Disturbing letter to editor

[Ydfalcon]

Hello All!

I'd like to invite EVERYONE out to the Ice Arena today (Saturday March 14th) between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm to "sign a sign" to be put up in the Ice Arena to further show our support.

13abc should be there and we need all of the numbers we can get to plaster the arena! Come support the team and watch the youngest reasons why we are fighting. Without the arena, The BGYHA is going to be in trouble.

If you can't make it...please PM me or send me an e-mail to [email protected] and I'd be happy to add your name and message!

GO FALCONS!!
Erika

I was at the arena today participating in a curling tournament (wearing an old orange BG hockey jersey), and it was great to see the flyers posted al around the arena. I added my name, as did my fiancee, brother and my dad, none of whom (aside from me of course) are/have ever been BG students. But they too recognize the importance of BG hockey to this university and the community. I just hope that this display of support from the global BG community helps to convince the trustees that this program is too important to cut.

[MACMAN]

this is interesting, and I appologize if its already posted
Alabama-Huntsville could join WMU in CCHA
by Rick Shanley | Kalamazoo Gazette
Friday January 16, 2009, 2:24 AM

KALAMAZOO -- The boys from Huntsville love their sleeper bus.

They'd probably love it even more if they knew where it might take them next year.
College hockey's tectonic plates are shifting and the possibility exists that the sport's geography will be drastically rearranged next season by the movement of several teams, including the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
WMU vs. Alabama-Huntsville
• When: 7:35 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
• Where: Lawson Ice Arena.
• TV: None.
• Radio: WQXC-FM 100.9.

But Chargers head coach Danton Cole and his players were only focused on one direction Wednesday evening -- north, with their heads resting on pillows as they motored eight hours through middle Tennessee for this weekend's series against Western Michigan.

"This is a typical coach's comment, but we're just trying to get these guys prepared to play every weekend," said Cole, the former Muskegon Fury and Grand Rapids Griffins head coach who was hired to lead UAH's program two seasons ago -- before the rumbles began.

"Obviously, there are things going on, but all we can do is focus on the games."

So what's going on?

College Hockey America, UAH's conference, is in trouble. With just four teams, its automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament -- the ultimate measure of any credible league -- is in danger of being revoked.

Adding teams does not appear to be on the horizon, either, according to Tom Anastos, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's commissioner who is also president of the Hockey Commissioners' Association.

"The automatic qualifier is certainly an important issue behind the ongoing viability of the CHA," Anastos said. "Without an automatic qualifier, the CHA is not likely to survive. With only four teams in the league, I'm guessing that it would be very difficult for the committee to continue to approve an automatic qualifier for the league."

As a result, CHA teams are scrambling.

UAH has, "submitted a letter requesting the opportunity to make application for membership into the (CCHA)," Anastos said.

"We have exchanged some correspondence trying to answer some questions they have on the process."

Should the Chargers join the CCHA -- and therefore make even more northern bus trips -- it could touch off a chain reaction that might extent to other leagues in an effort to maintain schedule and geographical balance across the country.

Anastos is on record saying the CCHA is happy with the number of teams it currently has (12), but there's also a wider view.

"We do not want to see programs go away," Anastos said. "However, at the same time not every program is the right fit for every league and association. This is where it gets complex, and to date, very difficult to find feasible solutions for."

But Cole, whose UAH program is celebrating its 30th season (that includes club, Division II and Division III teams), says his school remains committed to hockey.

"From our president on down, everyone is very optimistic about it and it's our full intention to continue to have hockey here as long as possible," Cole said. Unless it's ripped away from us, my opinion at least is around here it's very important to the university. They're continuing to put the resources into it."

http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/ ... oin_w.html


wonder if steps have all ready been taken for AH to slide on in to the 12 spot....

[sbkbghockey]

this is interesting, and I appologize if its already posted
Alabama-Huntsville could join WMU in CCHA
by Rick Shanley | Kalamazoo Gazette
Friday January 16, 2009, 2:24 AM

KALAMAZOO -- The boys from Huntsville love their sleeper bus.

They'd probably love it even more if they knew where it might take them next year.
College hockey's tectonic plates are shifting and the possibility exists that the sport's geography will be drastically rearranged next season by the movement of several teams, including the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
WMU vs. Alabama-Huntsville
• When: 7:35 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
• Where: Lawson Ice Arena.
• TV: None.
• Radio: WQXC-FM 100.9.

But Chargers head coach Danton Cole and his players were only focused on one direction Wednesday evening -- north, with their heads resting on pillows as they motored eight hours through middle Tennessee for this weekend's series against Western Michigan.

"This is a typical coach's comment, but we're just trying to get these guys prepared to play every weekend," said Cole, the former Muskegon Fury and Grand Rapids Griffins head coach who was hired to lead UAH's program two seasons ago -- before the rumbles began.

"Obviously, there are things going on, but all we can do is focus on the games."

So what's going on?

College Hockey America, UAH's conference, is in trouble. With just four teams, its automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament -- the ultimate measure of any credible league -- is in danger of being revoked.

Adding teams does not appear to be on the horizon, either, according to Tom Anastos, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's commissioner who is also president of the Hockey Commissioners' Association.

"The automatic qualifier is certainly an important issue behind the ongoing viability of the CHA," Anastos said. "Without an automatic qualifier, the CHA is not likely to survive. With only four teams in the league, I'm guessing that it would be very difficult for the committee to continue to approve an automatic qualifier for the league."

As a result, CHA teams are scrambling.

UAH has, "submitted a letter requesting the opportunity to make application for membership into the (CCHA)," Anastos said.

"We have exchanged some correspondence trying to answer some questions they have on the process."

Should the Chargers join the CCHA -- and therefore make even more northern bus trips -- it could touch off a chain reaction that might extent to other leagues in an effort to maintain schedule and geographical balance across the country.

Anastos is on record saying the CCHA is happy with the number of teams it currently has (12), but there's also a wider view.

"We do not want to see programs go away," Anastos said. "However, at the same time not every program is the right fit for every league and association. This is where it gets complex, and to date, very difficult to find feasible solutions for."

But Cole, whose UAH program is celebrating its 30th season (that includes club, Division II and Division III teams), says his school remains committed to hockey.

"From our president on down, everyone is very optimistic about it and it's our full intention to continue to have hockey here as long as possible," Cole said. Unless it's ripped away from us, my opinion at least is around here it's very important to the university. They're continuing to put the resources into it."

http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/ ... oin_w.html


wonder if steps have all ready been taken for AH to slide on in to the 12 spot....

It'd be nice to see UAH in the CCHA (BG might not be in last place next season then!) I've heard some rumors about Nebraska Omaha moving to the WCHA but I think they're only rumors. Recently I've heard stuff about Northern Michigan thinking about the move back to the WCHA. All the stuff about BG's program this week makes UAH's chances a little more possible too!

[MooneyRich86]

I hate to get to this point but with the incredible mismanagement of the
entire University (despite raising over $140 mil. the past few years) it may
be time to think of using legal action to fight any large budget cuts that
are made a the "discretion" of many long time "state" employees who
have milked that gravy train for decades. It has to be considered !!

[NWLB]

(despite raising over $140 mil. the past few years

Few years? Hardly, they still count naming money for the Union in that farce of a number. The laughable part is how hey spent as much time re-counting money spanning YEARS before they ever moved forward with the campaign.

The truth was, and is, that they couldn't come up with the money they were hoping too and the analysts were right, BGSU couldn't raise nearly as much as it hoped.

The footing the university is on now can do better, and that is the rub. They finally pulled enough experience together to do better.

[MACMAN]

Could there also be a move in the works to realign the W and CCHA morphing the CCHA into the BIG Ten?

[rood]

That rumor has been around for years but the fact remains that only five big ten schools have hockey teams and it is unlikely that any are going to start up such an expensive sport from scratch.

[AZIce]

Penn State is the only other Big Ten school that has even TALKED about going DI. They are ounce again looking into arena studies, but I think expecting any programs to add hockey in this economy is a pipe dream.

http://www.pennlive.com/pennstate/patri ... xml&coll=1

Illinois has a very good ACHA DI club team, but I have never heard any mention of them ever considering going DI. Jim Delaney has stated before that unless the Big 10 had at least 7 sport playing schools the conferece is not interested in running it. Even then the schools would have to come to him and ask, He would not seek them out.

Most college hockey insiders say a Big Ten hockey conference would be an Atomic Bomb that would kill the sport. Putting the biggest and most wealthy schools all in one conference. I think the WCHA could survive with N. Dakota, CC, and Denver, but it would really hurt the CCHA losing UM, MSU and OSU. More likely would be PSU joining the CCHA or Hockey East

[NWLB]

There is a more basic logic to not having a Big Ten hockey conference, and it is simply the gain from having the teams spread across the entire division. If Penn State goes to HE, you have OSU, MSU, and UM in CCHA, and WI and MN in WCHA. You can basically own the NCAA annually. Vs. having all in one, and cutting down the number of NCAA bids.

[AZIce]

Remember too that Title IX is a huge barrier to schools adding DI hockey. If they add 20 men's scholarships then they are going to have to add some women's teams or kill some other men's teams.

It is really tough to go DI in Hockey. That's why we can't lose our program. Once it is gone it will, never, ever be back....period.

[Falcon Fanatic]

Remember too that Title IX is a huge barrier to schools adding DI hockey. If they add 20 men's scholarships then they are going to have to add some women's teams or kill some other men's teams.

It is really tough to go DI in Hockey. That's why we can't lose our program. Once it is gone it will, never, ever be back....period.

Truer words have never been said!! And that is why it is SO important for people to speak up!!! The community, the students, the alumni, the fans, all of us need to make our voices heard!!!

[NWLB]

This is the point I'm getting at when I say that the community is going to have to effectively take control of things. And it is here that we will run into existing bureaucratic issues.

People want to mobilize and get things done. But if the University/athletics expect the same over-taxed group of folks at Falcon Club, marketing, and development to do the work, the program is doomed. There aren't the man-hours there for those groups to do the work. Yet we also will have to be fully mindful of various NCAA regulations, and keep the efforts within some kind of over-sight boundaries.

This effort won't work if all we are given the option to do is respond to being told to buy more ticket through the same worn means of doing so.

This requires out of the penalty-box thinking, and something that lets the frenzy of motivation flow efficiently.

[Falcon Fanatic]

This requires out of the penalty-box thinking, and something that lets the frenzy of motivation flow efficiently.

Getting organized would do that! We are trying to do that as I speak!

[NWLB]

This requires out of the penalty-box thinking, and something that lets the frenzy of motivation flow efficiently.

Getting organized would do that! We are trying to do that as I speak!

Good, I'd like to know more.

[MooneyRich86]

NWLB: I'd like to hear more of your ideas and I would like to hear more

about the "numbers" games that BG has been playing. That could be

extremely helpful to us. There are plenty of alumni in various fields that

would be willing to help in any way possible. It is sadly very obvious that

this University has been poorly run in many areas for decades. This is

"state" monies and we have the right to see "all" the books and every

budget line.