Opponent News 19-20

[French Rage]

CHN reporting 7 teams are leaving the WCHA to form a new conference.  Wonder if Arizona State will make it an even 8?  Bowling Green owns the "CCHA" label so they could revive that name.

Wait, with that many teams leaving who's left?

UAA, UAF and UAH are the Leftovers.

Ahh, the farther away schools.

If Cal and USC wanted to revive their programs now would be a pretty good time.  St. Thomas (MN) has been talking about jumping to D-I.

Are they going to want to spend money getting clubs to DI so they can spend more traveling to Alaska and Alabama?

[Trotsky]

Are they going to want to spend money getting clubs to DI so they can spend more traveling to Alaska and Alabama?

Coincidentally, another Indy ACHA school is UAB, which had a D-1 not all that long ago (80s at least, maybe 90s).

I have no idea what to do about Alaska other than impose a surcharge on all of D-1 hockey to defray their and their opponents' travel costs.  Hockey Socialism!

[adamw]

Are they going to want to spend money getting clubs to DI so they can spend more traveling to Alaska and Alabama?

Coincidentally, another Indy ACHA school is UAB, which had a D-1 not all that long ago (80s at least, maybe 90s).

I have no idea what to do about Alaska other than impose a surcharge on all of D-1 hockey to defray their and their opponents' travel costs.  Hockey Socialism!

I don't have any records of UAB ever being a thing. Do you have something that shows that?

[Give My Regards]

UAA, UAF and UAH are the Leftovers.

I'll see if I can dig this up, but I think I read somewhere that UAH back in November served notice that they intend to withdraw from (what's left of) the WCHA.  IIRC they were looking to join Atlantic Hockey.

[marty]

UAA, UAF and UAH are the Leftovers.

I'll see if I can dig this up, but I think I read somewhere that UAH back in November served notice that they intend to withdraw from (what's left of) the WCHA.  IIRC they were looking to join Atlantic Hockey.

You can't fire me,  I quit!

[Trotsky]

UAA, UAF and UAH are the Leftovers.

I'll see if I can dig this up, but I think I read somewhere that UAH back in November served notice that they intend to withdraw from (what's left of) the WCHA.  IIRC they were looking to join Atlantic Hockey.

According to the thread on USCHO that was a strategic move to protect themselves if the league folded, but I don't understand the details.

[adamw]

Huntsville basically withdrew so that they could start looking elsewhere. That's pretty much it. Since the league basically won't exist anyway, it's somewhat irrelevant.

[abmarks]

are there any D2 or D3 schools out west at all? If so you'd think Alaskan schools by this point would have thought about dropping down.

[adamw]

are there any D2 or D3 schools out west at all? If so you'd think Alaskan schools by this point would have thought about dropping down.

not that far West

[marty]

are there any D2 or D3 schools out west at all? If so you'd think Alaskan schools by this point would have thought about dropping down.

How about D3 schools near Schenectady?

[Trotsky]

are there any D2 or D3 schools out west at all? If so you'd think Alaskan schools by this point would have thought about dropping down.

How about D3 schools near Schenectady?

This year that would be Union.

Yes, that's the joke, I know...

[Chris H82]

There is club hockey on the West Coast - see this well-timed article for a bit of detail:

[billhoward]

New York Times on the WCHA implosion:
How Many Hockey Teams Does it Take to Make a Conference?

Last June, seven schools — Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State — announced plans to withdraw from the W.C.H.A. and possibly form a new conference for the 2021-22 season. That left only Alaska-Anchorage, Alaska-Fairbanks and Alabama-Huntsville, the W.C.H.A.'s farthest-flung members. This week, the departing seven programs reorganized as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, reviving the name of a conference that dissolved in the previous realignment.

Interesting about how Alaska-Anchorage is saving money:

This season, Alaska-Anchorage shifted games from the 6,290-seat Sullivan Arena downtown to the 750-seat Seawolf Sports Complex on campus, a move that Athletic Director Greg Myford said saved $200,000 annually. The complex's capacity ranks below the W.C.H.A. minimum of 2,500 and Myford soon plans to announce fund-raising for an expansion project to increase seating to as many as 3,000. [WCHA commissioner Bill] Robertson approved the venue shift, a decision that did not sit well with some members.
... By resources and commitment, the seven departing W.C.H.A. schools have been on opposite trajectories from the others since the beginning. While Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Bowling Green and the Michigan schools invested in facilities and program upgrades, the Alaska schools faced state-mandated budget cuts to higher education that threatened men's hockey's survival. The Alaska state budget will trim $70 million from the university system over three years. ... [reportedlty] ongoing financial issues in Alaska concerned all seven. So did lackluster play by certain schools. Alabama-Huntsville's last winning season came in 2005-06, and Alaska-Anchorage is deep into its sixth consecutive losing season. The departing schools felt those sub-.500 seasons hampered their pursuit of at-large bids to the N.C.A.A. Tournament, where strength of schedule is a factor. Under its current configuration, the W.C.H.A. has yet to win an N.C.A.A. title. The last came in 2011, by Minnesota Duluth, now in the N.C.H.C.

Who could keep the WCHA afloat? The story notes Arizona State is the lone independent among 60 D1 hockey schools but opted not to join in 2017. St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, is trying to get NCAA approval to jump from D3 to D1. The story adds, "Illinois soon plans to add Division I hockey but is committed to the Big Ten. Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc., a nonprofit that promotes men's Division I hockey, said his organization is helping six schools develop Division I programs. He declined to name them, and it's not clear if any will field teams by 2021-22."

[billhoward]

New York Times on the WCHA implosion:
How Many Hockey Teams Does it Take to Make a Conference?

Last June, seven schools — Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State — announced plans to withdraw from the W.C.H.A. and possibly form a new conference for the 2021-22 season. That left only Alaska-Anchorage, Alaska-Fairbanks and Alabama-Huntsville, the W.C.H.A.'s farthest-flung members. This week, the departing seven programs reorganized as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, reviving the name of a conference that dissolved in the previous realignment.

Interesting about how Alaska-Anchorage is saving money:

This season, Alaska-Anchorage shifted games from the 6,290-seat Sullivan Arena downtown to the 750-seat Seawolf Sports Complex on campus, a move that Athletic Director Greg Myford said saved $200,000 annually. The complex's capacity ranks below the W.C.H.A. minimum of 2,500 and Myford soon plans to announce fund-raising for an expansion project to increase seating to as many as 3,000. [WCHA commissioner Bill] Robertson approved the venue shift, a decision that did not sit well with some members.
... By resources and commitment, the seven departing W.C.H.A. schools have been on opposite trajectories from the others since the beginning. While Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Bowling Green and the Michigan schools invested in facilities and program upgrades, the Alaska schools faced state-mandated budget cuts to higher education that threatened men's hockey's survival. The Alaska state budget will trim $70 million from the university system over three years. ... [reportedlty] ongoing financial issues in Alaska concerned all seven. So did lackluster play by certain schools. Alabama-Huntsville's last winning season came in 2005-06, and Alaska-Anchorage is deep into its sixth consecutive losing season. The departing schools felt those sub-.500 seasons hampered their pursuit of at-large bids to the N.C.A.A. Tournament, where strength of schedule is a factor. Under its current configuration, the W.C.H.A. has yet to win an N.C.A.A. title. The last came in 2011, by Minnesota Duluth, now in the N.C.H.C.

Who could keep the WCHA afloat? The story notes Arizona State is the lone independent among 60 D1 hockey schools but opted not to join in 2017. St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, is trying to get NCAA approval to jump from D3 to D1. The story adds, "Illinois soon plans to add Division I hockey but is committed to the Big Ten. Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc., a nonprofit that promotes men's Division I hockey, said his organization is helping six schools develop Division I programs. He declined to name them, and it's not clear if any will field teams by 2021-22."

[adamw]

We've covered all of this pretty extensively. Zero news in there. Of course, the NYT is catering to an audience that doesn't really follow it. ... If Illinois adds any time soon, I'll be surprised. There may be an announcement of a team or so soon - but it won't be a major one.  Arizona State "opted not to join" because they were asking for too many things, and the WCHA basically said forget it. Not to mention it doesn't have an arena yet either.