http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20130131/GW03/301310039/MSU-h...
So, a new B1G hockey league is in the works. The goal is to get about 50 games a year on the Big Ten Network. More good news for the B1G, in my opinion.
Again, it's worth considering, does the B1G look to the north into Canada (University of Toronto and McGill University) or northeast to Boston University and Boston College for affiliations in hockey or full-fledged expansion partners? I don't see how it can be ruled out.
No money in it and we'd already have OSU, UM, MSU, UW & Gophers. More TVs than McGill, eh?
There are a lot better schools/teams to recruit into the Big Ten for hockey. Miami OH comes to mind, so does Western Michigan. I know the Redhawks and Broncos are going to be tough to get after the CCHA disbands, but it would be worth a try in the future to get their programs into the Big Ten for hockey. Only hockey, of course.
The B1G isn't going to accept associate members. Same reason we'll never accept Notre Dame unless it's in all D1 sports including football.
Truthfully, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Notre Dame joined the B1G in hockey only -- it may be just the kind of foot-in-the-door move needed to eventually bring them in for the rest of their sports (including football). Of course, part of me hopes Delany tells them to take all their sports and shove them up their Teo...but it wouldn't surprise me if ND joined in hockey...
"The revolution will be televised."
I don't think it is possible to have D1 sports in multiple FBS conferences. What I mean is, I don't think ND could put Hockey in the B1G and Basketball in the ACC.
I could be wrong though.
It is possible. Several schools have different basketball and football conferences, I think Temple did it for awhile, Villanova maybe? and that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
“Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.” - Woody
ND would be a huge get for hockey, and I think you are absolutely right that it could be the foot in the door moment needed to get them on board completely with B1G expansion. Although, maybe if they get some BTN money from hockey (which is undoubtedly more than their current hockey money) it will make them think they need the BTN football money even less.
“Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.” - Woody
After seeing how much money OSU loses in hockey, they should stay closer to home with any additions to the conference.
There would be plenty of money in it if University of Toronto were involved. Toronto is the 5th most populous city in North America. Getting BTN on Canadian TVs could be worth huge dollars.
That's loonie! And I mean that in a good way:
What you did there, I see it.
“Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.” - Woody
If we're talking about expanding the B1G's scope in terms of ice hockey Boston College and the University of Toronto should be our targets.
Boston college would be a great target any way. Good academics and a football team that is decent every now and again
If we do venture further into the Northeast, I think UConn is a better target than BC in a lot of ways.
I'm thinking another reason to add ND in all sports. I know thye can be arrogant and annoying, but so is TSUN and that's working out okay for us. It just is a perfect fit. Anybody know how other hockey powers match up in academics? Maybe we can expand westward with North Dakota. Assuming they have a strong academic reputation. I would also loveto the U to Toronto in the B!G. huge market.
Assuming we could get them to come along.
I would love both, Mcgill, bc, bu, duluth, North Dakota would all be welcome to me.
Guys no offense, but it's pretty clear to anyone that follows cawlidge hawkey that no one who commented follows it.
1) The BIG's move has already resulted in subsequent realignment in a sport that doesn't realign all that much...We should be happy that it is THE ONLY major conference to be able to field conference play in Hockey. The Big East or ACC couldn't even do that.
2) Canadian Universities? First off that's impossible becuase of the NCAA. Second off, Canadian schools aren't good at hockey. If you go to college to play hockey you do so in the USA. If not you play Juniors in Canada. Playing juniors doesn't mean you aren't good enough to play in college. Liken it to the MLB draft. Some people try and get a jumpstart on their professional careers and sign a contract out of high school.
3) As far as schools that have been mentioned like BC, ND, Duluth, BU, North Dakota.... They already play in a better conference than the BIG. The BIG has 6 schools that play hockey. Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Penn State, and Michigan State. Penn State literally just started their program and blows. Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisky are top programs. Ohio State and Michigan State are middle of the road. BC, BU, and ND all play in Hockey East. Their top three programs rival the BIG's best three, plus they have schools like Northeastern, Vermont, and Providence with additional schools adding up to 11 members. Makes no sense to move. North Dakota and Duluth? Just formed a new conference that includes schools like Miami, Colorado College, and the University of Denver. They also have solid members in St. Cloud State and Western Michigan. Nebraska-Omaha (not affiliated with Nebraska at all) is the only bottom dweller and even they have seen some pretty good success for a program that's just over a decade old. In short there is NO REASON for these schools to want to join the BIG in hockey. At all.
Pretty much this. Just like on the Johns Hopkins thread how no one knew anything about lacrosse. The only teams that will be joing the B1G hockey league are when other B1G schools add the sport.
Cause I couldn't go for three
And no schools other than the revenue rich giants can afford to add a men's sport with 25 scholarships because Title IX requires them to start a women's program with equal number of scholarships. Michigan went tio D1 lacrosse recently. tOSU and UM are the only schools rich enough to add hockey, but they already have it, as do some of the norhtwestern Big schools
PSU literally JUST added hockey. It takes a generous donation to build a rink. There have been rumblings that some big Illinois donors are getting funds together to move the Illini's VERY good club program to D1 by 2020. I think this ends up happening at some point.
Nebraska has been weighing options of moving the UNO program to main campus (not likely) as well as Iowa looking at what it would take to do both a men's and women's team.
Cause I couldn't go for three
I freely admit I know nothing about college hokey. Like nothing. No even less than what you think I know. I do like the idea of getting into the Canadian market. Do they not have hokey at u of Toronto? Would they want to watch it on btn? Could we get em to kinda like college football the way we for them to kinda like baseball?
No, college hockey in canada is horrible. Everyone plays juniors (like AAU, but better). No one would want to watch the UToronto hockey team.
Now, if you were able to tap that market for other sports such as basketball and football... then we are cooking with gas
Cause I couldn't go for three
I am pretty sure that most people commenting were half serious myself included. Obviously they wouldn't after any canadian schools. Even schools for just one sport would be a stretch. Secondly we are terrible at hockey not middle of the road and nobody is within a mile of Minnesota certainly not Michigan or Wisconsin. That's like saying Northwestern is close to us in football.
Ohio State is definitely middle of the road. Wisconsin actually has more NCAA championships than Minnesota does.
And I know that y'all were joking, but I just wanted to really illustrate the point for anyone that wanted to know.
And I can't stress enough how cool it is that the BIG has a hockey conference. That is just domination and shows how truly well-rounded we are as a league.
I just don't see it, we have one of the worst bluelines I have ever seen. I was more talking about current ability for Minnesota, I just think that they are in a league by themselves. Btw, don't Mcgill short they have a pretty good program.
Considering we are actually exactly in the middle of our conference while UM and MSU are in the bottom right now, you are full of it.
Cause I couldn't go for three
Didn't even think of juniors in Canada. Admittedly I haven't watched much college hockey this year, but when talking about prestigious leagues, no one will be able to touch the newly formed B1G. Michigan has 9 titles, Wisconsin has 6, Minnesota has 5 (the same as Boston College) and Michigan State has 3. OSU has been mediocre-bad at ice hockey since we started in the early 1960s, although Osiecki could certainly change that. I've always found it insane that Miami has never won a title in ice hockey.
The conference involving Denver and North Dakota would be the closest in terms of titles and prestige.
Once again this is another flawed way of looking at things.
You can't look at things like overall national championships. The true fact is that the BIG does not have a strong league in terms of quanitity, as well as current program strength. Just look at a snapshot of the current top 20. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (the one involving Denver and North Dakota) has 6 teams in the top 14. The BIG? 2 teams in the top 20 (Minny-#1, Wisky #19).
Miami (the past decade has been the peak of their program) and Nebraska-Omaha are both relatively recent newcomers to big time college hockey and wouldn't factor in if you just looked at it in terms of national championships, but I would put their program on par with Michigan right now. Those two were clearly the dominant teams in the CCHA. Duluth just won their national championship last year and Denver/North Dakota aren't going anywhere. The sheer quantity of talent in the NCH is what makes it a more attractive league IMO than the BIG. Penn State loses to club teams. Michigan State is not at the level it previously was and I would put them currently on par with St. Cloud State to be honest.
Hey why don't we ask London to join, just kidding. Michigan State really should be better then they are in all seriousness though.
Fair points. And I actually don't have a clue when it comes to hockey except I do know that the Boston schools are good and that Canadians are crazy for hockey, and that Toronto and McGill are prestigious universities in mega-markets that can put some money into expanding some of their sports brands. Another thing I know that there is no other conference out there right now with a hockey presence that has the kind of sports network that the Big Ten has. If Delany and company want to pick up the phone and have a chat with the heads of Toronto, or McGill, or the Boston schools, I can guarantee you they listen. They listen because Delany has dollar bills backing him.
I am also going to add, often missed by the naysayers on this thread and on the Johns Hopkins thread, that is business is designed for growth. It is in the DNA of business to grow. So traditionalist hoping that the B1G will remain the same picturesque Great Plains/Great Lakes conference, need a little reality. The B1G is big business, and it will grow. And 100 years from now, I have no doubt that the makeup of the B1G conference will reflect that growth. We have already seen it with Nebraska, Maryland, and Rutgers. We will see much more of it whether it is raiding of ACC teams or strategic additions to fit other sports, like a Johns Hopkins, or a Boston school, or a Toronto. It is going to happen because that is what business does, it grows.
I agree with you in terms of the other major conferences. However, we will not be the top hockey conference when the dust settles, as of right now the Nd/denver conference is better.
@STRAWMAN.
PSU "blows" in hockey? They are 10-13, OSU is 10-11...
and.. oh yea, they just beat OSU on Dec 29th and split a very tight 2 game series with MSU a week ago. I'd say they are "middle of the road". Just like OSU this year.
There is no way in hell that Boston Univ. and Boston College will leave the Hockey East conference.
BC left the Big East for money and They'll leave the Hockey EastConference for money
Speaking as a BC grad school alum, I don't see BC leaving Hockey East (or an eastern based conference) for the B1G. Too many rivalries/traditions (Battle of Comm Ave., Beanpot), that mean too much to the fan bases, would be put in jeopardy that would alienate the fanbase to make a move worthwhile. In the hockey world, BC is a big enough brand that it doesn't need to chase the money so much. Additionally, BC fans are notorious for not traveling to away games.
Thank you for backing me up on that. I rest my case
The argument of tradition does not hold water and flies in the face of evidence we have seen time and time again with expansion. Texas A&M left its rivalry with Texas to join the SEC. Nebraska left its rivalries with Oklahoma and Texas to join the B1G. Maryland left its hoops rivalries with the Carolina schools to join the B1G. Mizzou left its rivalry with Kansas to join the SEC. When it comes to dollars and cents, tradition takes a back seat... and new traditions form. This whole scenario of B1G approaching the Boston schools is purely speculative, obviously, as there is no evidence that Delany has interest in that direction. However, if he were to express interest in a Boston College as a full member or Boston Univ. for hockey only, those two schools would listen, and ultimately make a decision based on dollars and cents just like every other school has. That's just the reality of the business.
I say let's bring on Alaska Fairbanks! Now that's a football road trip!
“Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.” - Woody