College hockey: 2013-14 season

[raganblink 82]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=568973&navid=mod-rr-headlines

2013-14 Season sees new conference created.

Denver, Colorado College, UNO, UND, UM-Duluth, Miami form their own conference to start 2013 season.

The Big10 hockey conference also starts at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

Minnesota, Wisconsin (WCHA) and Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State (CCHA) and Penn State (independent) will start that season.

In the WCHA that leaves Alaska-Anchoroage, St Cloud State, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Minnesota State (coincidentally, the 5 worst teams last season) remaining. In the CCHA that will leave Notre Dame, Western Michigan, Northern Michigan, Alaska-Juneau, Lake Superior, Bowling Green and Ferris State.

Both considerably lose their money bringers. Pretty much crippling the rest of the conference. CCHA would fare better with ND, but after that, that's it.

What happens to these conferences? Do they combine with each other to try and support each other? Do they start the expansion for D1 hockey out West? Honestly I feel sorry for these conferences, their best and most profitable teams are leaving them, thus lowering the amount of people that might go to the smaller schools. Its a harder draw when you're facing Ferris State more then you are Michigan.

Regardless, can't wait until 2013-14. Should be highly interesting seeing a huge mixup in college puck.

[gerbe3:16 19]

I hate this whole thing. This is a death blow for the programs that made this sport unique; they'll left behind to wither and die one by one. How do you sell a recruit to come to those schools now? Talk will undoubtedly be about their potential demise so there is a lot of uncertainty, you can't guarantee they will be playing any of their normal big conference schools they usually play, and they aren't normally that desirable anyway in the current configuration.

College hockey was a hidden gem. Now it's a tarnished piece of crap (thanks Penn State).

The surprise is Notre Dame being left out in no man's land. That is nuts. But would be pretty funny considering they won't get some sack and join a conference for FB.

I hope Hockey East stays the same and doesn't try to get Notre Dame because they think people will want to watch them on TV, especially with tv contract negotiations coming up.

Perhaps the best thing to happen would be immediate expansion elsewhere, farther out west where talk about Arizona or Arizona State, USC, Washington, and a few other PAC10 (or however many schools are in that conf. now) schools has been thrown around as potential new programs in D1 by College Hockey Inc.

College sports has become somewhat of a joke with the tv contracts running the show now. I had always hoped college hockey was enough of a misfit to avoid it but the Big Ten just couldn't leave well enough alone when they thought they might make 50 cents off of it. It's sad but true.

[Axxion89 32]

I hate this whole thing. This is a death blow for the programs that made this sport unique; they'll left behind to wither and die one by one. How do you sell a recruit to come to those schools now? Talk will undoubtedly be about their potential demise so there is a lot of uncertainty, you can't guarantee they will be playing any of their normal big conference schools they usually play, and they aren't normally that desirable anyway in the current configuration.

College hockey was a hidden gem. Now it's a tarnished piece of crap (thanks Penn State).

The surprise is Notre Dame being left out in no man's land. That is nuts. But would be pretty funny considering they won't get some sack and join a conference for FB.

I hope Hockey East stays the same and doesn't try to get Notre Dame because they think people will want to watch them on TV, especially with tv contract negotiations coming up.

Perhaps the best thing to happen would be immediate expansion elsewhere, farther out west where talk about Arizona or Arizona State, USC, Washington, and a few other PAC10 (or however many schools are in that conf. now) schools has been thrown around as potential new programs in D1 by College Hockey Inc.

College sports has become somewhat of a joke with the tv contracts running the show now. I had always hoped college hockey was enough of a misfit to avoid it but the Big Ten just couldn't leave well enough alone when they thought they might make 50 cents off of it. It's sad but true.

This is why I REFUSE to watch college sports unless its my school live. They make millions of dollars and gets another set of millions from the state and federal government yet inflate the cost of college tuition to bankrupt their graduates and pass none of the revenue onto the athletes that earn them the money.

[Haggerty 144]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=568973&navid=mod-rr-headlines

2013-14 Season sees new conference created.

Denver, Colorado College, UNO, UND, UM-Duluth, Miami form their own conference to start 2013 season.

The Big10 hockey conference also starts at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

Minnesota, Wisconsin (WCHA) and Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State (CCHA) and Penn State (independent) will start that season.

In the WCHA that leaves Alaska-Anchoroage, St Cloud State, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Minnesota State (coincidentally, the 5 worst teams last season) remaining. In the CCHA that will leave Notre Dame, Western Michigan, Northern Michigan, Alaska-Juneau, Lake Superior, Bowling Green and Ferris State.

Both considerably lose their money bringers. Pretty much crippling the rest of the conference. CCHA would fare better with ND, but after that, that's it.

What happens to these conferences? Do they combine with each other to try and support each other? Do they start the expansion for D1 hockey out West? Honestly I feel sorry for these conferences, their best and most profitable teams are leaving them, thus lowering the amount of people that might go to the smaller schools. Its a harder draw when you're facing Ferris State more then you are Michigan.

Regardless, can't wait until 2013-14. Should be highly interesting seeing a huge mixup in college puck.

That's one sick division....

[sitzlejd 0]

Seriously! ^^^

[goblue9280 33]

I'm not pessimistic about it, I think it ultimately leads to expansion of D1 hockey. While the WCHA/CCHA take a hit, this isn't a death blow to the remaining member teams. The B1G and this new super-conference only have 6 memebers each (as of today... I've heard they may add 2 more), meaning they will be playing a fair number of out-of-conference games... most likely against the nearby WCHA/CCHA teams. If the WCHA and CCHA are able to survive for a few years, you'll essentially have 1 or 2 decent (but lower level) conferences that are ripe for expansion. It just seems to me that this creates a more inviting environment for schools aspiring to make the leap to Div 1.

[trevor13478 1]

Julie Robenhymer over at hockeybuzz has a pretty positive take on it http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=37000&blogger_id=99

Personally, I don't think this is terrible for the sport. I love college hockey and while the money aspect and the big 10 getting involved doesn't cast a very positive light on it, I agree with goblue in that it could open the door for for more schools to field d1 programs. The downside is that these schools that were left behind could turn into almost a d1AA type of situation like in football (which is downright stupid IMO). These smaller divisions will mean a significant number of out of conference games so hopefully, with a lot of those schools being in pretty close proximity in the midwest, the big boys will still visit most of those smaller schools.

[nickyb13 9]

hopefully the CCHA will look at adding Alabama Huntsville

[goblue9280 33]

hopefully the CCHA will look at adding Alabama Huntsville

Maybe, but I think the CCHA will look at closer schools from the AHA first. Word is Notre Dame and Western Michigan have been invited to the super conference... and Northern is set to bolt for the WCHA which would probably mean Lake State follows. That would leave the CCHA with BGSU, Ferris and Alaska. I doubt BGSU and Ferris would be receptive to adding another distant school due to the high travel costs that would bring. Still, I would like to see it, being the only Div 1 team in the south, they need to be protected.

[Chadd 916]

Personally, I don't think this is terrible for the sport

It's going to bring more money and more recognition to the sport. Some of that is good and some of it is bad, the question is "how much of each?" The answer will be different depending on your point of view and attachment to tradition.

[chippa13 1844]

This is why I REFUSE to watch college sports unless its my school live. They make millions of dollars and gets another set of millions from the state and federal government yet inflate the cost of college tuition to bankrupt their graduates and pass none of the revenue onto the athletes that earn them the money.

Someone is a little bitter about paying back his/her school loan.

[goblue9280 33]

They make millions of dollars and gets another set of millions from the state and federal government yet inflate the cost of college tuition to bankrupt their graduates...

That's not always the case. Michigan, along with 21 other Div 1 atheltic departments are 100% self-sufficient, i.e. cover all of their expenses from department generated revenue (media/ticket sales/donations). http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2011-06-15-athletic-departments-increase-money_n.htm

... and pass none of the revenue onto the athletes that earn them the money.

No, the money goes to supporting the numerous other athletes that don't compete in profit generating sports. At Michigan, only football, basketball and hockey have net profits... the other 26 varsity sports all operate at a loss.

[Haggerty 144]

It's going to bring more money and more recognition to the sport. Some of that is good and some of it is bad, the question is "how much of each?" The answer will be different depending on your point of view and attachment to tradition.

I think it will be a good thing if the money is split equally between the teams in the conference, but in the long run this will hurt the teams like Lake Superior. Also hope these conferences add more teams, but I know the big ten won't unless ND joins for all sports.

[raganblink 82]

No, the money goes to supporting the numerous other athletes that don't compete in profit generating sports. At Michigan, only football, basketball and hockey have net profits... the other 26 varsity sports all operate at a loss.

Which is why this is a bad thing for the schools being left behind in WCHA/CCHA.

When your schedule isn't going to have Wisconsin, ND, Minnesota on it that is going to hurt you. For instance, with the football conference switch, Nebraska and Colorado leaving the Big12 hurts ISU, Mizzou, Kstate and Kansas, as those 4 schools now have to face the south every year (so they will lose more games) and both of those games are guaranteed sell-outs when they come to town. Now instead of a home game against them, they'll have a home game against Baylor, which will certainly bring in the dough.

Conference re-alignment is overall good for the sport imo, GREAT for the teams who are on the right end of things, but horrible for the have-nots.

I realize they will still have their out of conference games so they still can play those big schools, but... guess how many times Michigan is going to WANT to go to Ferris State for a weekend. Not often.

[nickyb13 9]

http://www.uscho.com/2011/07/20/ccha-set-for-exploratory-tuesday-meeting-with-4-atlantic-hockey-teams/

[Apes44 7]

I would love for ND to go to Hockey East or the big 10. The ND/UM rivalry is huge and will be missed greatly