From: Grand Forks Heraldby Brad Elliott Schlossman
Wisconsin admitted publicly this week what has been known in college hockey circles for several months — that the Badgers have been rocking the boat in the WCHA, examining alternative options to the league.
The Badgers would like to start a Big Ten Hockey Conference along with Minnesota and Central Collegiate Hockey Association schools Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. There would have to be at least one other addition to make it a six-team league, the minimum for an NCAA tournament bid.
Wisconsin told the State Journal newspaper that a Big Ten conference would stabilize and regionalize the sport. However, it very likely could do the opposite and Minnesota wants no part of it.
“I don’t think it would be good for college hockey,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. “We’re a regional sport. To think that some day there are going to be 150 college hockey teams. . . that’s just not going to happen.
“We have a great league to play in right now. There are a lot of outstanding teams in the WCHA. Our league really shows diversity of the sport. We have D-III, D-II and D-I teams. The common thread is that hockey is a front-line sport in all of those schools. That’s where they put their resources. That’s where they want to be successful.”
One college hockey source said that the Big Ten concept has come up for more than 25 years. Different schools have pushed the issue at different times. This year, it is Wisconsin doing it.
Ohio State also is open to the idea, but the other three schools have not gotten behind it. Minnesota has been the most outspoken against it. Talks haven’t gotten very far and it doesn’t appear they’ll go further anytime soon.
The Badgers would like to start a Big Ten Hockey Conference along with Minnesota and Central Collegiate Hockey Association schools Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. There would have to be at least one other addition to make it a six-team league, the minimum for an NCAA tournament bid.
Wisconsin told the State Journal newspaper that a Big Ten conference would stabilize and regionalize the sport. However, it very likely could do the opposite and Minnesota wants no part of it.
“I don’t think it would be good for college hockey,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. “We’re a regional sport. To think that some day there are going to be 150 college hockey teams. . . that’s just not going to happen.
“We have a great league to play in right now. There are a lot of outstanding teams in the WCHA. Our league really shows diversity of the sport. We have D-III, D-II and D-I teams. The common thread is that hockey is a front-line sport in all of those schools. That’s where they put their resources. That’s where they want to be successful.”
One college hockey source said that the Big Ten concept has come up for more than 25 years. Different schools have pushed the issue at different times. This year, it is Wisconsin doing it.
Ohio State also is open to the idea, but the other three schools have not gotten behind it. Minnesota has been the most outspoken against it. Talks haven’t gotten very far and it doesn’t appear they’ll go further anytime soon.
12 comments:
Wisconsin is a Big 10 school with a big 10 fan Culture. Most Fans there aren't necessarily 'hockey' fans as much as they are 'Wisconsin' fans who want to see UW play other big 10 schools more thatn they want to see UW play D-II and D-III schools who 'play up' in hockey. Miinesota is a hockey school in a hockey culutre that also happens to be in the Big 10. Different hockey culture altogether.
I guess that is what happens when DU takes Wisconsin to the woodshed 5 times in one season :-)
nice call du78
Stupid Bucky, get back in your hole.
Funny part of this story that has been reported elsewhere but not in this article.
After Alvarez and his little puppet couldn't get Minnesota to budge, they started making noises about joining the CCHA.
Eaves had to tell them that leaving the WCHA for the CCHA was like selling your Mercedes and buying a Jetta.
Sconnies. What did you expect?
Alvarez doesn't know hockey and is ignorant of what the WCHA provides for his hockey program in competition. Eaves not being able to consistently have his team perform about .500 makes looking for a new league look like the way to be successful. Is the Big Ten Network's financial offer that big. It always comes down to money for Alvarez, not education, not competition level.
DG, that is an awesome analogy, why would anyone want to leave the WCHA for the crap that is the CCHA.
Is the Big 10 "brand" really that attractive to Wisconsin?? Maybe in football, but hockey?? I find it hard to believe that Wisconsin thinks leaving a conference with storied programs such as North Dakota, Tech, DU, CC and Duluth is to its advantage and would "stabilize" the sport. Sure I'm biased towards the WCHA and probably a little naive, but I'm not buying into Wisconsin's fairy tale.
From reading the Bagott article it appears that Eaves was not for the move it was Alvarez their AD.
Very interesting. I think Minnesota's coach has some really good points that Wisconsin seems to be overlooking. Unfortunately, I think a coach has little to no say in the matter. The change will occur when and if the athletic directors' see an economic benefit in establishing a Big Ten Hockey conference.
Personally, I think establishing a BTHC would be completely unfair. Hockey just simply isn't a profitable sport, particularly when you compare it against football and basketball. And hockey teams at every school, with the exception of a couple, depend on the money generated and shared within the conferences. Remember that at the end of every season all the teams within a conference equally divide their profits. With that in mind, consider the consistent attendance numbers Wisconsin and Minnesota put up throughout a season. All those profits are shared within the WCHA. Now consider what would happen if we suddenly removed all that income from the table. Schools like Colorado College and Denver might struggle to fund their programs. And at the very least, smaller schools would be at a general disadvantage.
Ohio State hosting the number 3 team in the country (DU) on thursday...about 1000 in attendance. Says a lot about the draw there !
Minn, Wisc, Mich, Mich St are hockey schools (as well as football and basketball for the 2 Michigan schools), the rest of the big ten is not. So those 4 are better off where they are, in two traditional power conferences in college hockey
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