Notre Dame headed to B1G for Hockey

[Seaa Blue]

Big Ten: 'It's A Win-Win'
Opening Arms to Notre Dame Born From Necessity
http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2016/03/24_big_ten_its_a_win-win.php

Some good stuff there.

CHN: So this wasn't about leading to football, it was just about helping hockey?

Traviolia: Yes, it's been a hockey-specific conversation the entire time.

CHN: Notre Dame probably would've done this three years ago. Was it just not the right timing then for the Big Ten?

Traviolia: I think a lot of things have to evolve naturally. We got to six schools with Penn State, we wanted to compete, we started it. At the time, we hadn't done the affiliate membership yet. So (forming a hockey conference) was really, "Let's get it started, let's learn from experience, and see how it goes."

CHN: Back to Notre Dame, the trickiness of it — I have to imagine the television aspect of it had to at least be a tricky aspect. How hard was it to work out?

Traviolia: To be honest, it was a non-issue. We feel we have a great television arrangement with BTN. Notre Dame has their own TV deal (with NBC Sports). Easy because we already had a road map with how we work with Hopkins.

CHN: But Hopkins doesn't have a huge deal with NBC like Notre Dame has.

Traviolia: Correct. But they do have a nice television relationship with ESPN for their home lacrosse matches. And it was important to them. And we're not adding affiliate members because we feel we need more TV or more exposure.

So it was really, "You have your TV deal, you keep that, you control the rights to your home games, and the Big Ten has the rights to all the games on the other campuses, and the conference owns the rights to the tournament." So there really wasn't a lot of talk about that, because the principle was pretty basic.

CHN: The natural next question is about Arizona State. They're hanging out there, and bringing them in would give you an even eight teams. Does this open the door for them?

Traviolia: We don't talk about hypotheticals. We're very happy with Notre Dame. This was an ideal and there was a need competitively to increase our numbers, but we're not about just growing to get bigger, it has to be the right fit. The best example of how important it is, we were at 11 full-time members for 20 years. Yes it's a little funky on the scheduling side, but you figure it out.

 

[Waquoit]

Sorry but that is the same misguided view that has us in the AAC, that kept us from a 7 year home and away with ND in football. That arrogance is not how JC built ou bb program or how KO talks today. Anyone anytime anywhere to get ahead. We adopt that view we will get there. If not we keep sliding down the rabbit hole

Hey Jim, wait for the shake.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

ASU had a private donanations of $ 32million to go from Club to D1 hockey.
That did not include a rink which will be funded separately
Their long term goal is to get a PAC 12 league going.
PSU had $100million in private money.
Their vision is UofA , Colo , UCLA, Cal, Utah, and at least one from Wash and Oregon. Adding the sport
How much did UConn spend?

 

[MattMang23]

How much did UConn spend?

We already had a team, so just cost of scholarships and whatever it costs to rent the XL.

 

[Adios]

We already had a team, so just cost of scholarships and whatever it costs to rent the XL.

Don't forget the cost to build Freitas.

 

[MattMang23]

Don't forget the cost to build Freitas.

We built Freitas to join the MAAC. I thought he was referring to moving from AHA to HEA? If he meant moving from D3 to MAAC, then add Freitas too.

 

[huskymedic]

What does Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs think about adding ice hockey?
http://www.nj.com/rutgers/index.ssf/2016/03/rutgers_ice_hockey_pat_hobbs.html#incart_river_index

>>"The honest answer is not in the short run,'' he said. "I don't want to kid people about the challenge of doing that. You have to keep an eye toward your finances. And we're not in a financial position to do that here right now.''

However, Hobbs noted that Penn State received $100 million in private funds to get its ice hockey program to varsity status.

"Someone wants to hand me $100 million, I'll consider just about any sport,'' Hobbs quipped.<<

 

[DarthGrumpy]

What does Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs think about adding ice hockey?
http://www.nj.com/rutgers/index.ssf/2016/03/rutgers_ice_hockey_pat_hobbs.html#incart_river_index

>>"The honest answer is not in the short run,'' he said. "I don't want to kid people about the challenge of doing that. You have to keep an eye toward your finances. And we're not in a financial position to do that here right now.''

However, Hobbs noted that Penn State received $100 million in private funds to get its ice hockey program to varsity status.

"Someone wants to hand me $100 million, I'll consider just about any sport,'' Hobbs quipped.<<

No surprise. Jersey is a decent hockey state with some decent recruiting areas around Bergen, Morris, and Monmouth counties. There has been talk of Rutgers hockey since the B1G added hockey; but, they don't have the money to do so and don't have the facility for it. At least Hobbs is being honest, better than what Hermann's response would have been. I believe years ago one the proposed and forgotten replacements for the RAC would have included a downtown New Brunswick arena that would have been for basketball and hockey.

 

[B1GOSU]

Here are the commonalities so far with B1G affiliate members (Johns Hopkins lacrosse and Notre Dame hockey):

1. Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame are both elite universities. Hopkins is AAU with major research money. While Notre Dame is not AAU, it is still an elite university. It just has an emphasis on college teaching instead of research.

2. Both JHU and ND contributed to a need in the B1G. JHU was needed to have six lacrosse members to sponsor the sport within the conference. For hockey, six isn't an ideal number, so adding a seventh school made sense. I think sounding the alarms on B1G hockey is unwarranted. The major hockey programs in the B1G are simply in an unanticipated down cycle at the moment. It is very rare for all to be down at the same time. This is simply a short term event. However, six will never be ideal for a hockey conference, even when the historic programs are all winning at the same time.

3. Both Hopkins Lacrosse and Notre Dame Hockey have their own exclusive television contracts. The B1G does not give any money to Hopkins or Notre Dame. Likewise, Notre Dame and Hopkins keep 100% of their revenue from the exclusive TV contracts each have - Notre Dame Hockey with NBC Sports Network and Hopkins Lacrosse with ESPN. If Ohio State Hockey plays @ Notre Dame, the game is on NBS Sports Network and Notre Dame keeps 100% of that money. If Notre Dame Hockey is playing @ Ohio State, the game is on BTN (or another contracted channel), and the fulltime members of the B1G keep 100% of that money. Same scenario in lacrosse with Johns Hopkins. For both hockey and lacrosse, the B1G owns the exclusive rights to the conference tournament. Therefore, affiliate members do not receive any payout from the conference tournament television revenue. Johns Hopkins will host the Men's Lacrosse Conference Tournament this year, but the games are not part of JHU's contract with ESPN, so the revenue will not go to JHU for hosting the tournament, it will still stay with the full B1G members.

So if we are starting to see the formation of a pattern for sports affiliates in the B1G, it will only involve schools with strong academics that add to a specialized sport in the B1G (which honestly I only see lacrosse and hockey fitting this category), and they will be schools that do not take any revenue from the full membership of the B1G because they have their own media deals.

At least that is what JHU and ND have in common.

 

[TerryD]

Jack Swarbrick's take (link to video):

http://www.snappytv.com/tc/1602489/732775

 

[Seaa Blue]

When asked about the Big Ten he all but got up and danced on the table. UConn and ND -> Big Ten. Coming to a discussion board near you.

 

[ct06111]

Hockey's Future (HFboards) take on ND to B1G:
http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showthread.php?t=2050379

 

[CL82]

No surprise. Jersey is a decent hockey state with some decent recruiting areas around Bergen, Morris, and Monmouth counties. There has been talk of Rutgers hockey since the B1G added hockey; but, they don't have the money to do so and don't have the facility for it. At least Hobbs is being honest, better than what Hermann's response would have been. I believe years ago one the proposed and forgotten replacements for the RAC would have included a downtown New Brunswick arena that would have been for basketball and hockey.

What's the plan for the RAC today? Renovate, right?

Though it needs to be updated, the RAC can be amazingly loud, when full and the fans are into the action. That just hasn't happened in while.

 

[Seaa Blue]

What's the plan for the RAC today? Renovate, right?

The plan is for a new multi-use facility next to the RAC, as well as renovating the RAC.

– The proposed RAC Multi-Use Facility will satisfy program needs for Rutgers basketball program (practice????), and other varsity teams currently accommodated in recreation facilities. The new Multi-Use Facility, attached to the RAC, will be home to men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball.

Louis Brown Athletic Center (RAC) renovation and addition – The Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) is an 8,000 seat venue, home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The master plan proposes to renovate the RAC to accommodate evolving program needs and to address qualitative concerns within the facility.

 

[Gfunk]

One thing is for certain, the cycle seems to be shifting. It usual does in college hockey, East Coast some years, Midwest some years.

In this tourney the classic WCHA is 3-0 against Hockey East (I still can't utter BIG or NCHC hockey). Duluth over Providence was huge considering they barely got in the tourney & the Friars are defending champs. North Dakota destroyed Northeastern. Notre Dame, also a former WCHA/CCHA member, played well against Michigan (WCHA & CCHA), but lost in OT.

Michigan won't get past North Dakota.

But with BC and even Boston U, Hockey East is alive and well.

I'd like to see St. Cloud State and Quinnipiac in the finals. Keep the streak of first time NCs going. The homer in me wants to root for St. Cloud State, but my neighbors played at Quinni during the dark days of new d1 status. I'm torn.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

One thing is for certain, the cycle seems to be shifting. It usual does in college hockey, East Coast some years, Midwest some years.

In this tourney the classic WCHA is 3-0 against Hockey East (I still can't utter BIG or NCHC hockey). Duluth over Providence was huge considering they barely got in the tourney & the Friars are defending champs. North Dakota destroyed Northeastern. Notre Dame, also a former WCHA/CCHA member, played well against Michigan (WCHA & CCHA), but lost in OT.

Michigan won't get past North Dakota.

But with BC and even Boston U, Hockey East is alive and well.

I'd like to see St. Cloud State and Quinnipiac in the finals. Keep the streak of first time NCs going. The homer in me wants to root for St. Cloud State, but my neighbors played at Quinni during the dark days of new d1 status. I'm torn.

Claiming Michigan as a WCHA team and ND as a Hockey East team is a stretch.

 

[Gfunk]

Claiming Michigan as a WCHA team and ND as a Hockey East team is a stretch.

Dude I'm respecting the history, really, of the WCHA. Still pissed about BIG Hokcey, besides being a fan, all other sports & an alum: ). Michigan won most of its NCs as a WCHA member. They were there for 30 years as a charter member.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Collegiate_Hockey_Association

I'm just being whiny.

Glad the tourney has started, love it so far.

As I said, hoping for a Qunnipiac/St. Cloud - new blood. These are the two teams that have impressed me most this year.

Who you picking? Who do you want to win it?

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Who you picking? Who do you want to win it?

Picked Michigan. I went to BU.

 

[dayooper]

Picked Michigan. I went to BU.

Meh, Michigan has no defense. They got kids who can score, but no one on the blue line who can defend it.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Meh, Michigan has no defense. They got kids who can score, but no one on the blue line who can defend it.

You're right, I had qualified it in my tweet prediction that it would only hold true if they got goaltending out of Racine.

 

[MattMang23]

If anyone but Quinnipiac wins, it would be an upset I think. They should be hands down favorites.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If anyone but Quinnipiac wins, it would be an upset I think. They should be hands down favorites.

Include North Dakota and St. Cloud in that group.

 

[dayooper]

You're right, I had qualified it in my tweet prediction that it would only hold true if they got goaltending out of Racine.

Racine is the best goaltender UM has had since Montoya. It's frustrating that they can't stop pucks from getting to him.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Racine is the best goaltender UM has had since Montoya.

That's not saying much...

 

[dayooper]

That's not saying much...

Trust me, I know.