Future of the NEHC

[bakdraft21]

Re: Future of the NEHC

man all these new divisions are giving me a headache,with all these new teams,how many teams will make it to the NCAA's,looks like those in the smokie room will have their hands full

[joecct]

man all these new divisions are giving me a headache,with all these new teams,how many teams will make it to the NCAA's,looks like those in the smokie room will have their hands full

12
Pool A (the auto bids) - 8 teams
NESCAC
MASCAC
SUNYAC ac ac ac ac. you oughta know by now
UCHC
CCC
NEHC
NCHA
MIAC

Pool B
0 - UCHC getting Pool A kills Pool B

Pool C
4 teams

[peddler]

Re: Future of the NEHC

12
Pool A (the auto bids) - 7 teams
NESCAC
MASCAC
SUNYAC ac ac ac ac. you oughta know by now
UCHC
CCC
NCHA
MIAC

Pool B
0 - UCHC getting Pool A kills Pool B

Pool C
5 teams

And NEHC stops receiving an auto bid because?

[NUProf]

Re: Future of the NEHC

Also, questions answered. It's Suffolk and Johnson & Wales for 2018-19 with Salem State joining on the Women's side only:

Are we raiding the CCC's affiliate membership pool?

Looks like they have 3 affiliate members and only need 1 to keep the AQ

Called it.

[PuckVoice]

And NEHC stops receiving an auto bid because?

Yeah ... what is with that?

[joecct]

And NEHC stops receiving an auto bid because?

knew i forgot one!!

[Russell Jaslow]

Let's leave academics out of it. I don't think the NEHC really cares one way or the other. NEC, USM and Norwich aren't exactly in the Ivy League either (in fact, Forbes ranks Castleton ahead of all three of them).

Actually, for a lot of conferences, academics is a big deal.

Schools like to form conferences with like schools, and that isn't just geography and sports. It's also academics and common ideals. That's why Hamilton is part of NESCAC. That's why NESCAC kicked out Union way back when.

That's even why the SUNYAC voted against Canton joining. Seriously.

ECAC Hockey rejected Niagara many years ago, because Niagara did not meet the academic standards of the member institutions. In fact, ECAC asked RIT to join, but RIT wasn't D1 at the time and they weren't interested in going D1 at the time. That's why Quinnipiac is part of the ECAC when they were looking for a new member. They fit the academic standards ECAC Hockey was looking for.

Even big time D1 conferences consider academics important. Go read the history of why the PAC-12 wanted Texas and Texas considered the PAC-12. It wasn't just the size of the school, athletic tradition, and the TV market it opened up. It was also because Texas was aligned with a lot of the PAC-12 institutions when it came to research grant money for graduate studies.

Don't kid yourself thinking academics do not play a role in conference alignment. In many cases, they play a very important role.

[Russell Jaslow]

Also, questions answered. It's Suffolk and Johnson & Wales for 2018-19 with Salem State joining on the Women's side only

How many times is Salem State going to change conferences?

[NU Pastime]

Re: Future of the NEHC

Are JWU and Suffolk poised to compete in the NEHC? I don't know much about them, but my initial impression is that they have ground to gain.

[NUProf]

Re: Future of the NEHC

Are JWU and Suffolk poised to compete in the NEHC? I don't know much about them, but my initial impression is that they have ground to gain.

They won't be much worse than (and probably better) than DWC's role as a scheduling partner and St. Mike's. Hobart will be an upgrade over St. As, so overall the conference is improved.

What will be an interesting question is the playoff structure. It could go back to the old ECAC East structure (when the NESCACs were members) of 10 teams (a play in round with 10 at 7, and 9 at 8, with the lowest surviving seed playing at 1 in the quarters, and the other survivor playing at 2), or it could follow the NESCAC's plan of dropping the bottom 2 from the playoffs.

[joecct]

They won't be much worse than (and probably better) than DWC's role as a scheduling partner and St. Mike's. Hobart will be an upgrade over St. As, so overall the conference is improved.

What will be an interesting question is the playoff structure. It could go back to the old ECAC East structure (when the NESCACs were members) of 10 teams (a play in round with 10 at 7, and 9 at 8, with the lowest surviving seed playing at 1 in the quarters, and the other survivor playing at 2), or it could follow the NESCAC's plan of dropping the bottom 2 from the playoffs.

I'd vote for all 10 with the playin on Wednesday (giving 2 days to prepare) and the QF on Saturday.

Currently, do teams in the NEHC travel for the playoffs on Friday or Saturday AM?

[Buckeye22]

Re: Future of the NEHC

Are JWU and Suffolk poised to compete in the NEHC? I don't know much about them, but my initial impression is that they have ground to gain.

Ya Suffolk and JWU are an upgrade over DWC and probably St. Mike's as well. UNE hasn't run away with the CCC as many people assumed they would, so maybe JWU and Suffolk will surprise some people too.

Don't kid yourself thinking academics do not play a role in conference alignment. In many cases, they play a very important role.

I'm not saying that athletic conferences in general don't care about academics. Many do. I'm just saying the NEHC, with schools ranging from Babson and St. A's to USM and Castleton, isn't one of them. I don't think they're suddenly going to get all high and mighty about their academics. If the SUNYAC won't take Canton (for whatever reason), I don't see why the NEHC wouldn't. They have better on-campus facilities for hockey the Hobart, Suffolk and JWU.

[NUProf]

Re: Future of the NEHC

I'd vote for all 10 with the playin on Wednesday (giving 2 days to prepare) and the QF on Saturday.

Currently, do teams in the NEHC travel for the playoffs on Friday or Saturday AM?

Can't say with certainty, since Norwich was the #1 Seed for all those years, but my recollection is that the visiting teams would roll in on Friday and get a skate at Krietzberg the day before they lost.

[joecct]

Can't say with certainty, since Norwich was the #1 Seed for all those years, but my recollection is that the visiting teams would roll in on Friday and get a skate at Krietzberg the day before they lost.

I recall that overtime game against Mass-Boston.

[NU Pastime]

Re: Future of the NEHC

Can't say with certainty, since Norwich was the #1 Seed for all those years, but my recollection is that the visiting teams would roll in on Friday and get a skate at Krietzberg the day before they lost.

This made me smile.