Big 10 Hockey Officially Announced

[IniNew 53]

Big 10 Hockey forms. Begins play in 2013-2014 season

[bandits_5 18]

I would like to see Notre Dame and Nebraska - Omaha added , but we'll see. Either way , i think its exciting change!

[epstud74 24]

I would like to see Notre Dame and Nebraska - Omaha added , but we'll see. Either way , i think its exciting change!

I could see Notre Dame joining the Big 10 in hockey..Not sure about Nebraska, especially with an already solid UNO team to the east in the Qwest Center.

Not sure whats going to happen to the WCHA.

UNO

Denver

North Dakota

Colorado College

Bemidji State

St Cloud State

Minnesota State

University of Alaska Anchorage

UMD

Michigan Tech is still a pretty damned tough conference

Could be tougher than the CCHA who loses Michigan, OSU and MSU

How is Penn State going to fare? How will being part of a super conference impact recruiting with Penn State and neighboring smaller schools?

[raganblink 82]

I could see Notre Dame joining the Big 10 in hockey..Not sure about Nebraska, especially with an already solid UNO team to the east in the Qwest Center.

Not sure whats going to happen to the WCHA.

UNO

Denver

North Dakota

Colorado College

Bemidji State

St Cloud State

Minnesota State

University of Alaska Anchorage

UMD

Michigan Tech is still a pretty damned tough conference

Could be tougher than the CCHA who loses Michigan, OSU and MSU

How is Penn State going to fare? How will being part of a super conference impact recruiting with Penn State and neighboring smaller schools?

by nebraska he said - nebraska - omaha (UNO) not UNL

[gerbe3:16 19]

Meh. This was inevitable but something I never liked that much. I hope the smaller schools in the WCHA/CCHA that could get dicked by this end up ok.

I blame Paul Kelly.

[epstud74 24]

by nebraska he said - nebraska - omaha (UNO) not UNL

I understand that, but there has been some talk about UN-Lincoln putting together a team. A bit silly if you ask me

[raganblink 82]

the issue with UNL forming a D1 club is two fold - non-traditional hockey market (allbeit they have had USHL since 96 and a couple kids from the area have gone on to play D1) and they would not have an arena to themselves for hockey. They could share with the IceBox where the USHL plays, however no one plays on football saturdays because of just an abismal attendance, even if the game is played at a different time from football, so they'd have to do something for the first month of the season. Also a majority of their games would have to be played mid-day as the USHL team would have rights for night games first and they wouldn't give those up.

I personally wouldn't be surprised to see northwestern and illinois form a D1 program; these two schools IMO would be 10X further ahead of that plan compared to UNL, Iowa, Purdue and Indiana.

[epstud74 24]

I was under the understanding that a new arena was going up in Lincoln. Not sure if it is ice capable though.

Haymarket Arena I believe?

[raganblink 82]

I know Omaha is constructing a new arena for their ushl team

[epstud74 24]

Yep..I also hear that UNO has actually been exploring the idea playing at their own on-campus arena rather than at the Qwest Center.

[goblue9280 33]

I could see Notre Dame joining the Big 10 in hockey..

Notre Dame has had plenty of opportunities to join the Big 10, but they want to remain an independent in football which is a deal breaker for the Big 10. I can't see the Big 10 asking them to join for hockey only... it's all or nothing. I think Bo Schembechler put it best: "To hell with Notre Dame."

[epstud74 24]

Yea, I agree.. Screw that little school in northern Indiana

They dont have a Big10 caliber graduate school anyways

Will being part of the Big 10 really many any impact on schools like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan? They've had the pick of the litter anyways. It probably wont affect schools out east like Boston College or BU unless Penn State makes inroads

[Chadd 916]

Meh. This was inevitable but something I never liked that much. I hope the smaller schools in the WCHA/CCHA that could get dicked by this end up ok.

I blame Paul Kelly.

small schools are going to get run over in the long term. The bigger schools will have more to offer the top recruits, in just about every way.

[epstud74 24]

small schools are going to get run over in the long term. The bigger schools will have more to offer the top recruits, in just about every way.

The smaller schools already have had to compete with the bigger "name" schools in hockey for quite some time now.

[Chadd 916]

The smaller schools already have had to compete with the bigger "name" schools in hockey for quite some time now.

Hockey hasn't been big business for the larger schools, the introduction of the Big Ten hockey conference is the start of a new era. Sure, some of the traditional schools will continue to be good, but you will see a concentration of schools into power divisions and separate from the rest. Not overnight, but it will happen. Much like the BCS has taken over control of college football, the same will start to happen in hockey.

[goblue9280 33]

Will being part of the Big 10 really many any impact on schools like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan?

Recruiting wise, it probably won't make a huge difference. But remember the Big 10 Network that launched a couple of years back is part of the basic tiers for a lot of cable providers (not part of a sports package)... which means Big 10 hockey will be available on TV to a much larger viewership than any other college hockey conference... that is a big deal.

[gerbe3:16 19]

small schools are going to get run over in the long term. The bigger schools will have more to offer the top recruits, in just about every way.

That why I don't like any of this and I hope the Big Ten and PSU fail miserably.

[forbs02 20]

That why I don't like any of this and I hope the Big Ten and PSU fail miserably.

But what are the Big Ten schools going to be able to offer that they don't already? They already have more resources than the Bemidji/UMD/Mankato teams, yet those schools still get good recruits and do fairly well.

[Chadd 916]

But what are the Big Ten schools going to be able to offer that they don't already? They already have more resources than the Bemidji/UMD/Mankato teams, yet those schools still get good recruits and do fairly well.

It all depends on what "benefits" they decide to offer. It happens all the time in football, basketball and baseball.

[bandits_5 18]

Big Ten Network announced a 45 game schedual ( tv ). This will probably help Penn State steal some recruits from Robert Morris and Mercyhurst. Kids wanna be on TV ......

That why I don't like any of this and I hope the Big Ten and PSU fail miserably.

thats sad that you feel that way. Saying you want this exposure to the game to fail , is like saying you want the game itself to fail. And with the finacial backing of Mr. Pegula - failure will not happen.

And the small schools will not get run over because the larger southern (SEC) schools and west coast (pac10)schools are decades , if not lifetimes away from getting involved

[hampshirepuck 2]

Big 10 could make NCAA college commercialized like basketball and football, I think Chadd is right it could be the downfall for smaller schools like Merrimack and UML or Lake Superior State and Bemidji State... who knowns in 2012 NCAA will be going to visors as well so who know what the hell is going to happen with college hockey in the next few years it could be sad or exciting

[raganblink 82]

well the way that is portrayed now, I don't see how it can hurt to be honest. I don't see how it can hurt smaller schools either TBH. They don't get TV time now anyways. They don't get the best recruits (unless coaches or tradition is the bomb) now anyways. Its just making the big boy power conference schools in the big10 bigger, and allowing smaller schools to get some $ and TV appearances b/c they'll be facing them.

Bandit is right... the little schools are fine and aren't going to get run into the ground b/c they can't get on TV and can't get the talent.

out of the 59 teams in D1 puck (including Penn State) there are the 6 big10 schools (OSU, MSU, MU, UM, UW and PSU) and Boston College and Notre Dame, who are big name, big talent, big $ schools that are major players in $$$. There are other big name schools playing hockey, like Yale, Princeton, UCONN, Harvard, Air Force, Army... but they aren't big dollar schools or in big conferences (really, they aren't, i know some are but that's not the point).

A majority of D1 schools are playing D1-AA (or FCS or w/e they call it now), or they are in low level low prestige D1 conferences or even D2. They are only a handful (literally 8) schools who are from big conferences and who are big time financial people making bank with huge athletic department budgets. The little guys are always going to stay little, and aren't ever going to get huge. There are ofcourse hockey powerhouses who help their case (Maine, UNH, UND, BU) make some money for themselves but for the rest they might as well be the local third rate college (if that) for the state who are known for education over sports.

The BCS runs how sports are popular in this country, a stacked WCHA isn't going to help hockey across the nation b/c they could never get their own TV channel or contract (as shown, they can't). The only thing that would bring down small college D1 hockey is the PAC10 getting their ACHA club teams to D! strength, which could happen, but I can't see it. They would need UCLA, USC, Stanford, Cal, Colorado and Washington to adopt D1 programs, which is not going to happen anytime soon for them to make a conference and to put the hell out of it on TV.

The B10 conference starting is a good start for college hockey that is only going to get it more exposure and better chances for kids to start playing hockey for the game to grow. Its good.

[hampshirepuck 2]

Good points but how do you think the Big 10 is going to fair in the Frozen Four? this year, is the first time in a long time there is no eastern exposure in St. Paul.

Also Small Colleges like Merrimack now have deals with NESN just like BC, BU and UNH, do you think the big 10 is going to change the coverage?

[epstud74 24]

There was an all WCHA Final Four not too long ago. The powers that be have done what they could to not allow that to happen again.

The Big 10 should be fine, they'll draw their talent from the USHL like most Midwest teams do.

Michigan

Michigan State

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Ohio State

Penn State

Thats already going to be awfully tough for anyone to compete with that conference for star power.

Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin routinely have a crap ton of draft picks (Minnesota has 18-19 alone) so there definitely will be a lot of talent in the league. It'll probably take PSU a few years to get going, but sounds like they have deep pockets and a commitment to athletic excellence. I wonder how many eastern teams are going to get the USHL stars with the added exposure of a midwestern power conference?

Not only do you have the Big 10 schools recruiting the USHL, teams like North Dakota, UN-O, Colorado College, Denver, St Cloud State, Minnesota State, UMD all will be recruiting the league heavily. Wisconsin and Minnesota will probably play a non-conference schedule heavily loaded with WCHA teams.

[Chadd 916]

You will see them recruiting Canada and Europe more and more as there is only so much "local" talent