B1G should add UND as associate and UConn as full. Illinois and Rutgers should add D1 programs. Then you have a ten team B1G Hockey of:

Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin

Play a 22 game conference schedule. Every team plays each other in at least one series plus the following rivals play an extra series for a home-home every year:

Connecticut - Rutgers/Penn State
Illinois - Michigan State/Ohio State
Michigan - Michigan State/Ohio State
Michigan State - Illinois/Michigan
Minnesota - North Dakota/Wisconsin
North Dakota - Minnesota/Wisconsin
Ohio State - Illinois/Michigan
Penn State - Connecticut/Rutgers
Rutgers - Connecticut/Penn State
Wisconsin - Minnesota/North Dakota

North Star Cup should be expanded to be a six team - three day - three round tournament like the final final five. UND/UofM/SCSU/UMD/BSU/MSU every year.

Great Lakes Invite (Mich/Mich State) and Three Rivers Classic (OSU/PSU) should expand into similar events with local teams every year. Ill and Wisc should start a similar event in Chicago every year, Conn and Rutgers should start a similar event in NYC every year.

NCHC/WCHA should be Bemidji, Duluth, Ferris St., Lake Superior St., Mich Tech, Minn State, No. Mich, Omaha, St. Cloud, W. Mich

The new B1G and the new NCHC/WCHA should have a scheduling arrangement that guarantees one home and one away interconference series for each school.

I could go on but I'll stop.

I can understand the Golden Gophers not liking it. As a fan, I wouldn't have cared for it either. I wouldn't be shocked if their administration wasn't trilled about the move either (although they look for different things than fans so that's questionable).

The problem for the school ultimately was though that the school really wasn't in a strong position to say no. The school benefits financially a ton in football from the affiliation of the bigger programs. The situation is reversed in hockey, but it was going to be very difficult to say they don't want to support Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State and don't want them as conference mates in a smaller revenue sport while getting full equally revenue in the biggest sport of all.

(02-28-2016 02:53 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  The Big Ten dug their own grave when it comes to hockey. I miss the CCHA.

Bowling Green fans miss it more.

(02-28-2016 08:19 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Ariz St still hasn't started on their own rink. Doubt Ariz St gets added for B1G hockey until that happens.

It's about the market. Period. The Phoenix market actually has more Big Ten alums living there than Pac-12 alums (and then you add the Midwestern snowbirds that come every winter AKA hockey season on top of it). At the same time, the Pac-12 is the Big Ten's closest friend in college sports - there's a symbiotic relationship there (and they aren't encroaching on each other's geographic territory, unlike the other P5 leagues). Once again, this is a much bigger picture issue beyond hockey itself.

Quote:Our fan base absolutely detests the idea of going B1G hockey. Highly doubt that it would happen, but we are practically the only fan base that fills opposing arenas now.

The North Dakota fan base can tell themselves that, but they shouldn't be delusional in thinking that the school has any power on that front. If the Big Ten invited UND or ANY school that isn't in the Hockey East (which is the only hockey league that is reasonably immune from poaching by the Big Ten), they would accept that invite sight unseen. It isn't even a question. The Big Ten has complete poaching power here - they just may not choose to exercise that power because they have a greater slew of factors to consider beyond on-the-ice metrics (i.e. market size, academic fit, etc.).

(02-28-2016 10:00 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I can understand the Golden Gophers not liking it. As a fan, I wouldn't have cared for it either. I wouldn't be shocked if their administration wasn't trilled about the move either (although they look for different things than fans so that's questionable).

The problem for the school ultimately was though that the school really wasn't in a strong position to say no. The school benefits financially a ton in football from the affiliation of the bigger programs. The situation is reversed in hockey, but it was going to be very difficult to say they don't want to support Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State and don't want them as conference mates in a smaller revenue sport while getting full equally revenue in the biggest sport of all.

Yes, and I'd go even further: the school had NO position to say no. If the Big Ten adds a sport, then its member schools HAVE to be members. It's not even a question. I understand Minnesota hockey fans' complaints on an emotional guttural level, but it's the tail wagging the dog if you let hockey rule the tens of millions of dollars at stake with Big Ten football that so many other schools would KILL for and Minnesota was gifted by making the right conference choice over 100 years ago. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Gopher fans.

I'm totally clueless when it comes to hockey...but is there no non-conference schedule? Why can't they continue those series in the non-conference? Is it merely for the excitement of league crowns and divisional rivalry...?

I am sure Uconn and Umass would leave Hockey East with an all sport invite :)

(02-29-2016 01:20 PM)allthatyoucantleavebehind Wrote:  I'm totally clueless when it comes to hockey...but is there no non-conference schedule? Why can't they continue those series in the non-conference? Is it merely for the excitement of league crowns and divisional rivalry...?

Minn coach Lucia didn't schedule UND for a couple years because he said it was too heated. There were often fisticuffs in the stands as it truly was heated. More often than not, it was Twin Cities fans vs out state Minnesotan fighting. Our fan base is almost majority Minnesotan. Had a sister that lived in St Paul, and she was often threatened when she went to Mariucci wearing green.

Minny doesn't have a traveling fan hockey rival to speak of now as Wisconsin is awful now and lost most of their fan support. Wisconsin for a NDAKOTA fan used to be a intense rivalry only on ice, as the Wisconsin fans were just fun drinking types. Barry Alvarez doesn't seem to give a flip about hockey, or he would have fired their coach long ago.

(02-29-2016 11:51 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(02-28-2016 08:19 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Ariz St still hasn't started on their own rink. Doubt Ariz St gets added for B1G hockey until that happens.

It's about the market. Period. The Phoenix market actually has more Big Ten alums living there than Pac-12 alums (and then you add the Midwestern snowbirds that come every winter AKA hockey season on top of it). At the same time, the Pac-12 is the Big Ten's closest friend in college sports - there's a symbiotic relationship there (and they aren't encroaching on each other's geographic territory, unlike the other P5 leagues). Once again, this is a much bigger picture issue beyond hockey itself.

Quote:Our fan base absolutely detests the idea of going B1G hockey. Highly doubt that it would happen, but we are practically the only fan base that fills opposing arenas now.

The North Dakota fan base can tell themselves that, but they shouldn't be delusional in thinking that the school has any power on that front. If the Big Ten invited UND or ANY school that isn't in the Hockey East (which is the only hockey league that is reasonably immune from poaching by the Big Ten), they would accept that invite sight unseen. It isn't even a question. The Big Ten has complete poaching power here - they just may not choose to exercise that power because they have a greater slew of factors to consider beyond on-the-ice metrics (i.e. market size, academic fit, etc.).

If the PAC12 gets to 4 teams, the PAC12 will probably start it's own league, poaching Denver, CC, and maybe Omaha and UND. Feel certain that the new rink near the Iowa campus will compel Iowa to start hockey. Iowa and Ariz St would be a nice additions for the B1G.

I told our message board that if offered a B1G hockey slot, we'd have to accept. Was almost accosted right then and there through in internet. There a tremendous amount of bad blood between our fan bases, much of it brought on by the train wreck that is gopher athletics and by gopher fans saying they didn't want anything to do with us anymore (more colorful words). Gopher fans have changed their tune as they miss the intensity.

Another rumor is that UND athletics will sign a Fox North Sports deal, as Gopher sports are now mostly off that cable network due to the Big Ten Network taking much of their spots. It would be analogous to Michigan getting a showcase slot on Columbus cable.

(02-29-2016 01:20 PM)allthatyoucantleavebehind Wrote:  I'm totally clueless when it comes to hockey...but is there no non-conference schedule? Why can't they continue those series in the non-conference? Is it merely for the excitement of league crowns and divisional rivalry...?

College hockey season is similar to basketball. Non-conference games are generally earlier in the season, which dampens excitement, and there are more slots for conference games than for non-con. The Minnesota schools are trying to replicate the Beanpot with a tournament, the North Star College Cup, played at the Xcel Center, rotating in 4 of the 5 teams each year. Maybe they should be replicating the Philadelphia Big 5 instead and just play each other.

Whatever the happy / unhappy status is at Minnesota today, it's inevitable that with a few years of Big Ten hockey all but the Goofer fogeys will forget about the old rivalries.

FWIW, I have zero idea why the Big Ten would be enamored with a start up hockey program in a desert state a thousand miles away versus the awesomeness and skills that UND and UMD (as examples) would bring to Big Ten hockey.

(Yada yada markets I get it. I get it. But Arizona State? Pffft)

(02-29-2016 03:48 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Whatever the happy / unhappy status is at Minnesota today, it's inevitable that with a few years of Big Ten hockey all but the Goofer fogeys will forget about the old rivalries.

FWIW, I have zero idea why the Big Ten would be enamored with a start up hockey program in a desert state a thousand miles away versus the awesomeness and skills that UND and UMD (as examples) would bring to Big Ten hockey.

(Yada yada markets I get it. I get it. But Arizona State? Pffft)

The only thing I can think is that if enough Pac-12 teams start hockey, maybe the Big Ten/Pac 12 create a joint conference with Big Ten and Pac 12 divisions?

(02-29-2016 03:48 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Whatever the happy / unhappy status is at Minnesota today, it's inevitable that with a few years of Big Ten hockey all but the Goofer fogeys will forget about the old rivalries.

FWIW, I have zero idea why the Big Ten would be enamored with a start up hockey program in a desert state a thousand miles away versus the awesomeness and skills that UND and UMD (as examples) would bring to Big Ten hockey.

(Yada yada markets I get it. I get it. But Arizona State? Pffft)

Gopher fans are also unhappy because the rest of the Minnesota teams are better than them ( the Gophers are a collection of talented individuals, but not team focused) and they are losing big recruits to the NCHC because that league prepares players better for the NHL. UND has a freshman who as a Twin Cities HS player decommitted from Wisconsin and now is breaking Toew's and Parise's scoring records. If North Dakota went B1G hockey, recruiting for the B1G would be much less of a issue.

(02-28-2016 01:17 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  Add UCONN. Problem solved.

Touché
Cheers!

(02-29-2016 11:54 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Yes, and I'd go even further: the school had NO position to say no. If the Big Ten adds a sport, then its member schools HAVE to be members. It's not even a question. I understand Minnesota hockey fans' complaints on an emotional guttural level, but it's the tail wagging the dog if you let hockey rule the tens of millions of dollars at stake with Big Ten football that so many other schools would KILL for and Minnesota was gifted by making the right conference choice over 100 years ago. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Gopher fans.

If things started from scratch today, the Gophers would still be in a power conference.

It has 50,000 students, 400,000 living alumni, and a $3.3 billion endowment. Those numbers are all more than Maryland, Utah, or Missouri.

It's also the only D-1 school in a state with 5.4 milllion people, and by-and-large the state doesn't have anywhere near the level of divided loyalties that you find in Maryland or Missouri's metro areas.

This is actually a very positive development for UConn. The B1G needs to add 1 more team in the east if they expand to 16 and move to pods. This is because they don't want to split up Ohio St, Michigan and Michigan St. So by adding UConn to the east they get Penn St, Rutgers, Maryland and UConn in the eastern Pod. That would leave Ohio St, Michigan and Michigan St with either Indiana or Purdue.

UConn would be a good BB add as well as Hockey. So this is a good event for UConn. I do believe that UConn would do well in the B1G, they play a style of football that is more suited for that conference.

I wish them luck and Hope USF's ship comes sailing in this year.

(02-29-2016 05:42 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(02-29-2016 03:48 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Whatever the happy / unhappy status is at Minnesota today, it's inevitable that with a few years of Big Ten hockey all but the Goofer fogeys will forget about the old rivalries.

FWIW, I have zero idea why the Big Ten would be enamored with a start up hockey program in a desert state a thousand miles away versus the awesomeness and skills that UND and UMD (as examples) would bring to Big Ten hockey.

(Yada yada markets I get it. I get it. But Arizona State? Pffft)

Gopher fans are also unhappy because the rest of the Minnesota teams are better than them ( the Gophers are a collection of talented individuals, but not team focused) and they are losing big recruits to the NCHC because that league prepares players better for the NHL. UND has a freshman who as a Twin Cities HS player decommitted from Wisconsin and now is breaking Toew's and Parise's scoring records. If North Dakota went B1G hockey, recruiting for the B1G would be much less of a issue.

Its sad I can't even argue that. I'd say both st cloud and umd is better then us but we will be back just give it time. It would be nice tho I'f other big ten teams would make more of a effort besides Michigan.

(02-29-2016 06:55 PM)gopher952 Wrote:  

(02-29-2016 05:42 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(02-29-2016 03:48 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Whatever the happy / unhappy status is at Minnesota today, it's inevitable that with a few years of Big Ten hockey all but the Goofer fogeys will forget about the old rivalries.

FWIW, I have zero idea why the Big Ten would be enamored with a start up hockey program in a desert state a thousand miles away versus the awesomeness and skills that UND and UMD (as examples) would bring to Big Ten hockey.

(Yada yada markets I get it. I get it. But Arizona State? Pffft)

Gopher fans are also unhappy because the rest of the Minnesota teams are better than them ( the Gophers are a collection of talented individuals, but not team focused) and they are losing big recruits to the NCHC because that league prepares players better for the NHL. UND has a freshman who as a Twin Cities HS player decommitted from Wisconsin and now is breaking Toew's and Parise's scoring records. If North Dakota went B1G hockey, recruiting for the B1G would be much less of a issue.

Its sad I can't even argue that. I'd say both st cloud and umd is better then us but we will be back just give it time. It would be nice tho I'f other big ten teams would make more of a effort besides Michigan.

Minnesota hockey fans take pride in the state's production of hockey players. In the B1G, they don't see that parade of players that they did in the WCHA, as all the teams were heavily Minnesotan in origin.

I really think its time we send north Dakota and umd a invite for hockey. 4 mn teams playing in conference championships speaks for its self umd deffinatly deserves a look at. Only problem I see is north Dakota already being d1 in other sports. But umd is d2 in everything but hockey and like john Hopkins will never turn d1 in other sports. Uofm would never let them.

(03-19-2016 12:03 PM)gopher952 Wrote:  I really think its time we send north Dakota and umd a invite for hockey. 4 mn teams playing in conference championships speaks for its self umd deffinatly deserves a look at. Only problem I see is north Dakota already being d1 in other sports. But umd is d2 in everything but hockey and like john Hopkins will never turn d1 in other sports. Uofm would never let them.

Barely 5000 fans showed up for the BIG tournament at Excel Arena, yet more than twice that amount showed up at the Target Center for the NCHC tourney, most of them UND fans. We lost last night, but we still have a 1 seed wrapped up. The Gophers are fighting for their lives even to make the NCAA tournament.

Who would have thought that UND would be more esteemed in the Minneapolis market.

UCONN and Ariz St are rumored the choices by some Gopher fans, so their will be no relief for Gopher faithful that want more local teams.