Big Ten Hockey Conference

RatushnyFan · March 28, 2011, 12:15:46 PM

I don't like it either........

Being a Michigan fan as well (grad school, they won a national championship when I was there, it's a nice feeling ;-), I know a few of you young at heard had the pleasure of witnessing this at Cornell), I don't really like the formation of a 6 team conference. I think it will be boring and if they stop playing Miami and some of the other CCHA schools that they've been playing for a long time, it's simply depressing to lose those established rivalries.

KeithK · March 28, 2011, 01:38:03 PM

Why in the world would you want to create an Ivy ghetto in hockey? Over time An Ivy conference would likely be weaker than the current ECAC. An easier trip to the auto-bid is a silly reason to support it unless all you care about is getting to the NC$$ tournament.

Rosey · March 28, 2011, 02:00:06 PM

Quote from: KeithKWhy in the world would you want to create an Ivy ghetto in hockey? Over time An Ivy conference would likely be weaker than the current ECAC. An easier trip to the auto-bid is a silly reason to support it unless all you care about is getting to the NC$$ tournament.

Yeah, yikes: the last thing I want is for Cornell to have to play 3 or 4 games each year against the likes of Brown. Wondering what the thinking behind such a proposal is: "I know: let's repeat the smashing success of Ivy League football and do the same thing for hockey! Whee!" :-)

css228 · March 28, 2011, 02:12:49 PM

Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East). An Ivy League just hurts Cornell in the long run. It's not a good idea.

Jim Hyla · March 28, 2011, 03:05:26 PM

But moving the CCHA teams NMU and LSSU back to the WCHA, and bringing in all the Big Ten schools into the CCHA, without a "new" conference (meaning "Ivy them" ), would be nicer. It won't happen as I suspect the Big Ten doesn't want to be part of another conference, but it would make it easier for the rest of the hockey world.

Trotsky · March 28, 2011, 09:39:54 PM

Quote from: css228Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East).

I know it was just a random example, but some of the younger fans may not know Hockey East was formed to get away from the Ivies and our academic-based restrictions. They emphatically do not want us.

css228 · March 28, 2011, 10:09:50 PM

Quote from: Trotsky
Quote from: css228Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East).
I know it was just a random example, but some of the younger fans may not know Hockey East was formed to get away from the Ivies and our academic-based restrictions. They emphatically do not want us.

No I absolutely know this as I had a long line of family that came here, some shortly before the divorce. I was just trying to come up with something that would actually work out better for us than an Ivy system. I guess a better suggestion would be if the ECAC were to swallow up Miami of Ohio, Notre Dame, WMU and Ferris (I just took the 4 strongest non Big Ten CCHA teams from the past year for no particular reason) I would do that. An Ivy League, just not a good idea.

Jim Hyla · March 28, 2011, 10:09:58 PM

Quote from: Trotsky
Quote from: css228Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East).
I know it was just a random example, but some of the younger fans may not know Hockey East was formed to get away from the Ivies and our academic-based restrictions. They emphatically do not want us.

To be fair there are some accounts that said the Ivies were thinking of pulling out to form their own conference and the HE teams decided to break first. At least that's some of what I remember from then.

Swampy · March 28, 2011, 10:18:23 PM

Quote from: Trotsky
Quote from: css228Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East).
I know it was just a random example, but some of the younger fans may not know Hockey East was formed to get away from the Ivies and our academic-based restrictions. They emphatically do not want us.

Even if we dumb-down ourselves too?

Swampy · March 28, 2011, 10:25:22 PM

Quote from: css228
Quote from: Trotsky
Quote from: css228Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East).
I know it was just a random example, but some of the younger fans may not know Hockey East was formed to get away from the Ivies and our academic-based restrictions. They emphatically do not want us.
No I absolutely know this as I had a long line of family that came here, some shortly before the divorce. I was just trying to come up with something that would actually work out better for us than an Ivy system. I guess a better suggestion would be if the ECAC were to swallow up Miami of Ohio, Notre Dame, WMU and Ferris (I just took the 4 strongest non Big Ten CCHA teams from the past year for no particular reason) I would do that. An Ivy League, just not a good idea.

Seriously, I've got to believe it's all about the money. ND would more likely gravitate to HE or the Big 10. (Like the Big East has more basketball schools than football schools.) But an expanded ECAC with a nice TV contract and schools in Ohio and Michigan might work.

Remember, though, right now all ECAC travel can be done by bus. Once you add Ohio, the New England schools start to take a plane.

Ben · March 28, 2011, 10:31:34 PM

Quote from: SwampySeriously, I've got to believe it's all about the money. ND would more likely gravitate to HE or the Big 10. (Like the Big East has more basketball schools than football schools.) But an expanded ECAC with a nice TV contract and schools in Ohio and Michigan might work.

Remember, though, right now all ECAC travel can be done by bus. Once you add Ohio, the New England schools start to take a plane.

I don't know how the math would work out, but if the ECAC could get a good TV contract as a result of adding some bigger schools that should pay (or at least help to pay) for those plane trips. On the other hand, four extra programs could create scheduling problems.

css228 · March 28, 2011, 10:34:50 PM

Quote from: Swampy
Quote from: css228
Quote from: Trotsky
Quote from: css228Yeah pretty much to sum up my thoughts, we should only make a move that makes our competition and national profile stronger (random example pulled out of thin air - if the Ivies were to defect and join Hockey East).
I know it was just a random example, but some of the younger fans may not know Hockey East was formed to get away from the Ivies and our academic-based restrictions. They emphatically do not want us.
No I absolutely know this as I had a long line of family that came here, some shortly before the divorce. I was just trying to come up with something that would actually work out better for us than an Ivy system. I guess a better suggestion would be if the ECAC were to swallow up Miami of Ohio, Notre Dame, WMU and Ferris (I just took the 4 strongest non Big Ten CCHA teams from the past year for no particular reason) I would do that. An Ivy League, just not a good idea.

Seriously, I've got to believe it's all about the money. ND would more likely gravitate to HE or the Big 10. (Like the Big East has more basketball schools than football schools.) But an expanded ECAC with a nice TV contract and schools in Ohio and Michigan might work.

Remember, though, right now all ECAC travel can be done by bus. Once you add Ohio, the New England schools start to take a plane.

ND won't go Big 10 because its just too profitable for them to be a football independent, and the Big 10 won't make arrangements like the Big East. as for HE, the travel issue is even worse for them to add Miami and ND because all of the HE schools are in New England. It would be far worse for Maine to go to Ohio, Indiana or Michigan. I actually think the most doable thing for these schools (at least Miamu and ND) is to join the AHA but they won't do that because they do not want to deal with the scholarship limits. The WCHA might welcome them in, but it would kill Miami with travel expenses. That makes the ECAC an attractive place for those schools to fall. The Michigan Schools will probably end up in the WCHA, but it wouldn't hurt to try and convince them to come along. However, if the ECAC were to expand even by just adding Miami and ND we'd still need to address the issue of OOC games

css228 · March 28, 2011, 10:44:37 PM

Also, Miami of Ohio and Notre Dame would meet the academic standards of the other ECAC programs.

Trotsky · March 28, 2011, 11:25:10 PM

Looking around college hockey, the only even somewhat reasonable scenario I can see for the ECAC expansion is if (1) AF goes to the WCHA and (2) Navy goes D-I then (3) the ECAC might invite Army and Navy to join. Otherwise I don't see a reconfiguration. We should work on the schedule limits -- that's the only direction there might be any slack on.

css228 · March 28, 2011, 11:43:02 PM

I may have talked myself into it (who am I kidding of course I have), but I'd really like to see the ECAC go after ND and Miami. Miami can't afford the travel costs of the WCHA, HE probably won't expand to the Midwest, Miami probably won't go for AHA, and I think we're all pretty certain the CCHA doesn't stand a chance so ruling out some drastic realignment of the WCHA and CCHA, Miami and ND will be homeless. Once again, I think the ECAC could be a good fit for them. Regardless, we can't do anything without changing the schedule limits. So we need to work on those, but as far as putting a drastic idea out there, bringing in Miami and ND would not be a bad one and one I hope the ECAC officials would at least consider. It definitely raises the national profile and both schools fit academically as state before. Yes I agree this is a long-shot, but don't you think its a long shot worth looking into?