Illinois rumored to be announcing D1 Program 5/14

[BGDrew]

https://twitter.com/jessrmyers/status/1 ... 35584?s=21" target="_blank

https://twitter.com/joemeloni/status/11 ... 47106?s=21" target="_blank

https://twitter.com/joemeloni/status/11 ... 65920?s=21" target="_blank

Looking like they’d be starting play in 2021-2022.

[Schadenfreude]

https://twitter.com/jessrmyers/status/1 ... 35584?s=21

https://twitter.com/joemeloni/status/11 ... 47106?s=21" target="_blank

https://twitter.com/joemeloni/status/11 ... 65920?s=21" target="_blank

Looking like they’d be starting play in 2021-2022.

So, playing this out, would Arizona State then be more likely to join the NCHC? Would that create additional interest at Western Michigan and Miami in a conference more focused on Middle America?

[BGFan]

https://twitter.com/jessrmyers/status/1 ... 35584?s=21

https://twitter.com/joemeloni/status/11 ... 47106?s=21" target="_blank

https://twitter.com/joemeloni/status/11 ... 65920?s=21" target="_blank

Looking like they’d be starting play in 2021-2022.

So, playing this out, would Arizona State then be more likely to join the NCHC? Would that create additional interest at Western Michigan and Miami in a conference more focused on Middle America?

Miami and WMU would each need to come up with a million dollars to get out of the NCHC unless they were asked to leave. Unless someone throws $ at them to leave I wouldn't count on it happening in the near future. Geographically, ASU fits the NCHC but, then again, so do the Alaska schools.

[pdt1081]

Miami and WMU would each need to come up with a million dollars to get out of the NCHC unless they were asked to leave. Unless someone throws $ at them to leave I wouldn't count on it happening in the near future. Geographically, ASU fits the NCHC but, then again, so do the Alaska schools.

Thought it was $2.5 million a piece to leave?

[BGDrew]

The NCHC team buyout is equal to the league’s yearly expenses. For FY 2017 that was $1.65m. That’s obviously old numbers, but FY 2018’s tax forms aren’t available yet.

[Freddie]

Geography has nothing to do with conference alignment in today's world.
Zero, zip, nada, diddley, zilch, zed, bumpkiss.

[rc_ziggy84]

Geography matters for Hockey East and the ECAC. It did for most of the country until the NCHC messed it up.

The BigTen was inevitable, but the NCHC was unnecessary and is the biggest drain on college hockey today.

[Flipper]

The formation of the NCHC was a knee jerk reaction to a "problem" (Big 10 hockey) that you could see coming from a mile away. Knee jerk reactions usually turn out poorly...

[BGDrew]

The NCHC was formed because the large WCHA schools were tired of the smaller programs being an anchor/money leech. Now the NoDak and UMD’s don’t have to share league profits with the UAA’s of the hockey world.

Despite others crying on behalf of WMU and Miami about how they want out of the NCHC, they’re still getting league profit checks every year.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

With 5/14 now only one day away we might as well toss this out there. I'm not seeing how Illinois adding a program starts the realignment dominoes tumbling. They round out the B1G but that still leaves ASU as an indie with the remaining leagues standing pat.

I also don't see Western or Miami State ever leaving the Nachos.

Anybody else see this differently?

[rood]

I don't see why Arizona should care about getting into a conference. They're having no difficulty playing a full schedule and made it to nationals this year. Also, why would a whole conference want to commit to having to make those trips? Even Denver and Colorado College would have to fly.

I think Western and Miami might consider leaving the NCHC if somebody ponied up the exit fees but I can't imagine them doing it on their own. Do the league profit checks cover their travel expenses?

[Schadenfreude]

I don't see why Arizona should care about getting into a conference. They're having no difficulty playing a full schedule and made it to nationals this year. Also, why would a whole conference want to commit to having to make those trips? Even Denver and Colorado College would have to fly.

Rarely is independence better than being in a conference. I've got to think Arizona State would rather be in a league, just as, in football, New Mexico State and Massachusetts would rather be in conferences.

For the NCHC, the upside would be the brand and the ability to sell recruits on an annual winter trip to Arizona. The downside is the additional travel.

If the NCHC adds Arizona State, would the NCHC feel a need to add a second school?

If so, would Miami and Western Michigan advocate for Bowling Green to be brought in? Would we want to go?

And, if instead the NCHC paired Arizona State with a Minnesota school, would that be enough to cause Miami and Western Michigan to begin rethinking membership in what would be an increasingly far flung league?

Those are the questions, I think.

[BGDrew]

The last I’ve heard there is exactly 0% interest on BG’s side in joining the NCHC. There’s been constant rumors of an attempted CCHA resurrection since realignment, but nothing has come from those talks.

If I had a crystal ball, I’d say ASU will be in the NCHC within three years with Mankato. I could also see one of the Alaska programs facing the chopping block which would take the WCHA to eight members (aka the perfect number for a league).

[pdt1081]

I don't see why Arizona should care about getting into a conference. They're having no difficulty playing a full schedule and made it to nationals this year. Also, why would a whole conference want to commit to having to make those trips? Even Denver and Colorado College would have to fly.

Arizona had almost a month off between their last regular season game and the NCAA tournament game. It will be very difficult to win a tournament game with that kind of time off, especially when you're playing teams that have played 5-6 games in that time span.

[pdt1081]

The NCHC was formed because the large WCHA schools were tired of the smaller programs being an anchor/money leech. Now the NoDak and UMD’s don’t have to share league profits with the UAA’s of the hockey world.

There's more to it than just the money. The "invested" schools no longer had a majority which meant the smaller schools could push through whatever they wanted as long as they stayed together. Being in control of the conference had a lot to do with it also.