National Collegiate Hockey Conference

[Robb]

LS/FS

4 hours between games is pretty tough for a travel-partner type arrangement, but *just* doable.

[Scersk '97]

LS/FS

4 hours between games is pretty tough for a travel-partner type arrangement, but *just* doable.

For reference, Google Maps says it takes 2 hrs 56 mins to travel from Hamden to Princeton, and we all know that can take much longer depending on the traffic.  I would say 4 hrs through, well, no traffic to speak of is just fine.

Indeed, given the lake effect off of Erie, I find Bowling Green to Pittsburgh more suspect.

[KeithK]

If you were so inclined, you could claim that UND and UMD would rather be grouped with Denver and CC and Miami, rather than NMU and MTU and LSSU, in order to play in a stronger conference because that better prepares you to win championships, and that isn't really about the money.  I'm not so inclined, personally, but I think you could at least plausibly claim that.

That would be like Mike Hampton claiming that he signed with the Rockies because of the school system in Colorado.

[jtwcornell91]

LS/FS

4 hours between games is pretty tough for a travel-partner type arrangement, but *just* doable.

For reference, Google Maps says it takes 2 hrs 56 mins to travel from Hamden to Princeton, and we all know that can take much longer depending on the traffic.  I would say 4 hrs through, well, no traffic to speak of is just fine.

Indeed, given the lake effect off of Erie, I find Bowling Green to Pittsburgh more suspect.

Don't forget the Cornell-Columbia travel partnership in Ivy basketball...

[KeithK]

And now it sounds like the CCHA might poach RMU, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Canisius to replace its losses.  Bad news for RIT if it happens, but perhaps it will eventually lead to the Ivies splitting off and the ECAC grabbing RIT and Army as travel partners for Colgate and Quinnipiac.  Then Air Force may be in the same boat as Alabama-Huntsville...

This was expected. It makes some sense for the schools involved.  There isn't much change to travel and at least Mercyhurst and Niagara want to go back to 8 scholarships. The domino hasn't fallen yet but I'd guess it's better than 50-50 that it does.

[RichH]

LS/FS

4 hours between games is pretty tough for a travel-partner type arrangement, but *just* doable.

For reference, Google Maps says it takes 2 hrs 56 mins to travel from Hamden to Princeton, and we all know that can take much longer depending on the traffic.  I would say 4 hrs through, well, no traffic to speak of is just fine.

Indeed, given the lake effect off of Erie, I find Bowling Green to Pittsburgh more suspect.

OK, but what makes everybody assume they even want to set up a travel partner arrangement? Haven't the Western Conferences done more of a "weekend series" schedule anyway? The old WCHA & CCHA generally played a 2 home, 2 away in-conference schedule.  We ECACHL'ers are always so obsessed in trying to fit our elegant scheduling system to other conferences and when teams change in our own conference.  It really doesn't have to work for other conferences, and it doesn't given the distances you're discussing now.  If I were a Western coach/fan, staying in one place for the weekend seems pretty preferable.  Especially now with 6-team conferences who will have a lot more in-conference games to fill.

[KeithK]

OK, but what makes everybody assume they even want to set up a travel partner arrangement? ...  Especially now with 6-team conferences who will have a lot more in-conference games to fill.

Agreed. A travel partner setup is kind of silly in a six team league when you're probably playing four games against each opponent.  Going to Ferris State one weekend and Western Michigan another weekend makes more sense than two trips that visit both.  Less traveling time and less logistical effort.  This may not apply for BC/BU?Northeastern, but anywhere you have to travel between partnerships you're better off staying put if you can.

Things get complicated when you get up to 10 teams in the league where you're probably playing three games against each opponent.  Then you probably have both two game sets and mixed weekends.  HE managed that for years with nine, albeit in a very compact league.  If memory serves the CCHA did as well back in the day though I don't recall either the team count or the scheduling details offhand.

[jtwcornell91]

We ECACHL'ers are always so obsessed in trying to fit our elegant scheduling system to other conferences and when teams change in our own conference.  It really doesn't have to work for other conferences, and it doesn't given the distances you're discussing now.  If I were a Western coach/fan, staying in one place for the weekend seems pretty preferable.  Especially now with 6-team conferences who will have a lot more in-conference games to fill.

Fair point.  But it is SO elegant. :-)

[Swampy]

LS/FS

4 hours between games is pretty tough for a travel-partner type arrangement, but *just* doable.

For reference, Google Maps says it takes 2 hrs 56 mins to travel from Hamden to Princeton, and we all know that can take much longer depending on the traffic.  I would say 4 hrs through, well, no traffic to speak of is just fine.

Indeed, given the lake effect off of Erie, I find Bowling Green to Pittsburgh more suspect.

OK, but what makes everybody assume they even want to set up a travel partner arrangement? Haven't the Western Conferences done more of a "weekend series" schedule anyway? The old WCHA & CCHA generally played a 2 home, 2 away in-conference schedule.  We ECACHL'ers are always so obsessed in trying to fit our elegant scheduling system to other conferences and when teams change in our own conference.  It really doesn't have to work for other conferences, and it doesn't given the distances you're discussing now.  If I were a Western coach/fan, staying in one place for the weekend seems pretty preferable.  Especially now with 6-team conferences who will have a lot more in-conference games to fill.

Folks, remember. These are scholarship schools. The scholarship is in the money. So they could use pairings for ease of scheduling but allow a day or two between games with the first or second partner. Instead if 4 hrs between games, it could easily be 40 hrs.

[KeithK]

Folks, remember. These are scholarship schools. The scholarship is in the money. So they could use pairings for ease of scheduling but allow a day or two between games with the first or second partner. Instead if 4 hrs between games, it could easily be 40 hrs.

Maximizing attendance dollars probably means scheduling games on Friday and Saturday nights.  Television obviously could dictate games at other times,  The new CCHA and WCHA probably will have less television coverage without the big boys but what they do get could drive them to funny hours.  I could see a network scheduling a weekly BTHC or Nancy game for Saturday night and relegating CCHA/WCHA to Sunday afternoon, for instance.

Though if the trend in college hockey is toward doing everything for the money then we could see random mid week games popping up to get television coverage, the way it is in squeakball.

[Scersk '97]

Oh, completely secondly agreed.  Travel partnerships generally don't make sense west of Buffalo.

[marty]

do all of BU's titles belong to the ECAC?

Not 2009!

[marty]

The spiteful part of me wants to enjoy the schadenfreude watching the pompous WCHA types suffer.  But this is bad for college hockey so the better part of my nature is trying to resist the temptation.

Anyway, the most pompous WCHA types are now pompous NCHC types (NoDak) or even more pompous BTHC types (Minny).

Exactly and now they are a NATIONAL league.::barf::

[marty]

And now it sounds like the CCHA might poach RMU, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Canisius to replace its losses.  Bad news for RIT if it happens, but perhaps it will eventually lead to the Ivies splitting off and the ECAC grabbing RIT and Army as travel partners for Colgate and Quinnipiac.  Then Air Force may be in the same boat as Alabama-Huntsville...

Given Air Force's current conference affiliation, it seems like they don't really give a crap about travel expenses (insert obvious joke about airplanes here) and will land on their feet however things shake out.  (Last year they made an Alaska trip and seven trips East.)

Your tax dollars at rest.

[billhoward]

And now it sounds like the CCHA might poach RMU, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Canisius to replace its losses.  Bad news for RIT if it happens, but perhaps it will eventually lead to the Ivies splitting off and the ECAC grabbing RIT and Army as travel partners for Colgate and Quinnipiac.  Then Air Force may be in the same boat as Alabama-Huntsville...

Given Air Force's current conference affiliation, it seems like they don't really give a crap about travel expenses (insert obvious joke about airplanes here) and will land on their feet however things shake out.  (Last year they made an Alaska trip and seven trips East.)

Your tax dollars at rest.

Jet Noise: The Sound of Freedom