ECAC Headline on USCHO

Quoting from the USCHO homepage:

More Change in ECAC


The ECAC made a bold change to its governance structure today, naming Steve Hagwell its acting commissioner for Division I men's and women's hockey. The move came following its league meetings at the AHCA Coaches Convention in Naples, Fla. Phil Buttafuoco, the overall commissioner of the multi-sport ECAC, will no longer be involved with ECAC hockey. Hagwell had been the associate commissioner of ECAC Hockey for the past four years.

...and there was much rejoicing!

I wouldn't exactly call the move "bold", but it certainly is long overdue. I do agree with the rejoicing!

Also of interest, buried in Adam's story on the changes in academic standards, is this about one-sport conferences:
[q]In other legislation, the Management Council permanently approved a ruling that permits a one-sport conference that has played together for two years to get an automatic NCAA bid. The WCHA and CHA, which did not have the requisite six all-sport Division I schools in their conference, were given a waiver by the NCAA about 18 months ago that ensured it could maintain its automatic bid in hockey. The new ruling covers any future one-sport conferences that are created.[/q]

Assuming he's effective, how long do you think it will take before we see tangible progress such as TV contracts?

The quicker we see them, the more we may presume how much Phil was holding the ECAC back.

[Q]KenP Wrote:

Assuming he's effective, how long do you think it will take before we see tangible progress such as TV contracts?
[/q]

"Effective" means getting the ECAC on TV more than getting money for the league. At first. After production costs, I bet there's not a lot of money to spread around to the league (or the crew). I bet Adam Wodon isn't driving around in a new Escalade.

I wonder how cheaply one could put on a three-cameras with replays and announcers (not WHCU simulcast) televised hockey game from Ithaca or Hanover or Potsdam?

I think CSTV sees the ECAC, Hockey East, and WCHA etc. as pretty much interchangeable entertainment. You really need CSTV1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for hockey. And what about college wrestling and some of the basketball that isn't already televised? If CSTV and maye ESPN2 are possible outlets, who would they rather have - the league with one school in Boston or the league with a bunch of schools in Boston?

I also wonder how many people actually logged on and paid for the $5 Webcasts? I did for a half-dozen games. I'm not sure how much more I'd take in 2004-05 if there's no replays - how hard can that be? I did enjoy Adam et al's comments when they were off the air (radio) but on the air still (Webcast). In five years possibly, 10 years certainly you can stream high-def hockey games to your house over the Web, but right now, you've got to want to watch hockey in the worst way possible to get a paid-for Webcast, and then you get the image in the worst way possible.

What needs to be understood is, the other conferences all have existing deals. The pool of games for CSTV is therefore limited. The ECAC has no such restriction. That doesn't mean the other conferences won't be on ... it just means the ECAC has a good chance to have a fair number of games on CSTV -- an option it doesn't have with a lot of other places.

Unfortunately, that no-brainer symbiotic relationship was in severe danger. Now it isn't.

What kind of things was Adam saying?

[Q]interested Wrote:

What kind of things was Adam saying?[/q]

You could ask him.

Actually, it was pretty professional, as if aware that one's comments off-the-air could be on the air. So there was one game where he couldn't get his (minidisc) recorder working so he could replay the tracks from a first-period goal and he fretted about that .... or noting that a 4-1 (something like that) game was effectively over entering the third period ...

Nothing like, say, in the newsroom of a financial network where the anchors during breaks but in front of could-be-live mikes would mercilessly bash the desirability of the investments being offered during commercial breaks.

[Q]billhoward Wrote:
noting that a 4-1 (something like that) game was effectively over entering the third period ... [/q]
If only that were true. Fuckin' Harvard.