CCHA Denies UAH

Robb · August 13, 2009, 09:58:00 PM

[quote Jeff Hopkins '82][quote Jim Hyla][quote KeithK] Or maybe Penn State will finally start up a hockey team....[/quote]Anybody know the rule about how many Big Ten schools can have a sport before they have to have their own league. Penn State would be 6 schools. I know they have sports with 7 teams. At some point, with enough schools playing hockey the schools would have to drop out of their leagues and form their own; unless they can somehow pull an Ivy League trick, but that seems too difficult.[/quote]

I think it's 6 schools.[/quote]
You are correct that it is 6 schools - but at/above that threshold, the Big 10 MAY sponsor a league. There is no rule (NCAA, Big 10, or otherwise) that says the Big 10 would have to do so.

Josh '99 · August 14, 2009, 12:04:37 AM

[quote Robb][quote Jeff Hopkins '82][quote Jim Hyla][quote KeithK] Or maybe Penn State will finally start up a hockey team....[/quote]Anybody know the rule about how many Big Ten schools can have a sport before they have to have their own league. Penn State would be 6 schools. I know they have sports with 7 teams. At some point, with enough schools playing hockey the schools would have to drop out of their leagues and form their own; unless they can somehow pull an Ivy League trick, but that seems too difficult.[/quote]

I think it's 6 schools.[/quote]
You are correct that it is 6 schools - but at/above that threshold, the Big 10 MAY sponsor a league. There is no rule (NCAA, Big 10, or otherwise) that says the Big 10 would have to do so.[/quote]Yeah, I was wondering. I don't see any reason why they *have* to, but I think what Jim and Jeff were getting at is, if they've got 6 schools and are eligible to form a conference that receives an autobid, there really isn't any reason for them *not* to, loyalty to existing conferences aside. You can limit the distance you have to travel to play conference games (no Alaska trips, especially), increase your odds of getting an autobid (based on there being fewer teams fighting for it), and, if I'm not mistaken, increase your odds of getting an at-large bid (based on the same RPI-boosting insularity that does this for the ACC in lacrosse). Plus, in a hypothetical six-team BTHC including UM, MSU, OSU, UMN, UW and PSU, every conference game is going to sell a ton of tickets.

Robb · August 14, 2009, 09:15:27 AM

[quote Josh '99][quote Robb][quote Jeff Hopkins '82][quote Jim Hyla][quote KeithK] Or maybe Penn State will finally start up a hockey team....[/quote]Anybody know the rule about how many Big Ten schools can have a sport before they have to have their own league. Penn State would be 6 schools. I know they have sports with 7 teams. At some point, with enough schools playing hockey the schools would have to drop out of their leagues and form their own; unless they can somehow pull an Ivy League trick, but that seems too difficult.[/quote]

I think it's 6 schools.[/quote]
You are correct that it is 6 schools - but at/above that threshold, the Big 10 MAY sponsor a league. There is no rule (NCAA, Big 10, or otherwise) that says the Big 10 would have to do so.[/quote]Yeah, I was wondering. I don't see any reason why they *have* to, but I think what Jim and Jeff were getting at is, if they've got 6 schools and are eligible to form a conference that receives an autobid, there really isn't any reason for them *not* to, loyalty to existing conferences aside. You can limit the distance you have to travel to play conference games (no Alaska trips, especially), increase your odds of getting an autobid (based on there being fewer teams fighting for it), and, if I'm not mistaken, increase your odds of getting an at-large bid (based on the same RPI-boosting insularity that does this for the ACC in lacrosse). Plus, in a hypothetical six-team BTHC including UM, MSU, OSU, UMN, UW and PSU, every conference game is going to sell a ton of tickets.[/quote]
It just depends on the frame of mind of the B10 presidents/ADs. The BTHC would likely kill several hockey programs in one fell swoop - BGSU, WMU, Ferris, etc, as they money they used to get in ticket sales would shift over to UW, UMinn, and PSU. Contraction may begat further contraction, and suddenly the BTHC may own the lion's share of what has become a much smaller pie. Are they really better off in that scenario than they are in the current one? Of course, it's not my opinion, nor yours, nor the actual truth that matters - it comes down to what the B10 presidents and ADs perceive it to be.

ebilmes · November 04, 2009, 10:10:32 AM

Sports Illustrated decides to write about UAH's predicament:

QuoteLast year's NCAA champion, Bemidji State, is going to the Western College Hockey Association. Niagara and Robert Morris are headed to Atlantic Hockey.

KeithK · November 04, 2009, 12:17:20 PM

Quote from: ebilmesSports Illustrated decides to write about UAH's predicament:
QuoteLast year's NCAA champion, Bemidji State, is going to the Western College Hockey Association. Niagara and Robert Morris are headed to Atlantic Hockey.

Well, it's nice to know we lost to the eventual champions. :-|

Dpperk29 · November 04, 2009, 12:59:16 PM

Quote from: KeithK
Quote from: ebilmesSports Illustrated decides to write about UAH's predicament:
QuoteLast year's NCAA champion, Bemidji State, is going to the Western College Hockey Association. Niagara and Robert Morris are headed to Atlantic Hockey.
Well, it's nice to know we lost to the eventual champions. :-|

Does that make cornell the runner up?

KeithK · November 04, 2009, 03:19:37 PM

Quote from: Dpperk29
Quote from: KeithK
Quote from: ebilmesSports Illustrated decides to write about UAH's predicament:
QuoteLast year's NCAA champion, Bemidji State, is going to the Western College Hockey Association. Niagara and Robert Morris are headed to Atlantic Hockey.
Well, it's nice to know we lost to the eventual champions. :-|

Does that make cornell the runner up?

Just trying to apply the ever accurate transitive rule of athletics.