SUGGESTION

gmartin · Post by **gmartin** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:23 pm

Ok, no one has thought of this, but would it be possible for us to play all of our home games at the new stadium in Toledo. It would be a 25 min drive, but I am sure many true fans would drive for a few years.

Is that an option??? I am sure more fans would turn out. Yes it would be Toledo residence but I think we would draw more than 2,000 fans. It may be a break even point but at least we will still have NCAA status.

I was told if we drop the program we need to wait 6 years to attempt to reapply? Anyone know if that is true???

rc_ziggy84 · Post by **rc_ziggy84** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:35 pm

Nothing personal... but that's not a snowball's chance something like that would fly

KeyWestParrot · Post by **KeyWestParrot** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:36 pm

Seems to me I saw this same suggestion on another thread. I'm not crazy about BG hockey playing in Toledo.

I think the biggest thing to getting the program improved is to drastically improve the Ice Arena. A new arena is out of the question but renovations would really help. If you check the capacity of most college rinks BG is right there with most of them.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:48 pm

BGSU needs to fund the program = to that of ND or MI or Miami

gmartin · Post by **gmartin** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:58 pm

The adminstration is not going to put any money into renovations. They claim BG hockey is losing close to 750,000 per year. If that is the case, dont play the games in BG, play them in Toledo in the new arena, take part of the proceeds. I can't see it costing 750,000 to bus up to 20 games.

If BG were to just break even or make a slight profit then why can't they continue D1 Hockey. The adminstration is saying that the program is losing money every year, well playing in Toledo would increase attendance, yes the students would not go, but the season ticket holders more than likely would, plus you would get some local fans in Toledo. I just do not want to see us lose our D1 status as I said I was told it takes 6 years to be reinstated.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:01 pm

Has it occurred to anyone at all that the pro hockey team in Toledo might want to play Friday and Saturday games on a regular basis?

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:12 pm

Bleeding Orange wrote:Has it occurred to anyone at all that the pro hockey team in Toledo might want to play Friday and Saturday games on a regular basis?

F them.

KeyWestParrot · Post by **KeyWestParrot** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:13 pm

Playing in Toledo would be a scheduling nightmare and the Walleye would always have first dibbs and rightfully so.

If BG hockey is eliminated then I wonder if the ice arena would meet the bulldozer since there wouldn't be a need for an ice arena for the university. But doing that would displace a lot of other groups that are reliant on the ice arena too.

I think once we weather this economic storm then things will shape up much better, other than that I guess we better hope people are willing to put their wallets where their hearts are.

gmartin · Post by **gmartin** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:23 pm

Don't forget the figure skating, curling, and BOWLING GREEN HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY. So not only do you take away the college tradition and memories but your taking away the youth and high school athletes.

SUCH A SHAME

MooneyRich86 · Post by **MooneyRich86** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:38 pm

First of all if BG is losing 750k a season in hockey then so is Western, Ferris, Alaska, Lake Superior and more. I'd like to see the "real" books
on this too because BG basketball isn't far behind. Having a competitive
team will increase attendance, concessions and merchandise. The athletic
department needs to look in the mirror for not only the "poor" teams and
coaching they are responsible for but also the poor marketing of the
sports. I'm sure I can find 750k to cut from bloated staffing of many
departments including the athletic department. They should go first before
any sport is cut !!

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:39 am

Questons:
1. How many players on a D1 hockey team have full scholarships?
2. Any partial scholarships?
3. What does that total 28x what about 16,000 roughly 440,000 in scholarships a year
4. Recruiting budget, I know we are on the cheap side but what do you think that costs? 50k for travel etc...
5. Coach 120k
6. Assistant coach what about 60k
$670,000 so far
7. trainer about about 25k
8. equipment 2 goalie masks by Warwick 2k, sets of vaughn custom leg pads 2400, two sets of blockers and trapers 1600, chest and arm protectors 1200, skates 1000.cost of two goalies gear= about 8200 +- longevity and rule changes figure one set every 2 years. some maybe not all supplied by the University.
9. Travel costs
10 facility costs

Attendance avg 2200
ticket cost what 6 bucks
13200 a game x home games 20=264000 a season.
so if BGSU spends about 1 million on falcon hockey and we take in based on avg attendance numbers 264k
that is defict of about 700k per year

YM thing is this as it is state above. Neither BGSU nor many other CCHA teams, WCHA and Hockey east and ECAC teams, say 20 in all are making money and are all in some type of school budget deficit issue looking for answers. None of these bottom 20 schools will ever be in the same cash position as a MI, OSU, WU, ND BC you know the list. We all love our hockey!
Why not get creative, why not create a D2 hockey. Why not cut the scholarship # to 1/4 what it is now and if a student comes on a academic scholarship that also counts against your total allowable number of Scholarships...ie a cap. Why not cap Coaches salary 90k and assistants to 50... keep the two or three conferences as regional as you can, invite some D3 schools to move up, include some of the Canadian schools like those we have preseason games against now. Change some of the rules around like making fighting a 2 min call and if you get 2 fighting calls in any one game, then your gone for two games (ie loosen that up) while making boarding a mandatory gone and a game...
See where I am going...create a budget box that all these schools can fit in to, make it equal, making the hockey very competitive, very exciting at a funding level that is a better fit for budgets.
Would it be like d1, no. Would it be awesome, it sure would and could better yet it keeps hockey alive, and again BG has been innovative in addressing an athletic need.
A creative solution that creates a new level of college hockey.

murphdogg · Post by **murphdogg** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:21 am

I would say that about half the students have had at least 1 beer by the time they show up to the hockey game. If our games were in Toledo, either student attendance would drop, or there would be a huge number of drunk drivers on I-75

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:59 am

I don't believe anybody from the administration ever said that the hockey program looses 750k per year, but that the ENTIRE athletic department lost that amount.

Playing home games in Toledo solves what?

redskins4ever · Post by **redskins4ever** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:12 am

You still need a practice faciltity.

MooneyRich86 · Post by **MooneyRich86** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:25 am

I know that all suggestions are well meaning on this board and we're all
passionate about the hockey program, but playing in Toledo is not the answer. The reason college hockey is so unique is the intimate rinks on campus and the student support which can always get better. NO WAY does
this program go backwards to any D2 level because it doesn't need to. We're all not asking for annual championships here but just "real" competitiveness that keeps us in the top half of the league and gives us
a chance. I'm sure the CCHA is working with all the schools to lower travel
costs which is the # 1 burden outside of full rides. We don't have to participate in pre-season or Christmas Tournaments that cost extra dough
at least for the short term. Traveling to Alaska and UNO are very costly even if those schools pick up a portion of the tab. Reducing the non-league
schedule would help or playing teams cloer to home like Niagara, Canisius,
Mercyhurst , Rochester and Robert Morris.