https://twitter.com/EIUHockey/status/360582817962397696

I have no idea if they are going independent or a conference is involved (WCHA?) The state of Illinois is big on hockey, but no D1 team. Eastern Illinois must be trying to beat NIU, Northwestern, or Illinois to the punch.

Also.. Nebraska could be right behind them.

http://unitedstatesofhockey.com/2013/06/...ts-hockey/

Really would like to see Iowa State and Oklahoma or West Virginia jump up and join the NCHC.

state university of NEW YORK at buffalo, Im looking at you..
.

If the NCHC tv deal makes hockey a net plus and UB was invited I suspect we would be there tomorrow... But would you guys be ok with our current digs..

Now the U of Illinois ACHA team is saying they are having a "BIG" announcement tomorrow.

"Illini Hockey
ATTENTION ALL ILLINI HOCKEY FANS! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING TOMORROW!"

http://illinihockey.com/

Big changes coming to college hockey. Likely Illinois and Nebraska to add to Big Ten Hockey. Pretty easy decision when the Big Ten Network guarantees $2 Million per year in payouts.

https://twitter.com/USCollegeHockey/stat...5890085889

(07-27-2013 03:46 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  https://twitter.com/EIUHockey/status/360582817962397696

I have no idea if they are going independent or a conference is involved (WCHA?)

If they have a conference lined up, it seems like it'd be the WCHA, the oddments and remnants of the former WCHA and CCHA:

Alabama-Huntsville
Alaska-Anchorage
Alaska-Fairbanks
Bemidji State (MN)
Bowling Green
Ferris State (MI)
Lake Superior State (MI)
Michigan Technological
Minnesota State-Mankato
Northern Michigan

... "We Are The WCHA! We Are The Leftovers!"

(07-27-2013 06:57 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Now the U of Illinois ACHA team is saying they are having a "BIG" announcement tomorrow.

"Illini Hockey
ATTENTION ALL ILLINI HOCKEY FANS! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING TOMORROW!"

http://illinihockey.com/

Big changes coming to college hockey. Likely Illinois and Nebraska to add to Big Ten Hockey. Pretty easy decision when the Big Ten Network guarantees $2 Million per year in payouts.

Sounds like this is not an D1 announcement.

https://twitter.com/chrismpeters/status/...4632996865

Still not sure about Eastern Illinois.

So...MAC Hockey...

MAC Hockey (6)
BGSU Falcons
Miami Redhawks
WMU Broncos
New York Bulls
NIU Huskies
Iowa State Cyclones

Meets the minimum requirement of 6 members with at least 4 of them being full members of the sponsor conference.

More teams can be added, but this would be a good start.

One option could be having these 6 be the "East" division and make the "West" division the 6 teams left in the NCHC (North Dakota, MN-Duluth, St. Cloud, UN-Omaha, Denver, Colorado College).

An other option cold be to add all/some of the Michigan hockey teams (Northern Mich, Lake Superior State, Ferris State).

Maybe down the line MAC hockey could eventually develop, but I don't think Miami, WMU, or BG are interested in a hockey conference with three brand new teams. That being said, ISU, NIU, and UB have good potential for successful programs, and if UMass were to join the MAC then there's a possibility that it it could happen down the line.

Miami and WMU are not interested.

(07-28-2013 11:54 AM)TARDledo Wrote:  So...MAC Hockey...

MAC Hockey (6)
BGSU Falcons
Miami Redhawks
WMU Broncos
New York Bulls
NIU Huskies
Iowa State Cyclones

Meets the minimum requirement of 6 members with at least 4 of them being full members of the sponsor conference.

But as Miami (OH) Yeah! notes, does not meet the requirement of offering any temptation to MiamiU or Western Michigan to leave the NCHC.

(07-28-2013 11:54 AM)TARDledo Wrote:  So...MAC Hockey...

MAC Hockey (6)
BGSU Falcons
Miami Redhawks
WMU Broncos
New York Bulls
NIU Huskies
Iowa State Cyclones

Meets the minimum requirement of 6 members with at least 4 of them being full members of the sponsor conference.

More teams can be added, but this would be a good start.

One option could be having these 6 be the "East" division and make the "West" division the 6 teams left in the NCHC (North Dakota, MN-Duluth, St. Cloud, UN-Omaha, Denver, Colorado College).

An other option cold be to add all/some of the Michigan hockey teams (Northern Mich, Lake Superior State, Ferris State).

You would have to (1) Convince the 6 teams in the west playing under the MAC umbrella is worth it and (2) convince The Bulls and NIU to start up programs.

The Biggest problem for UB is ice.

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2013/4/14/42253...provements

it's 300K better this year than last but not very good.

Realignment in some instances to a lesser degree about who has had the recent hot-hand and who has been on the latest facility investment cycle. Bowling Green has a proud hockey tradition and a National Championship but drew the short-end of the straw in realignment due to many down years and an out-dated facility. Its unfortunate because many Miami fans would have liked to have a solid Bowling Green program in the NCHC. Having said that, Miami and Western Michigan have to move forward and advance their programs in what I think is the beginning of a boom in college hockey.

The only way I see a MAC Hockey conference forming similar to the Big Ten is if, similar to the Big Ten, the MAC ever got a profitable MAC Network off the ground that would pay dividends similar to the BTN hockey component. Even then there would have to be strong affiliate established programs join in to launch it so it wouldn't be a step backwards for Miami and Western. So Denver, North Dakota, Iowa State, West Virginia would all have to join MAC Hockey with Buffalo and Ohio while all being able to get more exposure and money from their current set-up.

I just don't see that anytime soon.

Just curious, why have you thrown out West Virginia a few times? Have they expressed interest in moving up or is it just because of their MAC Soccer affiliation and the talk of bringing fellow B12er ISU in?

MAC Hockey (7)
BGSU Falcons
Miami Redhawks
WMU Broncos
New York Bulls
NIU Huskies
Iowa State Cyclones
WVU Mountaineers

(07-28-2013 01:20 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Maybe down the line MAC hockey could eventually develop, but I don't think Miami, WMU, or BG are interested in a hockey conference with three brand new teams. That being said, ISU, NIU, and UB have good potential for successful programs, and if UMass were to join the MAC then there's a possibility that it it could happen down the line.

(07-28-2013 01:33 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Miami and WMU are not interested.

UMass is even less interested.

(07-27-2013 03:46 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  The state of Illinois is big on hockey, but no D1 team.

(07-28-2013 01:20 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Maybe down the line MAC hockey could eventually develop, but I don't think Miami, WMU, or BG are interested in a hockey conference with three brand new teams. That being said, ISU, NIU, and UB have good potential for successful programs, and if UMass were to join the MAC then there's a possibility that it it could happen down the line.

As noted above, Illinois (and especially the Chicago area) does seem to be big on hockey and has no D1 team, which is why NIU makes a ton of sense.

What would give me pause is that NIU only has an ACHA D2 team and not an ACHA D1 team like Buffalo and Iowa State so maybe they wouldn't be as prepared to make the jump up to NCAA D1, BUT, if Eastern Illinois is making the jump (from what I can find they only have an ACHA D2 team) then I would think that NIU could make the jump too.

I think it's shortsighted to talk about BG's facilities. Hockey has the potential to be a money maker (not just break even), especially in the potential College Hockey Era to come, and BG can upgrade facilities in phases and be "up to speed" there to go along with its great tradition and history.

(07-28-2013 02:35 PM)jjmc85 Wrote:  

(07-28-2013 01:20 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Maybe down the line MAC hockey could eventually develop, but I don't think Miami, WMU, or BG are interested in a hockey conference with three brand new teams. That being said, ISU, NIU, and UB have good potential for successful programs, and if UMass were to join the MAC then there's a possibility that it it could happen down the line.

(07-28-2013 01:33 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Miami and WMU are not interested.

UMass is even less interested.

I've made it a point in other threads to say that if MAC Hockey became a reality, I wouldn't expect UMass to be a part of it. OOC games sure, but I wouldn't want to mess with the Hockey East thing they have going.

Men's basketball on the other hand...

(07-28-2013 02:27 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  Just curious, why have you thrown out West Virginia a few times? Have they expressed interest in moving up or is it just because of their MAC Soccer affiliation and the talk of bringing fellow B12er ISU in?

MAC Hockey (7)
BGSU Falcons
Miami Redhawks
WMU Broncos
New York Bulls
NIU Huskies
Iowa State Cyclones
WVU Mountaineers

West Virginia has expressed some interest as well as Oklahoma and Iowa State. there is also no Big XII network or plans for one so I don't think there is any chance of the Big XII launching hockey. WVU makes sense for Miami, but there are several others in line ahead of them.

Iowa State has a real chance if joining the NCHC as Iowa has great hockey support, they've expressed interest in D1 hockey, and they fit perfectly within the NCHC.

Colorado State had a campaign trying to launch a few years back, but it faded away and U of Colorado Buffalos also have kicked it around. With Colorado College and Denver both there, either could fit in the NCHC. There was also an article about a week ago about USC, UCLA, and other west coast schools kicking around the idea, but I have a feeling if they ever jumped it would for the PAC12 to add content to their PAC12 channel and copy the Big Ten.

Iowa State is a perfect candidate and I expect them to jump in the ring at some point. Oklahoma, WVU, Or Colorado State could be #10.

Both of these article are 5 years old, but there has been more recent chatter and tweets.

Iowa State:

"For many years, there has been speculation that one day Iowa State’s hockey team would make the jump from the non-scholarship level to NCAA Division 1"

Colorado State:


Brett Tatman, a local Windsor, CO businessman has petitioned Colorado State University to add division 1 ice hockey as a sport within the next five years. The petition is based around the belief that ice hockey, unlike other current sports programs, will be a self-sustaining sport at the university level.

Tatman's optimism is based on the wildly successful Colorado Eagles semi-pro hockey franchise located in Loveland, Colorado. “The truth is that the Budweiser Events Center could double its current 5,000-plus seating, and still sell out every Eagles game,”

http://www.prlog.org/10117292-ram-hockey...rsity.html

http://bluejays.scout.com/2/600303.html

(07-28-2013 02:35 PM)jjmc85 Wrote:  

(07-28-2013 01:33 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  Miami and WMU are not interested.

UMass is even less interested.

There is no chance of this jjmc85, don't sweat it.