ND/HE/81

[claver2010]

ATL linked this article http://bangordailynews.com/2011/06/03/sports/notre-dame-considering-joining-hockey-east/ about HE & ND having talks but I can't see this happening.

With the departures of the B10/11/12 teams from the Cup Cake Hockey Association and ND's sizable investment into their new rink they can't want to be trapped in what will be the Big East.

Part of what I like about Hockey East is the ability to drive to all of the schools (Maine is a hell of a drive, but it's still a drive). They would need to add another team to make 12 and I guess Miami would be a possibility but that's two schools requiring flights. One benefit would be opening up some OOC games and not having 3 vs. PC/UML/UMass every year...

Anyway, I don't see it happening just a thought and CONTENT though

[BCMurt09]

I can see it happening just as easily as I can see it not happening. I think Notre Dame would be wary of joining a Big 10(11{12}) hockey conference for fear of the pressures to join as a football member as well. ND as a hockey school there would give them more leverage to force them to join the conference especially in the football realignment climate we're in now. However, I don't think they would want to align themselves with the sinking ship that is the Big East Conference especially with, as you said, the huge investments they've made in the hockey program.

I think that leaves two choices of joining Hockey East OR creating some sort of new conference with the WCHA and what's left of the CCHA. Program strength and the built in rivalry with BC would be a reason to bring ND in, but I don't think the HE will jump at that. The HE as is is a powerhouse conference and they know that, so there is no need to mess with something that's working already.

[PhillyandBCEagles]

From HEA's standpoint, I wouldn't touch ND with a 10-foot pole until they get their conference situation in other sports settled. Why take ND knowing you're going to be constantly looking over your shoulder for them to bolt to the B10?? Bringing ND likely means bringing in a 12th team as well and unless UConn decides to get serious about hockey or Syracuse goes D1, that 12th team is probably going to be a space-filler (I don't see Miami as a realistic option, so someone like RPI is probably about the best we can hope for). Then if ND defects you're looking at either bringing in another space-filler to water down the conference further or the awkward situation of having to kick that 12th team out.

If ND ever decides to join the ACC or Big East for all sports, then I think you can start looking at them as a viable candidate for HEA. But not until then.

[claver2010]

Agreed 110% Philly. ND can pound sand until they have a stable conference affiliation.

Bored at work reading a little about expansion from ND's POV -it's hilarious.

For those that don't know, ND is building a new rink that we will open this November. http://www.und.com/comptonarena/compton-family-ice-arena.html a serious commitment to the program after some of the horror stories of what the team has to do at times to accomidate football & other sports.

Anywho Swarbrick had a talk for alumni where obviously talk of expansion occurred.

B10 told them they can join the hockey conference but not partake in post-season tournamnets.

The ND fans aren't happy they would be treated as 2nd class citizens.

I think this will all sort itself out where there is a Big Western Conference (whatever they want to call it) but it's fun to see the fighting frauds twist in the wind.

[claver2010]

81, where art thou?

Proposed new conference includes CCHA, WCHA schoolsUSCHO Staff Report • Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A proposal for the first major change to the college hockey conference picture of the post-Big Ten era is circulating, and an accelerated timeline could lead to an agreement within the next two weeks.

Some CCHA and WCHA schools have discussed leaving their conferences for a new league, sources have told USCHO.

The schools include North Dakota, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Colorado College and Nebraska-Omaha from the WCHA and Notre Dame, Miami and possibly Western Michigan from the CCHA, sources indicated.

If those eight teams leave their conferences, the CCHA and WCHA would each be left with five schools, one fewer than is traditionally required to maintain an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Sources said agreements to join the proposed conference could come by the middle of July.

Notre Dame associate athletic director Tom Nevala said the school has been approached by “any number of entities trying to determine whether we might have an interest in another arrangement,” but he would not comment specifically on the potential for a new conference.

He also said the only time frame Notre Dame has been asked to consider is a CCHA request of all of its teams to make their future intentions known by the league’s August meeting.

“We’re at a stage where we’re still analyzing our continued affiliation with the CCHA,” Nevala said. “The league has provided us a bunch of information so that we can understand what it will mean to still be in the CCHA going forward.”

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said his league has studied different scenarios that have been floated in an offseason full of speculation about college hockey’s future. But he said this proposal seems to have more momentum.

“I’m not sure why or whatever; I’m not privy to those conversations. I’ve never had a conversation with North Dakota or Denver about their plans that they’re pushing,” McLeod said. “At this point, I haven’t thought about Plan B at all. I’m still working on the assumption that we’re together as 10 [teams after Minnesota and Wisconsin leave for the Big Ten] and, as unanimously directed by the group in Florida [at league meetings in April], can consider extending an invitation to anybody that could strengthen the league. And that’s our plan.”

Athletic directors at Denver and North Dakota could not be reached for comment.

But in a Grand Forks Herald story, North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison said schools have been looking into new possibilities.

“At the end of the day, we have to do what’s in the best interest of UND hockey, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Faison told the paper. “It’s an emotional decision. It’s a business decision.”

Minnesota-Duluth athletic director Bob Nielson told the Duluth News Tribune that the school’s intent is to be a member of the WCHA, but it is considering its options.

“We’re concerned about the college hockey landscape,” Nielson said. “We’re looking at all the options of what could happen. Our hockey program is very important to our school, and we want to be proactive.”

The long-rumored emergence of a Big Ten hockey conference became reality in March, when the conference announced the five current Division I hockey-playing schools would join with newcomer Penn State to form a league in the fall of 2013.

Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will leave the 11-team CCHA at that point, and Minnesota and Wisconsin will leave the 12-team WCHA.

In the wake of that announcement, speculation has grown about a large-scale shuffle of schools, mainly in the West. Hockey East has been part of the discussion also, with the Bangor Daily News reporting that Notre Dame is also considering that league as a potential destination.

If the proposed eight-team league becomes a reality, it would leave Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan in the CCHA. The WCHA would include Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State.

McLeod said the WCHA has again lifted its moratorium on expansion to pursue other teams. That was last lifted in 2009, when the league temporarily accepted applications that led to the inclusion of Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha last season.

http://www.uscho.com/2011/07/06/proposed-new-conference-includes-ccha-wcha-schools/#ixzz1RQvUmiEZ

[bignick33]

I think ND is coming east, after this news of the new conference out west. I wonder who the other team will be (my guess is they'll add one of the NY schools).

[cvilleagle]

Looks like we were offered an opportunity to join the new conference but turned it down, after it was offered.

https://www.ironmountaindailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/529242/Hockey-conference-realignment.html?nav=5006

[angryty]

If Notre Dame wants the North Dakota league they will have it. I think they would prefer the Hockey East because the school doesn't have much of a footprint in the Lutheran Upper Midwest. I am guessing the Hockey East will ultimately take them--it is too much of a marquis name in a sport where there are precious few of them. I hope we will block UCONN from the conference. I'd rather take a hockey-centric academic school like RPI.

[Endless Mike]

The hockey weirdos on USCHO must be going nutso over the Big 10 Hockey Conference. What's next, a college hockey video game?

[claver2010]

The hockey weirdos on USCHO must be going nutso over the Big 10 Hockey Conference. What's next, a college hockey video game?

The board is usually dead in the summer but between the conference expansion 81 talk & NU taking on water quicker than the titanic all the weirdos are out.

[eepstein0]

That's a ridiculously nice rink ND is building. Got news boys, we're going to have to replace Conte Forum here eventually.

[flyingelvii]

Conte's sucked for years wrt to hockey and, if anything, BC's gotten better over the decade.

[claver2010]

This probably belongs here but apparently Versus is close to agreeing to a college hockey deal that isn't conference specific.

As a heads up it's a Friday "Game of the Week" style thing where each conference will be profiled at least twice.