News & Notes From Around PioNation

(above) When you Google "University of Denver" Boone's name comes up

MileHighHockey.com speculates that the Avs might make a run at signing DU alum Matt Carle.  No doubt it would be a popular move at the Pepsi Center ticket window.

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University of Denver Athletic Director Peg Bradley-Doppes has been selected as the 2011-12 Division I West Region Under Armour AD of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).  A well desrved honor.

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A group of DU students claimed the $1,000 first prize at the The Global Spa & Wellness Summit, the premier annual event for spa and wellness industry leaders, at the “Spa of the Future” Student Challenge Competition hosted by the Aspen Institute.  DU was followed by Cornell, the University of Houston and Penn State in the competition.

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University of Denver women's lacrosse head coach Liza Kelly announced the addition of Matt Lawicki as an assistant coach.

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Minnesota high school hockey player Jack Jablonski continues to make progress from a broken neck suffered in a game earlier this year.  Jack's progress is slow compared to Jesse Martin's amazing recovery, but its great to read that he's battling on.

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DU Defeneseman Joey LaLeggia will attend the Edmonton Oilers 2012 Development Camp from June 27-July 2, 2012.  33 players will join LaLeggia at the camp.

Penn State Bad Boyz Students Tip News Van

What better way to celebrate the dismissal of your football coach than by rioting in the streets.

Reverse angle

Big 10: Minnesota & Wisconsin To Leave WCHA

From: Big Ten Website

The directors of athletics of Big Ten institutions which sponsor men's ice hockey unanimously announced intention today to recommend to the Big Ten Council of Presidents in June the establishment of men's ice hockey as an official conference sport for the 2013-14 academic year with participation by Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

The recommendation includes both the establishment of the inaugural Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in March of 2014, with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, and a 20-game conference schedule with each team playing the other five schools four times (two home games and two away games). In addition, the Big Ten's men's ice hockey programs will continue to proactively work to maintain a strong schedule of non-conference competition with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

In September of 2010, Penn State announced the establishment of men's and women's ice hockey programs set to begin competition in the 2012-13 academic year, giving the Big Ten six institutions sponsoring men's ice hockey. Big Ten rules allow for a conference championship when six institutions sponsor a program in any given sport.

Since Penn State's announcement, the conference has researched and investigated the establishment of men's ice hockey as a conference sport. The conference has sought input and communicated both internally with conference chancellors, presidents, administrators and coaches, and externally with members of the hockey community, including the CCHA and WCHA.

Penn State Shakes Up College Hockey World

(above) Penn State's arrival on the scene will shake up the college hockey landscape

Some of the interesting rumors that are swirling around the college hockey message boards don't paint a pretty picture for the University of Denver hockey program.

Wisconsin and Minnesota will leave the WCHA for the Big 10 Hockey Coneference. Joining them will be Michigan State, Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State. Supposedly Notre Dame will join the conference as well and an announcement is expected within a month.

Indiana and Illinois are considering building multipurpose hockey/basketball arenas and would be potential candidates for the new conference. Supposedly Indiana has a big donor lined up.

Miami (Ohio) has inquired about joining the "new" WCHA and has been rebuffed.

Lake Superior State and Ferris State based in Michigan may consider dropping hockey, if the Big Ten powers leave the WCHA.

Chambers Blog Talks To DU AD About Big 10

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post spoke to DU Athletic Director Peg Bradley-Doppes about the potential membership changes in the WCHA.

In his meeting with Bradley-Doppes recently, she said she is concerned about the future conference of the hockey team, the school’s flagship program. The Pioneers have been with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since the program began in 1949, and the league is considered the best in the business. But marquee members Minnesota and Wisconsin could ultimately bolt the WCHA and join Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State in a six-team Big Ten hockey conference, backed by the almighty dollar of the Big Ten’s TV deal (read entire article).

Lucia Confirms Likelihood of Big-10 Conference

(above) University of Minnesota coach Don Lucia confirms likelihood of a Big-10 Hockey Conference

From: Pioneer Press
by John Shipley

The University of Minnesota men's hockey team has been a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since the league was founded in 1951. It has been a good relationship, helping the Gophers build traditional rivalries and win five national championships.

But the relationship might be coming to an end.

If Penn State adds Division I men's and women's hockey, the Big Ten will have enough teams under NCAA rules to form a men's hockey conference. That might be too much for any conference — particularly one looking for programming on its own cable network — to ignore.

"I think it's safe to say that if Penn State is adding hockey, it's to play other Big Ten schools," Minnesota coach Don Lucia said Tuesday.

Those schools would be Minnesota and Wisconsin of the WCHA, and Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. It all hinges on whether Penn State makes the jump from the club level to Division I, an unlikely move for most schools.

Lucia, whose Gophers begin practice today, is entering his 18th season as a WCHA head coach, starting at Colorado College in 1993. He has been with Minnesota since 1999. He said Minnesota has "resisted as much as we've been able, but it's looking more likely — if Penn State adds hockey — that we'll get together and play more often."

"Who knows?" he added. "It's up to the athletic directors and commissioner to determine that. If Wisconsin and Minnesota leave, the WCHA still has 10 great schools committed to hockey. That does not change."

WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod said he is waiting to hear from Penn State, and subsequently the Big Ten, before making any detailed comments.

"Having said that," he added, "we're well aware of developing circumstances at Penn State, and we've definitely done our homework regarding several scenarios that could play out."

None of this would happen overnight, of course, with most speculation resting on the 2014-15 season. "It's years from happening," Lucia said. "They have to build a facility and get the program up to status quo, and that will take a number of years."

There is some concern, however, that a new conference would fracture a delicate balance. While the WCHA would suffer from losing Minnesota and Wisconsin, the CCHA could be devastated by the loss of Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, the league's biggest schools and biggest names outside of 2008 national runner-up Notre Dame.

If Big Ten Forms; DU Needs To Bolt WCHA ASAP

The long-rumored addition of Penn State to the Division I hockey lineup appears to be near reality. Penn State will add varsity hockey programs, sources have confirmed.

That news, first reported Sunday by Insidecollegehockey.com, does not merely add a 59th program to the Division I men’s landscape. It adds a sixth Big Ten Conference team, a development that has set other wheels in motion.

At a meeting late last week, WCHA coaches discussed the potential of a Big Ten hockey league starting in the near future, and how that would impact their league, sources said. Sources indicated that the hot topic of speculation at the WCHA meeting was that the 2014-15 season is a potential start date for the Big Ten in hockey.

The best scenario is for DU, North Dakota, Miami, Notre Dame, CC and Duluth to unite and cut loose the other Minnesota schools.

Another possibility to entice Minnesota & Wisconsin to remain out west, would be to form an eight team Western Conference with Minnesota, Wisconsin, CC, DU, Duluth, Minnesota State, North Dakota and SCSU. This would free up non-conference slots for the Big Ten schools to play each other.

As I said all along, bringing in Bemidji State was a HUGE mistake for the WCHA, and especially for DU and CC. Diluting the league has put DU in a really tenuous position trying work a deal to prevent the Gophers and Badgers from leaving.

Credit: USCHO.com