockey. You will see some programs fold because of it, and numerous traditional rivalries will go down in flames.

The state of college hockey is going to take a big hit.
Yeah, great idea, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fixin' something that wasn't broken, just caused the sport to take two giant steps backward.

You have already established to everyone on this board your complete lack of insight and intelligence on this subject so there is no point in arguing with you further

West, I couldn't agree more. The creation of the BTHC was a terrible idea. I would love to see all collegiate teams boycott the BTHC and make them only play with themselves (pun intended). They will beg to come back.

None of those things are going to happen and none of those schools would beg to come back to anything. BTHC was a GREAT idea, these other ideas I am not sold on. I still fail to see how this new conference those other 5 WCHA schools put together helps anyone besides Miami (OH). What a great deal for Miami (OH) but what did the others really gain?? If Notre Dame chooses to join them then I sort of understand it but without ND it really makes no sense both from a $$ standpoint or a scheduling standpoint. BTHC made tons of fiscal sense, as well as long term sense for the member schools.

[WayOutWest]

None of those things are going to happen and none of those schools would beg to come back to anything. BTHC was a GREAT idea, these other ideas I am not sold on. I still fail to see how this new conference those other 5 WCHA schools put together helps anyone besides Miami (OH). What a great deal for Miami (OH) but what did the others really gain?? If Notre Dame chooses to join them then I sort of understand it but without ND it really makes no sense both from a $$ standpoint or a scheduling standpoint. BTHC made tons of fiscal sense, as well as long term sense for the member schools.

A boycott will not be necessary. The new conference will be quite busy playing each other. And, they will have a much better product than the BigTen Conference.
The BigTen conference move is already backfiring in regard to the state of college hockey, before the first puck is dropped in it.
You will now see the a number of programs very much challenged to recruit and finance themselves. Minnesota and Wisconsin chased what they thought would be a financial windfall, with zero regard for the state of the game as a whole.
What do the "leftover" teams now do? Form a second tier conference of their own? Go independent? Neither option is beneficial to them.
Many programs willl struggle, some may drop out of D1, historic rivalries will be erased or at the very least greatly minimized until they really are not rivalries anymore. This is a disaster in the making. I hope you are proud of your support for all this, JSR.
The worst part about the Big10 move is that the new conference is going to OWN the BigTen. Maybe the BigTen channel can negotiate a deal to broadcast THOSE conference games? THAT might produce a windfall.

[Tigers33]

Wayoutwest - Nobody is talking at all about the level of competition in each of conference. Get a clue and take a step into the real world.

The WCHA lost two of the worse teams from last year according to a lot of people. The conference should have been stronger with their departure according to you. So, why break it up? Why North Dakota, UMD, and others leave such a strong conference?

The Big Ten exists for all other sports. It was only a matter of time that this would happen for hockey. I imagine Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, and maybe Iowa will eventually get hockey down the road. The junior teams are extremely popular in some of those states.

Wayoutwest - please explain why this is so bad. And the reason that rivalries will be ruined does not count. Minnesota will still play some in state teams and keep some strong rivalries together. Big Ten Conference puts six of the largest D1 hockey schools in the same conference, it will bring money into the program and university, it puts some strong tradition programs in the same conference, in 5 years my guess is this as the possibility of being the best conference in the country.

Guentzel will eventually be the head coach of the Minnesota Gophers in the Big Ten Conference.

[mulefarm]

Mn and Wis did not have a choice in not joining the Big Ten conf for hockey. As a member of the conf, they have to play if the conf offers that sport. That is part of their by laws. whether they wanted to or not, doesn't make a difference.

[JSR]

None of those things are going to happen and none of those schools would beg to come back to anything. BTHC was a GREAT idea, these other ideas I am not sold on. I still fail to see how this new conference those other 5 WCHA schools put together helps anyone besides Miami (OH). What a great deal for Miami (OH) but what did the others really gain?? If Notre Dame chooses to join them then I sort of understand it but without ND it really makes no sense both from a $$ standpoint or a scheduling standpoint. BTHC made tons of fiscal sense, as well as long term sense for the member schools.

A boycott will not be necessary. The new conference will be quite busy playing each other. And, they will have a much better product than the BigTen Conference.
The BigTen conference move is already backfiring in regard to the state of college hockey, before the first puck is dropped in it.
You will now see the a number of programs very much challenged to recruit and finance themselves. Minnesota and Wisconsin chased what they thought would be a financial windfall, with zero regard for the state of the game as a whole.
What do the "leftover" teams now do? Form a second tier conference of their own? Go independent? Neither option is beneficial to them.
Many programs willl struggle, some may drop out of D1, historic rivalries will be erased or at the very least greatly minimized until they really are not rivalries anymore. This is a disaster in the making. I hope you are proud of your support for all this, JSR.
The worst part about the Big10 move is that the new conference is going to OWN the BigTen. Maybe the BigTen channel can negotiate a deal to broadcast THOSE conference games? THAT might produce a windfall.

Some articles on the subject by those in the know:

When a new men's college hockey league is formally unveiled during a press conference Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colo., we'll finally start to get some on-the-record insight into its creation.

Five Western Collegiate Hockey Association schools -- Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota -- joined forces with Miami (Ohio) out of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association to form a new allegience starting in 2013-14 that was revealed last week.

One of the biggest questions has to do with how the proud and powerful WCHA allowed this to happen. Why would these premier members abruptly abandon a recognized 12-team brand to begin anew?

A college hockey source may have provided it Wednesday morning a couple hours before the presidents, athletic directors and coaches from the six schools took questions.

The source said that officials at Denver and North Dakota strongly questioned the direction of the WCHA during the annual American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida in May. There was sentiment to force long-time commissioner Bruce McLeod to step down, but the source said that while people from multiple schools inched up to that line, "no one crossed it.''

When the notion came up of schools possibly seceding from the WCHA instead, it was met with the threat of six-figure fines per institution.

Obviously, that didn't go over very well.

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Growing unrest in the most dominant organization in men’s college hockey paved the way for the creation of a brand new league.

Five members of the once-formidable Western Collegiate Hockey Association made it official Wednesday when their representatives gathered in a Colorado Springs, Colo., landmark and outlined plans for a new league scheduled to be up and running in 2013-14.

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference includes Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota from the WCHA and Central Collegiate Hockey Association power Miami (Ohio).

Their exodus was mapped out less than four months after it was announced Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin will leave the WCHA to join the new Big Ten Conference, also debuting in 2013-14.

The two developments have triggered massive change that’s still ongoing and hard feelings that will make it a challenge for many to cross the bridge that spans the next two years.

“It’s going to be tenuous,” said Sean Frazier, the UW deputy athletic director who oversees the men’s and women’s programs. “We all need calmer heads.”

While the UW men’s program will close out an affiliation with the WCHA that began in 1969, the women’s program will continue to operate indefinitely in the league because the Big Ten only has four women’s teams — including Penn State, which debuts in 2012-13 — and needs six for conference sponsorship.

Walter Dickey, the UW Athletic Board chair, lamented the fact that many failed to heed the warning that the Big Ten would eventually sponsor men’s hockey.

“When we said these things three years ago, it was (with) an eye toward trying to solidify and consider all the options because there are an awful lot of forces at work here that are not helpful to college hockey,” he said.

“This has been a lot of change,” said Jennifer Heppel, the associate commissioner for Big Ten governance who will oversee the new men’s hockey product. “Change makes people nervous.

“But we’re all professionals and we’re working for the good of our schools, our conferences and the game.”

Three months after expressions of unity were heard during the annual American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida, it was learned that some of the long-running acts in the WCHA were looking to leave. CC, Denver and North Dakota were original members of the league in 1959, while Duluth joined in 1965, but the advent of the Big Ten and its big-school lineup seemingly pushed them to try and find a way to keep pace.

“None of us saw this happening while we were at the meetings down in (Marco Island),” said Frazier, chair of the NCAA ice hockey committee. “There was a lot of talk. Now the talk is backed up with action.

“A lot of people thought they had some of what I would call honest dialogue that was going across that really wasn’t honest dialogue. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff.”

During a press conference at the historic Penrose House, North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison said there was no one tipping point for the schools striking out on their own.

“It’s been a very measured, involved process,” he said.

But two developments at the AHCA meeting may be straws that broke the camel’s back.

There was sentiment from multiple schools that WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod needed to step down, but a college hockey source speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the volatile nature of the discussions said that while “people inched up to that line, no one crossed it.”

When the discussion turned to schools possibly pulling out of the WCHA, one of the small-school athletic directors made a motion that called for a six-figure fine to be imposed on all defectors, a point confirmed Wednesday by Faison. The sanction idea was supported by another small-school AD but subsequently withdrawn.

McLeod, the commissioner since 1994, issued a melancholy statement Wednesday, saying “it’s a tough day for the WCHA and a sad day for me personally.”

The six schools committed to the NCHC have won 17 national titles, including seven apiece from Denver and North Dakota. Duluth claimed its first NCAA crown in April.

Notre Dame out of the CCHA is being wooed by the new league. Western Michigan, another CCHA member, is lobbying to be a member as well.

The WCHA and CCHA are wobbling, as the defections will leave the WCHA as presently constructed with five members — one short of the number required for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament — and an additional two losses would also leave the CCHA at five schools.

Denver coach George Gwozdecky said the NCHC is an “important” and “necessary” addition to the college hockey landscape.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

College hockey's charm has always been its curse; provincialism, which has forever encumbered the decision-making process between the WCHA and CCHA and ECAC and Hockey East.

College hockey's enigma has always been its membership. For every Michigan Tech, there has been a Michigan and Michigan State; for every Minnesota, there has been a Minnesota State.

College hockey will survive itself; but only through aggressive thinking and bold realignment. Anything less would have further empowered those who are still anchored to a distant past.

There was a press conference Wednesday in Colorado Springs to formally announce the formation of a new hockey conference, a "Super League'' if you are to believe the advance notices.

Colorado College, North Dakota, Denver, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha will form the alliance. Notre Dame and Western Michigan could be in the on-deck circle.

These schools have bonded together in response to the advent of Big Ten Conference hockey in 2013 -- featuring Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and the start-up program at Penn State.

That raises the possibility of a competitive series between the Big Ten and the Super League, not unlike the current Big Ten/ACC Challenge in basketball. That would preserve some rivalries.

Nobody knows the battle ground -- or on-going issues that have polarized regions and programs -- better than Denver coach George Gwozdecky, who played at Wisconsin and previously coached at Michigan State.

Speaking to the Denver Post on realignment, Gwozdecky said, "We want to be aligned and want to be continued to be aligned with schools of like-minded thinking (that) operate as we do.''

The Grand Forks Herald expanded on that theme by connecting the dots between the buzz phrase "like-minded schools'' and the division of power and principle within the WCHA.

The newspaper suggested that the separation often resulted in "two blocks of voting.''

Wrote Brad Elliott Schlossman, "The schools with larger budgets typically wanted to spend money, invest and try new things. Schools with smaller budgets often resisted.''

Those smaller WCHA programs -- Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State -- will have the option of regrouping with "like-minded schools.''

That category will likely include CCHA programs like Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan. Match-making does have its benefits.

In the end, the WCHA will have to reinvent itself.

The Colorado Springs Gazette cited a "dissatisfaction with WCHA leaders' efforts to get a league-wide TV deal'' which, in part, has created this end run or breakaway or whatever you want to call it.

In sum, reports of college hockey's death have been greatly exaggerated and embellished by those who are uncomfortable with change and oblivious to a 21st century reality.

If it's true that water seeks its own level why shouldn't that also apply to ice hockey and its diverse membership? Call me provincial, but it sounds like a plan that can work, and will work.

------------------------------------------------------------------

WOW, apparently things were not going as well as you seem to perceive it for quite some time, or in short you need to get a clue. Also, I am starting to better understand the reasoning behind the new conference the other six teams started and starting to think it is also a great thing for college hockey. The truth is that for this sport to grow it needed to take a look around and rethink/reinvent itself. The BTHC got the ball rolling on, what seems like, something that has been a long time coming..... If this is the catalyst for schoolslike Iowa and Nebraska and Indiana etc.... to start D1 men's hockey programs then this will indeed be fantadstic for the long term health of the sport. Yes some teams may fold, or have to drop down to D3 but honestly, it's not the BTHC's fault, those schools were failing franchises to begin with and likely were going to fold either way, this just maybe accelerated things by a year or two but nothing more than that.....

[WayOutWest]

Also, I am starting to better understand the reasoning behind the new conference the other six teams started and starting to think it is also a great thing for college hockey. The truth is that for this sport to grow it needed to take a look around and rethink/reinvent itself. The BTHC got the ball rolling on, what seems like, something that has been a long time coming..... If this is the catalyst for schoolslike Iowa and Nebraska and Indiana etc.... to start D1 men's hockey programs then this will indeed be fantadstic for the long term health of the sport. Yes some teams may fold, or have to drop down to D3 but honestly, it's not the BTHC's fault, those schools were failing franchises to begin with and likely were going to fold either way, this just maybe accelerated things by a year or two but nothing more than that.....

Biggest pile of hooey you have produced, to date!
You swallowed the rhetoric hook, line and sinker. Congrats.
You're resigned to the notion of smaller programs folding up, and are banking on new programs starting up to backfill. That's an outrageously sad and wishful plan, but you go, lady!!! I hope you enjoy those Penn State/Iowa tilts in the coming years!!(?) That'll be some superb college hockey, and laced with history and tradition.

[Tigers33]

Wayoutwest -

You are so opinionated on here and everyone seems to be wrong according to you. So, please share with all of us your words of wisdom. All I ever see on here is you making fun of other people. Please share your opinion with everyone.

Why is the Big Ten Hockey Conference bad?
Who is your favorite college hockey team?

[goldy313]

Big Ten hockey is a bad idea, college hockey was a much better sport and draw as a regional game. The money needed to compete just went up, the interest went down, after all the U had trouble selling tickets to its nonconference games the past few years anyhow and now how many more times will we see Ferris State? How many tickets will Michigan St fans buy?

Given athletic budgets I doubt very seriously any Big Ten school starts hockey, the only reason Penn State did is because the were given a huge donation to. Time will tell how long that donation funds the program. You also have to take Title IX into consideration, hockey is very expensive and now you'd have to add another womens sport to be in compliance or drop another mens sport.

There's also a pretty legitimate fear that some of the D1 programs already in existance just drop hockey because of the expense and without a conference they have a legitiamte reason to do so. See Big 12 wrestling, with the departure of Nebraska they now have 4 teams left.

[Tigers33]

My two cents:

The Big 10 conference was not a bad idea as far as money goes for those schools. Its all about money boys, Goldy just made that clear. The Big 10 conference would not have happened unless they are going to make money off of it.

Thats the same reason the schools are forming the 'super conference.' Everything in this world is being driven by money these days.

Programs were already struggling and this really didnt make it any worse. Michigan Tech, and the Alaska schools are all probably struggling.

The reason I think Nebraska and Illinois could start up hockey is because of the success with junior programs. The success Nebraska Omaha is having can only help too. I am not sure how big it is, but Lincoln should already have a decent arena that U of Nebraska could expand if necessary. I think Illinois will be the next program to get into the Big 10 conference. This is all about 5-10 years down the road of course.

I think the Big 10 was inevitable (spelling?). Whether it was good or bad, it was going to happen. As far as the super conference...That I am not sure about being a necessary thing. Especially when everyone said how good the WCHA is/was and all you are losing are two programs that people continue to rip. So, really this is all Denver, CC, No Dak and the other schools to blame.

[WayOutWest]

Wayoutwest -

Why is the Big Ten Hockey Conference bad?
Who is your favorite college hockey team?

My favorite hockey program is Minnesota. I have enjoyed WCHA play for many years. What was especially advantageous for the teams in Minnesota is the interconference play within the state, and Wisconsin. All games the Gophers play against Mankato, St. Cloud, UMD, Wisconsin, and even Bemidji and UND, were very easy drives for all involved. Do you think you are going to see a big Penn State contingent at Mariucci?

Smaller programs are at definite risk. You will absolutely see a number of programs close or revert to D3 very quickly. That just isn't good for the game. Stating that other big 10 schools will backfill nicely is a guess, at best, with really nothing of substance behind it. Even if they do, it will be years in the making, just to field a program and recruit well enough to be highly competitive.

The Big 10 set the wheels in motion, and for anyone to state that it is the fault of the new super conference teams is disingenuous.

The WCHA has been a highly competitive conference and beneficial for ALL schools in it. Fixing something that isn't broken is silly, and dangerous.

Hey, I hope it all works out. I truly do. But you are never going to replace those intra-state rivalries, and the feel of having both fan bases largely represented in multiple venues.

At best, this was a highly self-centered action, by a number of schools, to merely take care of themselves. It has no regard for the state of college hockey in general.

We've covered all of this, right? How do you dispute it?

[mulefarm]

What will happen to the women's WCHA? Will they continue as a league or will a new league's be formed? If smaller men's D1 programs fold, will the womens programs have to follow for equality issues? I haven't heard anything mentioned, has anybody else?

[Tigers33]

I honestly think there is a better chance that St. Thomas goes D1 then anyone folds up.

I am not in favor or against the Big 10 conference. I am just a season ticket holder with no say in the situation. I just think it was inevitable to happen at some point in time.

I just dont agree with the 'super conference.' Because the WCHA probably would have been okay if they would have all stayed.

[warriors41]

It's unfortunate that all this shifting has taken place, or at least I think it is. However, I'm not sure the term "super conference" should be used. They have 6 teams, maybe 7 if Notre Dame decides to join. The only problem they have that they have all had some success playing in the their old conference because they also benefited from playing smaller, less talented schools. The 5 schools from the WCHA that left for this new conference all made the NCAA tournament this year. I will almost guarantee that all five of those teams won't make the tournament again until the new conference expands to at least 10 teams because they will beat up on each other all year and won't get easy wins by playing Alaska, Michigan Tech, etc.

Since this transition is happening we might as well look at the bright side. Since I'm a BSU fan, at least I can take solace in the fact that once they realign themselves in a new conference, perhaps with the rest of the CCHA, they will have a much better chance of making the NCAA tournament will all the top school leaving. Not the best way I'd like to see them get there, but we've gotten to the Frozen Four that way just a few years ago. But I was hoping that we could get into a rivalry with UNO, but that probably won't happen anymore.

[JSR]

Also, I am starting to better understand the reasoning behind the new conference the other six teams started and starting to think it is also a great thing for college hockey. The truth is that for this sport to grow it needed to take a look around and rethink/reinvent itself. The BTHC got the ball rolling on, what seems like, something that has been a long time coming..... If this is the catalyst for schoolslike Iowa and Nebraska and Indiana etc.... to start D1 men's hockey programs then this will indeed be fantadstic for the long term health of the sport. Yes some teams may fold, or have to drop down to D3 but honestly, it's not the BTHC's fault, those schools were failing franchises to begin with and likely were going to fold either way, this just maybe accelerated things by a year or two but nothing more than that.....

Biggest pile of hooey you have produced, to date!
You swallowed the rhetoric hook, line and sinker. Congrats.
You're resigned to the notion of smaller programs folding up, and are banking on new programs starting up to backfill. That's an outrageously sad and wishful plan, but you go, lady!!! I hope you enjoy those Penn State/Iowa tilts in the coming years!!(?) That'll be some superb college hockey, and laced with history and tradition.

As insightful and billint as a pile of rocks, right on cue. And as usual incapable fo holding an intelligent debate without some sort of insult. Way to be predictable as usual. As for your history and tradition argument, you sound like a selfish child who doesn't want his mom and dad to sell the house he grew up in just because it holds some memories for him. Who cares that selling it now makes financial sense and that the new condo they move to will be better for them in the long run? It just a house, a thing, it's not the best solution to hold on to it though.

[JSR]

Wayoutwest -

Why is the Big Ten Hockey Conference bad?
Who is your favorite college hockey team?

My favorite hockey program is Minnesota. I have enjoyed WCHA play for many years. What was especially advantageous for the teams in Minnesota is the interconference play within the state, and Wisconsin. All games the Gophers play against Mankato, St. Cloud, UMD, Wisconsin, and even Bemidji and UND, were very easy drives for all involved. Do you think you are going to see a big Penn State contingent at Mariucci?

Smaller programs are at definite risk. You will absolutely see a number of programs close or revert to D3 very quickly. That just isn't good for the game. Stating that other big 10 schools will backfill nicely is a guess, at best, with really nothing of substance behind it. Even if they do, it will be years in the making, just to field a program and recruit well enough to be highly competitive.

The Big 10 set the wheels in motion, and for anyone to state that it is the fault of the new super conference teams is disingenuous.

The WCHA has been a highly competitive conference and beneficial for ALL schools in it. Fixing something that isn't broken is silly, and dangerous.

Hey, I hope it all works out. I truly do. But you are never going to replace those intra-state rivalries, and the feel of having both fan bases largely represented in multiple venues.

At best, this was a highly self-centered action, by a number of schools, to merely take care of themselves. It has no regard for the state of college hockey in general.

We've covered all of this, right? How do you dispute it?

So basically you are saying this is a bad idea because YOU no longer wil be able to drive to all teh rinsk to see the match ups. Gotchya, nothing self centered about that at all......

[WayOutWest]

So basically you are saying this is a bad idea because YOU no longer wil be able to drive to all teh rinsk to see the match ups. Gotchya, nothing self centered about that at all......

Did you read the entire thread, or is that just too difficult for you, for it requires you to actually obtain someone ELSE'S opinion? I clearly indicated where my personal viewpoints lie. I also indicated where and why this is bad for college hockey as a whole.
And trust me, if I am going to miss the historic and traditional rivalries, and the easy travel between sites, and the presence of both fan bases at the rinks, so will numerous other folks.
Meanwhile, what are you going to be doing? Will you be sitting there thinking, "Hey, it's too bad there are no Penn State fans in the stands here at Mariucci, but who needs them? And, it is too bad that Penn State was such a pushover, but I was getting tired of seeing the Gophers play St. Cloude nose-to-nose anyway. The real win is that the U is making money." Yeah, sure you will. Sure you will.

Lastly, your ironic posts are ludicrous. You whine about me employing name-calling, but you gladly get right down to it yourself. And if you truly followed the thread, you would see that you actually initiated it. But then again..........that too would require you to actually read other folks' posts and pay attention........two things that you have shown a distinct inability to do.

You go though, lady.

[mulefarm]

So basically you are saying this is a bad idea because YOU no longer wil be able to drive to all teh rinsk to see the match ups. Gotchya, nothing self centered about that at all......

Did you read the entire thread, or is that just too difficult for you, for it requires you to actually obtain someone ELSE'S opinion? I clearly indicated where my personal viewpoints lie. I also indicated where and why this is bad for college hockey as a whole.
And trust me, if I am going to miss the historic and traditional rivalries, and the easy travel between sites, and the presence of both fan bases at the rinks, so will numerous other folks.
Meanwhile, what are you going to be doing? Will you be sitting there thinking, "Hey, it's too bad there are no Penn State fans in the stands here at Mariucci, but who needs them? And, it is too bad that Penn State was such a pushover, but I was getting tired of seeing the Gophers play St. Cloude nose-to-nose anyway. The real win is that the U is making money." Yeah, sure you will. Sure you will.

Lastly, your ironic posts are ludicrous. You whine about me employing name-calling, but you gladly get right down to it yourself. And if you truly followed the thread, you would see that you actually initiated it. But then again..........that too would require you to actually read other folks' posts and pay attention........two things that you have shown a distinct inability to do.

You go though, lady.

Some great points! As much as I don't like the BTHC, Mn and Wis really didn't have a choice. They belong to the B10 conference and have to play in sponsored activities. I really don't know why the super conference was formed, unless they have a TV deal. I would much rather watch the state schools that have mn kids on them than any of the B10 schools.