WCHA Should Say "No" To Bemidji & Expansion
Western College Hockey Blog ran an article today regarding Bemidji State University's interest in joining the WCHA. The issues are long and complex, but the long and the short of it is that the WCHA has grown to become the best conference in terms of attendance, recruiting and on ice performance.The continued growth of college hockey is dependant on following the "WCHA model" of success; renewed rivalries, new arenas, increased television coverage, better players. The WCHA is the best conference in college hockey, but to allow a "welfare case" like Bemidji will only weaken the conference.
WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod was on Fox Sports North last weekend, and mentioned that there were at least basic discussions going on about whether or not the WCHA would want to expand to 11 or 12 teams, if they expanded. McLeod shouldn't be "shooting his mouth off" on national television, unless he's certain that his opinion accurately reflects the views of the member schools.
The best course of action is for the CCHA to say "no" to Wayne State & for the WCHA to stall Bemidji until the possible entry of Canadian universities into the NCAA, becomes clearer.
If down the road, Bemidji builds a 5,000 seat arena, fills the barn occasionally, and "earns" the right to join the WCHA, then and only then should Bemidji be considered.
8 comments:
I say BSU should join the WCHA and Minnesota and Wisconsin should exit. It would be good for the game.
DG,
What continued growth of college hockey? The WCHA model is about consolidating success in the hands of the few who have the resources. That's not growth at all. There's no place to grow, that's why the WCHA and Bruce Macleod helped create CHA as a place to capture potential growth.
That's failed now.
Is BSU a 'welfare case'? Maybe. But if the rest of college hockey doesn't deal with it, those teams will fold and the tournament will drop back to 12 teams. Doesn't sound like growth to me.
Blockski,
Thanks for reading and your comments are well taken. The growth I refer to is attendence increases in the WCHA every season, the growth of the WCHA Final 5 and the growth of programs such as CC & Denver, which have invested heavily in their programs.
There are several teams in the WCHA which need help; Michigan Tech, UAA, Duluth & Mankato. Are they going to be helped by Bemidji's entry into the league? I submit that they wouldn't.
Finally, I believe that the Bemidji President is "bluffing" about dropping hockey. He may well drop other sports, but not hockey. Let the WCHA member school help Bemidji out by scheduling them more frequently in the next few years
Bemidji helps MSU and UMD every year when they come to those cities to play. Between the old rivalry between the Beavers and Mavericks and the geographic relationship with Duluth, those are some of the best attended games of the whole season for those schools. Nobody in Minnesota cares about Denver and Colorado College just like those in Colorado don't care about Bemidji.
The Final Five would definitely see an increase in attendance if Bemidji made it. They usually have more fans there already than either Colorado school and they aren't even in the WCHA.
The WCHA would not suffer by adding BSU. I propose those schools you listed would be more greatly affected if a Canadian university joined the WCHA. The pipeline to those western Canadian recruits would run dry hurting the existing members of the WCHA.
Dg, personally I think the WCHA is going to take BSU and UNO, I could care less what happens to Huntsville but I like BSU being in the WCHA. I think they will grown on you.
Seriously, I don't want to see the NCAA lose the 16 bids for the NCAA tourney.
Goon,
There's a ton of mis-information and scare tactics out there. Bemidji isn't going to drop men's hockey.
The AD's and the hockey coaches are going to weigh the issues and make business decisions in the best interests of themselves and the sport.
The sport needs growth and diluting the product is not the way to do it.
We need strong rivalries and quality product in the WCHA to continue to grow the conference. Battles like UND-Denver or SCSU-UM this weekend. Packed houses and enthusiastic fans. Nobody wants to watch CC vs. Bemidji on TV or in person.
Last I looked BSU women's program is already in the WCHA which will help out the men's chances.
I am in agreement with the person who said BSU has more fans at the Final five than the Colorado schools.
There is no way the BSU president is bluffing, the statement will kill recruiting. So if BSU does not get into the WCHA they wont have the talent needed to make it as an independant. I'd like to know what inside information you have that BSU won't drop their team, because trying to make it as an independent is nearly impossible with more teams only having 6 to 8 open non-conference games.
No one cares about DU vs Mankato or Tech vs UAA except for the fans of those teams. That doesn't mean that those team shouldn't be in the WCHA. BSU-UND and BSU-UMD would both be excelent rivalries, not to mention the games with SCSU, Mankato, and UMN. Adding BSU will grow the conference overall and will not adversly affect the financial situation of the current teams.
DU needs the WCHA more then the WCHA needs DU, BSU is in the exact same situation yet you are willing to let there program die. What if the other WCHA teams felt the same way about DU and CC.
Post a Comment