Article on affects of realignment to date

[BGFan]

http://alongtheboards.com/2015/07/new-n ... good-game/" target="_blank

[falconfan1999]

Just read an article about Arizona State, essentially looking at joining three conferences, the WCHA, the big 10 or NCHC, with the big ten seeming to match up with their admins desires for the program. I think it's great to see some bigger schools adding hockey such as Penn State and Arizona State, I'd like to see some smaller schools too. Buffalo and Eastern Michigan for example. For part of the 90's EMU had a strong club hockey program. I haven't followed them closely since.

[gmartin]

EMU for hockey. NO!! You have UM and Yost only 10 minutes away. EMU can't draw more than 1000 for Men's basketball. Football well last time I was there I could count the fans on the other side. Women's basketball has less than 200. I think there may be more coaches and players than fans. I could be wrong. That's probably why they were a club team.

[BGFan]

Title IX is an issue for all MAC schools who could possibly make the jump to D1 from club status in hockey (which is why we no longer of men's swimming and track). OU and Kent have both had D1 hockey in the past so, of any of the MAC schools, they would be the logical ones to try it again but they would likely have to cut some non-revenue sports to do it.

[Critical Thinker]

It took $30 million for Arizona State to start their program, and I'm not sure that'll be enough. The only way a MAC school has any chance at coming up with that is if UB can snag some Pegula money. With how popular hockey is in Buffalo, UB shouldn't have a problem sustaining their program, but coming up with the starting cost is the killer.

[jbakerifm]

Highly doubt any mac schools, or any small schools at all, add hockey. Keep in mind what title IX really means-if you add 18 men's hockey scholarships, you must also add 18 women's scholarships somewhere. 36 scholarships alone is way too much for most of the MAC schools. I'd put my money on the next program coming from northwestern, Illinois, Nebraska or Rutgers. Probably going to be tremendous interest from the big ten to add more teams and make more $.

[Schadenfreude]

Highly doubt any mac schools, or any small schools at all, add hockey.

I agree that this would be a real stretch for a MAC school or another FBS school outside of the Big Ten, Pac 12, etc.

On the other hand, this wouldn't seem to be as big an issue for Division II schools or non football Division I schools. I could see these small schools continuing to take a shot, the way Findlay did a few years back.

[falconfan1999]

It's far easier to make a serious run at a championship in hockey than in football, basketball or even baseball. I wouldn't mind seeing the big ten schools add hockey. It will be even sweeter when we have beaten the entire big ten on the ice! I think that increasing the audience for ncaa hockey will mean more high school players getting involved and hopefully even more of those good players coming to BG.

[BGDrew]

I still think realignment is more likely to come at this point due to a/some program(s) shutting down than being added. Given all of their financial problems I don't know how much longer the Alaskas or Lake Superiors of the hockey world keep going.

[poltergeist]

if it's just realignment (no adding/shutting down), my suspicion is that it will be triggered in 2017 by Ariz. State going to the NCHC, who will then poach a WCHA team to get to 10.
and that would suck.

[Schadenfreude]

if it's just realignment (no adding/shutting down), my suspicion is that it will be triggered in 2017 by Ariz. State going to the NCHC, who will then poach a WCHA team to get to 10.
and that would suck.

Really? I wonder if Western Michigan and Miami will eventually have second thoughts about being in that conference. My hope is that we can eventually get a new version of the CCHA going again.

[jbakerifm]

I wouldnt be shocked if a program or two gets shuttered, but I'm not 100% sure it will be the cause of the next realignment. I hear a lot of speculation that those snobs down south will get tired of of travel costs, but I'm pretty sure they won't ever jump to a "lesser" conference (due to the afformentioned snobbery). Western might be a different story.

[poltergeist]

if it's just realignment (no adding/shutting down), my suspicion is that it will be triggered in 2017 by Ariz. State going to the NCHC, who will then poach a WCHA team to get to 10.
and that would suck.

Really? I wonder if Western Michigan and Miami will eventually have second thoughts about being in that conference. My hope is that we can eventually get a new version of the CCHA going again.

I'm not a big fan of Schlossman, but yesterday he listed the "ASU-to-NCHC, then poach a team" scenario as the #1 option. With Mankato or BGSU as the most likely WCHA teams to get poached.

BRAD SCHLOSSMAN: Arizona State could trigger more conference shifting
http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/ ... e-shifting" target="_blank

[Schadenfreude]

I'm not a big fan of Schlossman, but yesterday he listed the "ASU-to-NCHC, then poach a team" scenario as the #1 option. With Mankato or BGSU as the most likely WCHA teams to get poached.

BRAD SCHLOSSMAN: Arizona State could trigger more conference shifting
http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/ ... e-shifting" target="_blank

I'm not convinced the NCHC would be better for BGSU. All that travel and, for what? The prestige of playing in the same conference with Colorado College and Miami? Do our fans really care?

I'm not sure this is such a big deal. I tend to prefer our (mostly) bus-oriented league.

[poltergeist]

I'm not a big fan of Schlossman, but yesterday he listed the "ASU-to-NCHC, then poach a team" scenario as the #1 option. With Mankato or BGSU as the most likely WCHA teams to get poached.

BRAD SCHLOSSMAN: Arizona State could trigger more conference shifting
http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/ ... e-shifting" target="_blank

I'm not convinced the NCHC would be better for BGSU. All that travel and, for what? The prestige of playing in the same conference with Colorado College and Miami? Do our fans really care?

I'm not sure this is such a big deal. I tend to prefer our (mostly) bus-oriented league.

right, we don't need no stinkin' NCHC. but if it ain't us, chances are good that Mankato goes. that's more disruption, having to replace them with an Atlantic team. not only would the WCHA lose a top team to the nachos, the WCHA footprint gets even bigger and travel gets even worse--from Alaska all the way to NY state. ridiculous.

a new CCHA would be great for BG, but that would also be huge chaos and screw Atlantic Hockey and others. at this point, conference stability is a good thing.