B1G Hockey conference question

[Penfield]

Will all of the B1G schools be playing in the hockey conference?

Do Rutgers and Maryland play D1 hockey? Pretty sure Rutgers doesnt but no idea about MD.

Does UVA?

Just wondering if they are considering this at all with their expansion candidates.

 

[businesslawyer]

You can bet your last dollar that the Big Ten considers everything. But that doesn't mean it will be a material factor.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Will all of the B1G schools be playing in the hockey conference?

Do Rutgers and Maryland play D1 hockey? Pretty sure Rutgers doesnt but no idea about MD.

Does UVA?

Just wondering if they are considering this at all with their expansion candidates.

No, B1G hockey (easily referenced as BTHC) consists of Mich, MSU, Minny, Wisc, OSU, and PSU. There's been rumblings in the past of IU, Illinois, Purdue, and/or NW starting a team, but D1 hockey is very, very expensive to run, and can be a huge money pit if you fail.

 

[Penfield]

No, B1G hockey (easily referenced as BTHC) consists of Mich, MSU, Minny, Wisc, OSU, and PSU. There's been rumblings in the past of IU, Illinois, Purdue, and/or NW starting a team, but D1 hockey is very, very expensive to run, and can be a huge money pit if you fail.

Thanks for the info. Hope we don't fail. Don't need any money pits in Storrs nowadays.

 

[huskymedic]

Rutgirls plays in the ESCHL w/ Stony Brook, URI, West Chester and Univ. of Delaware. It's a Division of the ACHA http://achahockey.org/standings.php?league_id=1059&lang=1

Maryland plays club hockey.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Rutgirls plays in the ESCHL w/ Stony Brook, URI, West Chester and Univ. of Delaware. It's a Division of the ACHA http://achahockey.org/standings.php?league_id=1059&lang=1

Maryland plays club hockey.

virtually every major university has a club team of some sort. it's a looooooong way from the ACHA/ESCHL to D1. For reference, here's Alabama's club team playing an exhibition against the worst D1 team, Alabama-Huntsville: http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2012/10/06/exhib-vs-alabama-huntsville/....and the next night: http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2012/10/07/exhib-vs-alabama-huntsville/

 

[huskymedic]

virtually every major university has a club team of some sort. it's a looooooong way from the ACHA/ESCHL to D1. For reference, here's Alabama's club team playing an exhibition against the worst D1 team, Alabama-Huntsville: http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2012/10/06/exhib-vs-alabama-huntsville/....and the next night: http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2012/10/07/exhib-vs-alabama-huntsville/

Yup - wan't arguing they were on the same level. My old boss's kid played for Alabama Huntsville - went there from Colorado.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Penn State was a club team forever and then this happended and BIG hockey was born, damn...
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/.../04/pegula-donation-to-penn-state-hockey.html

 

[Adios]

We'd provide the B1G benefits in basketball and hockey and they'd help our football explode.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Penn State was a club team forever and then this happended and BIG hockey was born, damn...
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/.../04/pegula-donation-to-penn-state-hockey.html

yeah psu was the one that opened the college hockey realignment floodgates as it gave the b1g six teams, and thus eligible for an autobid. while it didnt break up eastern leagues, it did break up the two major western conferences and lots of historic rivalries. it is what opened the door for uconn to HE though, which, for hockey, is by far the best spot for them.

HE is the best conference to be a part of for a fan in all of college sports. With little effort and money spent, you can drive to every home and away conference game every season, except now ND, so you get to experience all 10 arenas, all 10 fanbases, all 10 towns, it's just plain awesome.


Edit: Butch, unfortunately hockey would not be a selling point for the B1G, the power four hockey schools there would not be psyched to play us in hockey as it would water down their schedule that they could use to schedule OOC games with old rivals. And make no mistake, Minnesota is a hockey school as much as, if not more, than a football school. The same to a lesser extent at Michigan and Wisconsin, hockey is #2 at both.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

slurpees, you going to both this weekend?

of course, ill be the one wearing scarlet. ill also probably have some glowsticks and be fist pumping all night.

 

[huskymedic]

We'd provide the B1G benefits in basketball and hockey and they'd help our football explode.

IMHO - I'd keep UConn hockey in HE if @ all possible... Closest B1G is PSU - weekly travel would be beyond ugly. All of HE is reached by bus and decent rivalry could develop.

It could also be argued that B1G hockey would be third behind Western Collegiate Hockey League and HE.

BrassB - thoughts?

 

[Adios]

You people want to be stuck in the ACC? If we ever do get into the B1G, our hockey program would have to come along. I am well aware of who the powerhouses are in B1G hockey. I do follow college hockey somewhat.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

There has been a lot of discussion in the BIG about existing schools adding hockey, especially N’western, and that the BIG will ‘ask’ Rutgers to add hockey. NJ has some decent youth hockey (not Mass or Minn; but not Florida either). MD could add hockey, too, down the road once their financial house is back in order.
It is also widely believed that ND infuriated the BIG by declining an associate membership in BIG Hockey.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

IMHO - I'd keep UConn hockey in HE if @ all possible... Closest B1G is PSU - weekly travel would be beyond ugly. All of HE is reached by bus and decent rivalry could develop.

It could also be argued that B1G hockey would be third behind Western Collegiate Hockey League and HE.

BrassB - thoughts?

Definitely behind HE since PSU is garbage and OSU isn't far ahead. The power four are big programs, but I can't call a six team conference where one-third are terrible the best in the country. NCHC (Nacho League is easier) is also a solid league with two blue bloods in DU and UND, and some good almost-there top tier programs in Colorado College and Duluth, and some good other programs to round out the eight. I'd give a slight edge to HE with BC, BU, UNH, ND coming in, Maine (despite royally sucking of late), and some decent quality middle of the conference teams in UVM, Merrimack, and Lowell. The edge for HE comes from sheer volume of teams, there's 10, and at any given point over the last six or seven years, all have made the NCAA tournament except Providence, most have won a game, four have made Frozen Fours, and two have won four national titles. I'd go HE, Nacho, B1G, with not that much distance between any of them. HE is far and away the best place for UConn to grow in hockey, not even close, Nacho would never happen, and B1G, we'd be lumped in with schools hundreds and thousands of miles away with whom we have no ties or rivalries.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

You people want to be stuck in the ACC? If we ever do get into the B1G, our hockey program would have to come along. I am well aware of who the powerhouses are in B1G hockey. I do follow college hockey somewhat.

Absolutely, if the B1G said, we'll take you in all sports, including hockey, we pack up the sticks and pucks and head to Minneapolis to get pounde 5-0 happily. I'm just saying, theoretically, HE is the best fit for UConn hockey, specifically.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

There has been a lot of discussion in the BIG about existing schools adding hockey, especially N’western, and that the BIG will ‘ask’ Rutgers to add hockey. NJ has some decent youth hockey (not Mass or Minn; but not Florida either). MD could add hockey, too, down the road once their financial house is back in order.
It is also widely believed that ND infuriated the BIG by declining an associate membership in BIG Hockey.

I do not believe ND was offered an associate membership to the BTHC. I know it came down to them choosing between NCHC and HE, and they easily chose HE and our NBC Sports TV deal. NCHC also invited BU and BC when they started the conference and both said lolnope.

 

[huskymedic]

Definitely behind HE since PSU is garbage and OSU isn't far ahead. The power four are big programs, but I can't call a six team conference where one-third are terrible the best in the country. NCHC (Nacho League is easier) is also a solid league with two blue bloods in DU and UND, and some good almost-there top tier programs in Colorado College and Duluth, and some good other programs to round out the eight. I'd give a slight edge to HE with BC, BU, UNH, ND coming in, Maine (despite royally sucking of late), and some decent quality middle of the conference teams in UVM, Merrimack, and Lowell. The edge for HE comes from sheer volume of teams, there's 10, and at any given point over the last six or seven years, all have made the NCAA tournament except Providence, most have won a game, four have made Frozen Fours, and two have won four national titles. I'd go HE, Nacho, B1G, with not that much distance between any of them. HE is far and away the best place for UConn to grow in hockey, not even close, Nacho would never happen, and B1G, we'd be lumped in with schools hundreds and thousands of miles away with whom we have no ties or rivalries.

At least we wouldn't have to go to the other Yukon (Alaska Fairbanks)!

 

[Adios]

Absolutely, if the B1G said, we'll take you in all sports, including hockey, we pack up the sticks and pucks and head to Minneapolis to get pounde 5-0 happily. I'm just saying, theoretically, HE is the best fit for UConn hockey, specifically.

I can live with that. We could use the XL Center for all B1G hockey games and gradually improve our recruiting over time.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I can live with that. We could use the XL Center for all B1G hockey games and gradually improve our recruiting over time.

For the sake of the rest of our athletic department and the university in general, I absolutely could too (but please build an arena on campus!), but for the sake of the program if they said, nah, you can leave your hockey team in HE, that'd be a "Sure!' response.

 

[kingdobbs]

You people want to be stuck in the ACC? If we ever do get into the B1G, our hockey program would have to come along. I am well aware of who the powerhouses are in B1G hockey. I do follow college hockey somewhat.

I'd expect we would be asked to move our hockey there, if for no other reason than the B1G is not in the habit of allowing situations like Miami's baseball team playing independent while they were members of the Big East. I mean, a solid argument could be made that it'd be more beneficial to be in an Eastern league for hockey, but...well, if we were in the B1G, we'd have the money to cover the hockey travel.

Like, I'd love to start building rivalries with BC, BU, UNH and the rest of HEA, but I'd say it's an even swap for Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

IMHO - I'd keep UConn hockey in HE if @ all possible... Closest B1G is PSU - weekly travel would be beyond ugly. All of HE is reached by bus and decent rivalry could develop.

It could also be argued that B1G hockey would be third behind Western Collegiate Hockey League and HE.

BrassB - thoughts?

HE is definitely the number one now that the WCHA has had its best split between the B1G and the Nachos. The NCHC slides into number two based on this year's performance (Wisconsin and Michigan State are pretty bad, and Michigan is weirdly mediocre, and PSU is...in their first year; on the National side of things, only UMD is having a weak year, and Miami and Denver are on the early inside track for #1 seeds).

Year to year this might change, but for certain, if we had this year's performance with next year's alignments:
1) HEA
2) NCHC
3) B1G
-----
4) ECAC
5) nWCHA
-----
6) AHA

 

[ZooCougar]

Yup - wan't arguing they were on the same level. My old boss's kid played for Alabama Huntsville - went there from Colorado.

Totally forgot that Huntsville had a team.

 

[ZooCougar]

yeah psu was the one that opened the college hockey realignment floodgates as it gave the b1g six teams, and thus eligible for an autobid. while it didnt break up eastern leagues, it did break up the two major western conferences and lots of historic rivalries. it is what opened the door for uconn to HE though, which, for hockey, is by far the best spot for them.

HE is the best conference to be a part of for a fan in all of college sports. With little effort and money spent, you can drive to every home and away conference game every season, except now ND, so you get to experience all 10 arenas, all 10 fanbases, all 10 towns, it's just plain awesome.


Edit: Butch, unfortunately hockey would not be a selling point for the B1G, the power four hockey schools there would not be psyched to play us in hockey as it would water down their schedule that they could use to schedule OOC games with old rivals. And make no mistake, Minnesota is a hockey school as much as, if not more, than a football school. The same to a lesser extent at Michigan and Wisconsin, hockey is #2 at both.

When I lived in Wisconsin briefly, it was harder to get a Hockey Ticket than football. Football was bigger, but the hockey there is ridiculous.

 

[huskypantz]

I had a quick look at the Minnesota sports facilities this past summer. They have separate men's and women's hockey arenas and the women's hockey arena is much nicer than Freitas.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I stand corrected, the BIG offered ND full membership as part of the new BIG Hockey conference. BIG was not happy that it was turned down. BIG was not willing to offer ND an associate membership just for hockey. Guess the ‘all or nothing’ policy within the BIG still stands.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20101124/SPORTS0302/101129736/1085/SPORTS03
As for HE overall, BC has been their golden ticket lately as BU has not been able to keep-up. UMaine has been mediocre at best lately (which is sad as I visited Orono during their golden years and a game there was crazy). Lowell has gotten better lately; but, UNH continues to choke every time the playoffs roll around. UMass, Merrimack, Vermont and Providence as just over-matched. ND will be a significant addition to the conference, guess #3 behind BC and BU (and you know ND does not want to lose to BC in anything, so that will change). Union has given the ECAC some respect lately (they used to play UConn when I was in Storrs).