Big Ten Hockey - it's official

[TwinTownBisonFan]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophe ... 73629.html

The Big Ten on Monday announced it will form its own hockey conference starting in 2013-14. Minnesota and Wisconsin will leave the WCHA to join it, while Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will switch from the CCHA.

The sixth member will be Penn State, which will start a Division I program in 2012-13.

tracking...

[dbackjon]

Interesting...

[89Hen]

Nice little conference there.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

the WCHA becomes a 10 team conference with no big draw teams (in terms of ratings - UND is hugely popular in ND - and a ratings draw regionally, but since nobody lives in ND... it's still not a lot)

look for Air Force to get an invite out of Hockey East - and somebody to start up a program

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

[93henfan]

HEY! That's only six teams. How can they call themselves the Big 10? What's next, their football conference having more than ten teams? That's some fuzzy math right there, and I'm calling bullshit.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

HEY! That's only six teams. How can they call themselves the Big 10? What's next, their football conference having more than ten teams? That's some fuzzy math right there, and I'm calling bullshit.

I think it's only a matter of time before Northwestern starts up. Illinois has a popular club team - and either Indiana or Iowa could start (and play outside of their college towns in Indy or Des Moines or Cedar Rapids)

[dbackjon]

HEY! That's only six teams. How can they call themselves the Big 10? What's next, their football conference having more than ten teams? That's some fuzzy math right there, and I'm calling bullshit.

I think it's only a matter of time before Northwestern starts up. Illinois has a popular club team - and either Indiana or Iowa could start (and play outside of their college towns in Indy or Des Moines or Cedar Rapids)

I would love for Illinois to go Varsity - I used to watch the club team when I was there - good times

[dbackjon]

the WCHA becomes a 10 team conference with no big draw teams (in terms of ratings - UND is hugely popular in ND - and a ratings draw regionally, but since nobody lives in ND... it's still not a lot)

look for Air Force to get an invite out of Hockey East - and somebody to start up a program

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

If only NAU still had a team...

[TwinTownBisonFan]

err - correction - Air Force is in Atlantic Hockey

also look for Alaska-Fairbanks to push for possible inclusion out of the CCHA

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

Wouldn't starting a new men's sport at NDSU make a move to FBS an even tougher proposition at NDSU? Or is there an abundance of Title 9 already in place there? You'd go from needing to add 44 new schollies to around 80 wouldn't ya?

[clenz]

HEY! That's only six teams. How can they call themselves the Big 10? What's next, their football conference having more than ten teams? That's some fuzzy math right there, and I'm calling bullshit.

I think it's only a matter of time before Northwestern starts up. Illinois has a popular club team - and either Indiana or Iowa could start (and play outside of their college towns in Indy or Des Moines or Cedar Rapids)

Des Moines is too damn far for Iowa. Cedar Rapids is 20 minutes up the road and has an arena that could be used as Cedar Rapids has a USHL team.

UNI has a club team - or at least did last I checked. Don't look for anything to come from that though.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

Wouldn't starting a new men's sport at NDSU make a move to FBS an even tougher proposition at NDSU? Or is there an abundance of Title 9 already in place there? You'd go from needing to add 44 new schollies to around 80 wouldn't ya?

not really - NDSU could add women's hockey and the point would be moot.

(keep in mind, unlike other schools, NDSU has 50% male/female.)

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Wouldn't starting a new men's sport at NDSU make a move to FBS an even tougher proposition at NDSU? Or is there an abundance of Title 9 already in place there? You'd go from needing to add 44 new schollies to around 80 wouldn't ya?

not really - NDSU could add women's hockey and the point would be moot.

(keep in mind, unlike other schools, NDSU has 50% male/female.)

But you still have to fund the schollies for bot mens and womens hockey don't ya? I was already assuming they would add womens hockey.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

not really - NDSU could add women's hockey and the point would be moot.

(keep in mind, unlike other schools, NDSU has 50% male/female.)

But you still have to fund the schollies for bot mens and womens hockey don't ya? I was already assuming they would add womens hockey.

hockey isn't 40 schollies

it's more like 20ish

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

But you still have to fund the schollies for bot mens and womens hockey don't ya? I was already assuming they would add womens hockey.

hockey isn't 40 schollies

it's more like 20ish

Yeah, I thought D1 Hockey was 18. 18X2 (m&w) is where I came up with the 36 to add to the 22 for FBS + 22 in additional womens scholarships for the total of 80. Never mind though, it's not real important, just thinking it seems like a detriment to the FBS equation JBB is putting forth all the time.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

hockey isn't 40 schollies

it's more like 20ish

Yeah, I thought D1 Hockey was 18. 18X2 (m&w) is where I came up with the 36 to add to the 22 for FBS + 22 in additional womens scholarships for the total of 80. Never mind though, it's not real important, just thinking it seems like a detriment to the FBS equation JBB is putting forth all the time.

i had missed what you did there...

[89Hen]

HEY! That's only six teams. How can they call themselves the Big 10? What's next, their football conference having more than ten teams? That's some fuzzy math right there, and I'm calling bullshit.

Actually this helps them because if you average in hockey it will bring the number closer to 10.

[JBB]

Hockey, both mens and women's, is a scholarship wash. NDSU would add both. It will have to fund itself or it wont be added. Hockey has to help NDSU football. It cant be a drag on the Big 12 scenario or WAC like Quinn is claiming as the only possibility.

Im not sure NDSU hockey would be interested in the WCHA anymore?

The WCHA will have no D1 football schools participating and is heavily weighted to the lower divisions. The way UND is scheduling that might be an advantage for them if they are trying to cross schedule some football games.

The Big 10 will also take all its games to the Big 10 network. This is going to have a negative impact on UNDs FSN all sports contract they were able to leverage using teh hockies. Im sure classic curling highlights would get more views than UND basketball or football and the remainder of the WCHA isnt too exciting from a big draw standpoint.

The new WCHA:

UND-D1
Denver-D1
UNO-D1
Min. Duluth-D2
St Cloud State-D2
Bemidji State-D2
Mn State Mankato-D2
Mich tech-D3 (?)
Co. Colleger-D3 (?)
Alaska Anchorage-D3 (?)

Actually the CCHA looks better:

Notre dame - D1
Miami - D1
W. Mich -D1
Bowling green - D1
N Mich - D2
Ferris State -D2
Alaska - D?
Lake Superior - D3

Lots more D1 cross scheduling opportunities in FBS football Which would help build the program. Might get some great OOC BB games as well. Maybe UNO would rejoin to unify the Summit hockey schools?

Either way both leagues are at even numbers so they will be looking to add.

[dbackjon]

Alaska schools are D2

[Willie]

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

MSUM is still considering D-I hockey.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

MSUM is still considering D-I hockey.

was thinking about that yesterday... makes sense...

[dbackjon]

there will doubtless be caterwauling for NDSU to start up.

MSUM is still considering D-I hockey.

I thought Minnesota State University - Mankato was D-I in hockey

[Willie]

Yeah that's the real MSUM...the other ones...the Dragoons, are Minnesota State University - Moorhead.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Yeah that's the real MSUM...the other ones...the Dragoons, are Minnesota State University - Moorhead.

would be so much cooler if they were called the dragoons...

[Willie]

Usually we just referred to them as Goons...because most of their students are idiots. I did date Gov. Pawlenty's niece for a while and she goes there unfortunately haha.