New Hockey League...Realignment Starts Now

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Release on the Tech web site. The nWCHA less the geographic outliers.

https://www.michigantechhuskies.com/spo ... 0628nxci54

Seven prominent NCAA Division I men's hockey playing institutions have announced the exploration of a new Division I men's hockey conference that would begin play with the 2021-2022 season. The seven institutions include: Bemidji State University; Bowling Green State University; Ferris State University; Lake Superior State University; Michigan Technological University; Minnesota State University, Mankato; and Northern Michigan University.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

The release on BGSUFalcons.com reads the same. Solid message coordination.

https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2019/6/28/ ... ation.aspx

[Schadenfreude]

Surely, they are hoping to lure additional members in, perhaps from Atlantic Hockey? Who would the likely targets be?

(Or are they first giving the MAC schools a chance to join?) (!)

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

I noticed the "like-minded" comment lifted straight from the early Nacho releases.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Some info on Dr. Morris Kurtz. Former St. Cloud AD and Dir of Strategic Planning at PSU.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-morris-kurtz/
https://gopsusports.com/news/2013/4/9/K ... etics.aspx

[pdt1081]

Surely, they are hoping to lure additional members in, perhaps from Atlantic Hockey? Who would the likely targets be?

(Or are they first giving the MAC schools a chance to join?) (!)

Could also be a "Step up, or step out" message to the three not involved, as well as the WCHA adminstration.

[MarkL]

I propose a name for this conference.

The CCHA.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

I would like to think this "Mankato to the Nacho's" business has been discussed and resolved prior to the announcement.

[footballguy51]

Isn't one of the Alaska schools ending their hockey program anyways? I thought I remembered reading that. So, we were going to be down to 9 schools.

Honestly, the three that are being cut out are the three that fight for last place every year. By leaving them behind you're actually building a stronger conference. Perhaps this becomes the CCHA (didn't BGSU retain the rights to that name?). Then, if you look to add additional regional teams to that conference, I think you look to entice Miami and WMU to jump over. Other NCHC teams that would fit regionally would be Duluth or St. Cloud (we already have Mankato and Bemidji). If you cannot get people to leave NCHC, the other regional teams we could get would be Mercyhurst and Robert Morris. Beyond that, you are leaving your regional footprint...unless you want to try to pull up some schools from Division III (the WIAC has some decent sized schools but I don't know about their program history, and it looks like that conference is for all sports).

My preference would be Miami and Western because they add to the profile, they play us in other sports, and they just seem to belong. I think it would be hard to pull Duluth or St. Cloud. Adding Mercyhurst or Robert Morris would extend us into Pennsylvania which, although close, does stretch our region a little. Also, are those two schools any good or do they detract from the stated mission of our new prospective conference?

[Schadenfreude]

I propose a name for this conference.

The CCHA.

It's the obvious choice.

What's a good number of schools for a hockey conference? Eight? Nine? 10?

Also, hypothetically, if the NCHC was about to extend an offer to Arizona State, that might nudge Miami and Western Michigan in our direction. While Arizona is a wonderful place to visit in the winter, travel in that league isn't cheap.

[AZIce]

Wonder what the Bergeron effect back to Miami may have on any of this.

He may want to be in a conference along with BG and not have all the travel of the NCHC.....remember him an Ty are both old CCHA players and coaches.

Miami's rebuild could also happen faster in a conference that doesn't have UND, UMD and Denver for 12+ games every year.

[BGDrew]

The buyout for the NCHC is believed to be around $2.5 million these days.

I don’t see a MAC school having that kind of money in the budget.

[MarkL]

As I understand it, buyouts are usually negotiated down. It would be nice to include WMU and Miami.

[Falconwriter]

I don't see Miami jumping out of the NCHC, simply because of the mind set that infects that university (you know, the whole "we're better than you" thing?) Western, on the other hand, would be a perfect fit, especially with all the other Michigan schools. And 8 is a solid number for a league. Play home/home with all league members, and then fill in with other games. All in all, I see this as a good move, and hope they use the CCHA name.

[TommyG]

Huh? That’s a 5-8 wins every year out the door. Gonna be tough to keep up those 3rd place finishes.

Those other three schools shouldn’t have college hockey teams. The alaska schools are on life support anyway. Huntsville is probably done too if Atlantic Hockey doesn’t take them.