Arizona State will not be joining the Big Ten

[pdt1081]

Miami's president told president Mazey that joining the NCHC was "the worst mistake they've ever made."

Wow.

A sold out arena. 6 bus trips and one 1/2 paid for plane trip (worst case) every year vs plane trips to Colorado (x2) and North Dakota (no compensation), and bus trips to Nebraska and St Cloud, added to 3/4 full arena at best.

There's a reason Miami and Western want BG in the league. There's a bigger reason BG doesn't want to be in that league.

That reason is BG isn't good enough to win in that league...just be happy being competitive in the conference we are in.

We get it. You don't watch much college hockey

[pdt1081]

Is this true? Do we know that BGSU would pass on an invitation to the NCHC in the current environment?

While none of the schools have publicly made the comments to the media, it's not really a secret in the hockey world.

Given our realistic options, perhaps the best course is to bide our time, and try to lure Miami and Western Michigan out of the NCHC into a new CCHA, one that includes some Western New York schools. If Miami's president is anywhere near as sour on the NCHC as pt1081 is saying, maybe the other MAC schools can be pried loose.

This is most definitely the best option. But that rumored $1.5 million exit fee for Miami and Western would be a hard pill for them to swallow. Remember, Western literally begged to be included in the NCHC (WhyWestern).

[Miami (Oh) Yeah !]

BG would be beyond foolish to decline an NCHC bid if given the opportunity. The TV exposure from CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports, ASN, Midco, local TV, and soon to be PAC12 Networks is as good as any conference in college hockey. The Frozen Four revenue and weekly TV highlight show along with a future Roku/AppleTV app to broadcast HD NCHC.tv are among the perks. Its the strongest conference and has benefited Miami in everyway.

Sure, we miss the old CCHA set-up with UM, ND, OSU, and Mich St, but that is now in the rear-view mirror and it is not returning. The only way Miami leaves the NCHC is for an affiliate Big Ten membership of which Let's Play Hockey says we are in the running.

These delusions of Miami and Western leaving the NCHC to form a new CCHA with a bunch of scrub teams in a one-bid conference with no TV deal or revenue is simply wishful thinking by some bitter BG fans. The thought of that would be irresponsible and destructive to our program. It would be like Xavier leaving the Big East because they felt sorry for their old buds Dayton to form a new basketball league with UD and Wright St. whatever else they could cobble together. Or West Virginia leaving the Big 12 to join the MAC because of travel. Not gonna happen, moving forward.

The MAC is the MAC and college hockey is the only sport where Miami is in a top-tier power conference that they invested lots of money and effort to reach. Travelling to Alaska and Alabama is likely the same or worse than taking a direct flight to Denver or Phoenix. And I'd be surprised if their isnt some sort of travel subsidy and PAC12 Networks agreement with ASU to gain their affiliate membership. If St. Cloud and tiny Colorado College can handle the travel on D2 and D3 budgets without the whining, then BG can too.

If BG were offered NCHC invite and BG declines then there should be no more whining. Miami has no interest in destroying their program for a CCHA memory that no longer exists.

[Lord_Byron]

That clinches it.

Why would anyone pass up the opportunity to join a conference with a Roku app?

[jpfalcon09]

BG would be beyond foolish to decline an NCHC bid if given the opportunity. The TV exposure from CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports, ASN, Midco, local TV, and soon to be PAC12 Networks is as good as any conference in college hockey. The Frozen Four revenue and weekly TV highlight show along with a future Roku/AppleTV app to broadcast HD NCHC.tv are among the perks. Its the strongest conference and has benefited Miami in everyway.

Sure, we miss the old CCHA set-up with UM, ND, OSU, and Mich St, but that is now in the rear-view mirror and it is not returning. The only way Miami leaves the NCHC is for an affiliate Big Ten membership of which Let's Play Hockey says we are in the running.

These delusions of Miami and Western leaving the NCHC to form a new CCHA with a bunch of scrub teams in a one-bid conference with no TV deal or revenue is simply wishful thinking by some bitter BG fans. The thought of that would be irresponsible and destructive to our program. It would be like Xavier leaving the Big East because they felt sorry for their old buds Dayton to form a new basketball league with UD and Wright St. whatever else they could cobble together. Or West Virginia leaving the Big 12 to join the MAC because of travel. Not gonna happen, moving forward.

The MAC is the MAC and college hockey is the only sport where Miami is in a top-tier power conference that they invested lots of money and effort to reach. Travelling to Alaska and Alabama is likely the same or worse than taking a direct flight to Denver or Phoenix. And I'd be surprised if their isnt some sort of travel subsidy and PAC12 Networks agreement with ASU to gain their affiliate membership. If St. Cloud and tiny Colorado College can handle the travel on D2 and D3 budgets without the whining, then BG can too.

If BG were offered NCHC invite and BG declines then there should be no more whining. Miami has no interest in destroying their program for a CCHA memory that no longer exists.

All valid points.

I don't see BG moving up anytime soon. The program has yet to make the next step in reaching the NCAA tournament and has struggled with consistency in a league that's full of many mediocre to below average programs. I don't think anyone associated with BG hockey is going to be willing to take the extra hit in travel costs and potential bottom dwelling until they can prove they can consistently win within the WCHA. I know some here don't think that's the case but it's the truth...BG is in the right conference for where the success of the program is.

I do believe at some point there will be a massive realignment again in college hockey. That may not mean that programs like Miami or WMU will leave the NCHC, but it likely will be talked about. You look at the NCHC for example and Miami and WMU are the only two programs who also have to support FBS football. Eventually the costs will begin to outweigh the benefits and they'll be looking to get out. Hockey unfortunately is not a winning proposition for many schools, and the ones who have been successful recently are committed to their success of their programs because they simply don't have many other sports to worry about.

[Schadenfreude]

I don't know that a revived CCHA would necessarily be contingent on Miami and Western Michigan leaving the NCHC. But there would be a lot of moving parts, and I don't travel in hockey circles.

[jpfalcon09]

I don't know that a revived CCHA would necessarily be contingent on Miami and Western Michigan leaving the NCHC. But there would be a lot of moving parts, and I don't travel in hockey circles.

Without Miami or WMU, you'd have a league that looks like this:

Bowling Green
Ferris State
Lake Superior State
Northern Michigan
Michigan Tech (they've always been a WCHA member though)

Then you'd look to add other schools:

Robert Morris
Alabama-Huntsville
Mercyhurst
Canisius
Niagara

So, you have possibly ten schools but none of them exactly powerhouses, and no guarantee that the schools in PA or NY would be willing to move conferences...that's ultimately the problem that Miami and WMU being tied to the NCHC causes. This is better for travel and cost management, but this league is below the WCHA in terms of notoriety and overall talent.

[poltergeist]

That clinches it.

Why would anyone pass up the opportunity to join a conference with a Roku app?

ahh, that explains why Miami and Western's attendance has been nosediving in the NCHC.
#becauseRoku.

[BGDrew]

Without knowing too much of the financials involved (such as team share of revenue) it's hard to tell whether a NCHC move would be a positive. I do know the "new" WCHA hasn't come anywhere close to making a profit, which means there's no payout to member schools each year.

If an NCHC invite were presented to BG it's certainly be considered.

[apollo]

If the NCHC looks to add another team, I think Minnesota State, Michigan Tech, and Ferris would all be better options. Schools focused on hockey first with more recent success. I think that BG fans have a very big misconception on where BGSU stands in D1 hockey.

[birdsofafeather]

I tend to agree with apollo on this.. IF there is to be another addition to NCHC, I think the short list is Mankato, and maybe Tech. I honestly do not believe that BG has a shot if this were to happen.

[Schadenfreude]

I tend to agree with apollo on this.. IF there is to be another addition to NCHC, I think the short list is Mankato, and maybe Tech. I honestly do not believe that BG has a shot if this were to happen.

I suspect Miami and Western Michigan would advocate for Bowling Green. I also tend to think that the addition of Minnesota State would add to whatever level of frustration the MAC schools already have with the NCHC. (Mankato is an an 11-hour bus trip from Oxford, Ohio.)

Nine is a rough number. Maybe the NCHC could stand pat at that number and work out a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten for bye weekends until another option emerges.

As far as that future option: There are rumblings that Nevada-Las Vegas may one day take up the sport. They would be a natural for the NCHC (and another long flight for Miami and Western Michigan).

[poltergeist]

IF there is to be another addition to NCHC, I think the short list is Mankato, and maybe Tech. I honestly do not believe that BG has a shot if this were to happen.

Mankato and BGSU both make sense, although let's hope BGSU would tell 'em to bugger off.

Tech will never happen--the Nachos went to a lot of trouble to dump Tech and Anchorage.

[BGDrew]

Really surprised how many people are pushing aside the NCHC. Top half of the conference makes the NCAAs every season, we'd be back in a conference with our MAC breathern, and you'd get to see teams like North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth every season.

[Schadenfreude]

Really surprised how many people are pushing aside the NCHC. Top half of the conference makes the NCAAs every season, we'd be back in a conference with our MAC breathern, and you'd get to see teams like North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth every season.

I would be surprised if the NCHC lineup goosed attendance much. Sure, hosting Miami every year would help. But would the chance to see North Dakota or Minnesota-Duluth really impress fans more than the chance to see (for example) Alaska or Minnesota State?

I'm having trouble seeing how joining the NCHC would improve the financial position of our athletic department.