2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I assume this is just conjecture, or do you have proof that they're happy where they're at?

MU president to BGSU president, "Worst mistake we ever made." (This isn't conjecture...)

My guess is that bleeding money will trump Rico's pride. Not to mention there is a perceived easier path to the NCAA playoffs.

My prediction: there is a new version of the CCHA within 3 years.

are you talking the BSU/MSUM for WMU/Miami swap or the extreme WMU, Miami, BGSU, FSU reform CCHA with RMU/Mercyhurst?

[BGFan]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

are you talking the BSU/MSUM for WMU/Miami swap or the extreme WMU, Miami, BGSU, FSU reform CCHA with RMU/Mercyhurst?

A new CCHA:
BGSU, Miami, WMU, FSU as the core. Likely/possible other members: NMU, LSSU, UAH, RMU, Niagara, Mercyhurst. MTU would be a possibility, I guess, if they're interested.

Financially it only makes sense. There is still a path to the NCAA playoffs regardless of the league you're in and the core members, in my opinion, should be strong enough to keep the PWR rankings reasonable.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Ohio University is building a new arena. Rumor has is that varsity hockey will be returning...

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

A new CCHA:
BGSU, Miami, WMU, FSU as the core. Likely/possible other members: NMU, LSSU, UAH, RMU, Niagara, Mercyhurst. MTU would be a possibility, I guess, if they're interested.

Financially it only makes sense. There is still a path to the NCAA playoffs regardless of the league you're in and the core members, in my opinion, should be strong enough to keep the PWR rankings reasonable.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Ohio University is building a new arena. Rumor has is that varsity hockey will be returning...

So basically if all goes well, we just abandon the WCHA and leave UAA/UA_ screwed without a league right? That seems to be the major goal of all of these changes, getting away from the Alaska schools.

[BGFan]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

So basically if all goes well, we just abandon the WCHA and leave UAA/UA_ screwed without a league right? That seems to be the major goal of all of these changes, getting away from the Alaska schools.

A couple of the conferences may be forced by the NCAA to take one of them. I can't see both schools being in the same conference because of the cost of travel.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Sad fact is that it seems increasingly apparent that one of the Alaska teams may not be around much longer (I imagine if they cut one, it would improve the odds of survival for the other). So the conferences may not have to worry as much about AK travel.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Sad fact is that it seems increasingly apparent that one of the Alaska teams may not be around much longer (I imagine if they cut one, it would improve the odds of survival for the other). So the conferences may not have to worry as much about AK travel.

If that happens the western landscape could very easily look like this:

WCHA: MTU, NMU, LSSU, FSU, WMU, Miami, BGSU, UAH, RMU, and UAA/UA_
NCHC: UND, DU, CC, UNO, SCSU, UMD, BSU, MSUM
B1G: Min, Wis, Mich, MSU, ND, OSU, PSU, ASU

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

WCHA: "So, we're offering you full membership, where you can resume your rivalry with BGSU, have the other Michigan schools within range of a bus, and when you do have to fly, your airfare will be subsidized by UAF and UAA. What do you say?"

Rico Blasi: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no."

Your offer was what I was thinking. Which is essentially not an offer, it is just letting Miami go back to the CCHA if they choose. And if they wanted to do that, why would they have left in the first place?

[manurespreader]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

This is exactly the scenario that Danton Cole presented to me (as if I have that kind of cheddar) back in the day: charter a plane for us on the way out and opponents on the way in. When we flew to Fort Wayne for the 2010 Midwest, it took us 58 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. If we could fly teams directly to Huntsville from the UP and Brrrrrmidji, they'd love it. (Screw BG, they can get a bus.) Shoot, we might get some nice Eastern schools to come.

Sadly, I've yet to win Powerball or Mega Millions.

GFM

the bus normally runs about 3 dollars per mile. You can do the airplane for 6, if you contract for all the flying that airplane and crew can do. Any less than that and you pay up big time. Most likely about $12- 15, per air nautical mile.You can take off the 6 the savings from hotels and meals that you'd buy for the extra day you are on the road. But as I say the key is to use up all the flying, so it has to be a league wide thing in order to do that because that airplane needs to be in use and not sitting around.

You lose lets say 6x 650= $3600 one way cost of the airplane, but you gain 700 x 3 = 2100 one way cost of the bus. and the rooms and meals on top of that. It's attractive especially when you have to go around something in the bus that the airplane flies over, like Lake Michigan. Not to mention the benefit of the time savings.
the thing is some teams would benefit more than others.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

the bus normally runs about 3 dollars per mile. You can do the airplane for 6, if you contract for all the flying that airplane and crew can do. Any less than that and you pay up big time. Most likely about $12- 15, per air nautical mile.You can take off the 6 the savings from hotels and meals that you'd buy for the extra day you are on the road. But as I say the key is to use up all the flying, so it has to be a league wide thing in order to do that because that airplane needs to be in use and not sitting around.

You lose lets say 6x 650= $3600 one way cost of the airplane, but you gain 700 x 3 = 2100 one way cost of the bus. and the rooms and meals on top of that. It's attractive especially when you have to go around something in the bus that the airplane flies over, like Lake Michigan. Not to mention the benefit of the time savings.
the thing is some teams would benefit more than others.

How are you saving the full x3 on bus one way when you're asking the bus company to do one way travel?

[Broseph Stalin]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I would love to be a fly on the wall when that offer is made.

Ha ha. It's like asking a girl out. The worst answer you get is "no".

[manurespreader]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

no you are not asking the bus company for anything. lets take for example week 8 of the WCHA season. We have, Huntsville at Bg, Lssu at Bemidji,, Alaska at FSU and /Mankato at NMU.
So some of those are obviously bus rides. You would go to Minny and pick up UAA and fly them to Big Rapids, go to the Soo and fly them to Bemidji, spend the weekend there. Then reverse on Saturday/Sunday. The flights to Alaska don't leave in the evening so you pick up UAA on Sunday morning and fly them to Minny, but you do the other flying on Saturday night.
in other word at times teams might have to wait for the plane to get to them, especially on saturday night, but no you don't hire a bus company to carry you. The only bus expense is from the airport to the hotel.
This is for a prop. For a jet double the cost.

[blackswampboy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Your offer was what I was thinking. Which is essentially not an offer, it is just letting Miami go back to the CCHA if they choose. And if they wanted to do that, why would they have left in the first place?

panic? hubris? poor financial management? we'll never know, but screw-ups do happen.

reduced travel costs with a chance to stanch their bleeding attendance in the nacho sounds like the basis of a reasonable offer to me.
and the WCHA could trot out the old nacho talking point about improving their chances of making the tournament again...blah blah.

[bueller]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Ohio University is building a new arena. Rumor has is that varsity hockey will be returning...

So we can have Tuesday night MACtion with empty facilities on ESPN from September to March?

[Wi.Huskies Fan]

A new CCHA:
BGSU, Miami, WMU, FSU as the core. Likely/possible other members: NMU, LSSU, UAH, RMU, Niagara, Mercyhurst. MTU would be a possibility, I guess, if they're interested.

Financially it only makes sense. There is still a path to the NCAA playoffs regardless of the league you're in and the core members, in my opinion, should be strong enough to keep the PWR rankings reasonable.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Ohio University is building a new arena. Rumor has is that varsity hockey will be returning...

My guess is NMU and LSSU would stay in the WCHA.Tech would not leave the WCHA.

[davyd83]

A couple of the conferences may be forced by the NCAA to take one of them. I can't see both schools being in the same conference because of the cost of travel.

The NCAA cannot force a conference to take a team. That won't happen.