WCHA 2016-17 Season

[Great Day for Hockey]

One comment on expenses: both the $675,869 for "overhead and administration" and the $427,562 for "game day expenses" seem awfully high.

It would be ineresting to see the breakdown of these expenses and what type of cuts could be made to help programs remain viable. A million plus for overhead and admin + game day expenses for a women's hockey program?

[bluffrinkrat]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

Probably a little early to think about this, but on the chance that Lindenbrook, Penn State or someone else doesn't join the WCHA, what's going to happen in the first round of next season's WCHA Tournament. Does the regular season champion get a bye and the other six play for the other three spots in The Final Face-Off? Since the Gophers loss to Bemidji this year was their first loss ever in the first round of the tournament, having a bye for the top team probably wouldn't change the final outcome anyway. That would leave the champion playing two, maybe three less games than the others though. For me the best solution would just be Penn State joining the WCHA. Besides, I've never liked odd-numbered conferences. Or any other odd-numbered things for that matter.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

For me the best solution would just be Penn State joining the WCHA.

Since you brought this up, I'll ask it again: how does a team switch (or even join in the first place) a particular conference? How would Penn State or any other team move to a new conference? Maybe that's basic information to a lot of fans, but I have no idea how it happens.

As an aside, speaking of Penn State and the WCHA, wouldn't travel expenses be a deal killer? I think Lindenwood makes more sense to fill the new gap in the WCHA.

[Great Day for Hockey]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

This may also be basic information for many posters on here but can women's hockey scholarships be partial scholarships like men's hockey scholarships? And if so, couldn't that affect where some of the ladies from UND go? For example, instead of decommitting or dropping a future recruit, offer them a partial scholarship to open up more scholarship money to bring in current or (former) future UND players?

[Eeyore]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

Since you brought this up, I'll ask it again: how does a team switch (or even join in the first place) a particular conference? How would Penn State or any other team move to a new conference? Maybe that's basic information to a lot of fans, but I have no idea how it happens.

A school announces that it is moving to a new conference. It may or may not have a contract with its current conference that stipulates 1-3 years of notice being given, but that's about the only leverage the current conference has. If a school wants to change conferences and there is another conference that wants to have it, then it will happen.

[Eeyore]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

This may also be basic information for many posters on here but can women's hockey scholarships be partial scholarships like men's hockey scholarships? And if so, couldn't that affect where some of the ladies from UND go? For example, instead of decommitting or dropping a future recruit, offer them a partial scholarship to open up more scholarship money to bring in current or (former) future UND players?

Yes, partial scholarships can be awarded, though I believe that there is a maximum number of players that can receive a part of any of the 18 scholarships, somewhere in the 23-25 range.

[bluffrinkrat]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

Since you brought this up, I'll ask it again: how does a team switch (or even join in the first place) a particular conference? How would Penn State or any other team move to a new conference? Maybe that's basic information to a lot of fans, but I have no idea how it happens.

As an aside, speaking of Penn State and the WCHA, wouldn't travel expenses be a deal killer? I think Lindenwood makes more sense to fill the new gap in the WCHA.

Well, I don't know the full process, but I remember when the Bemidji men's team wanted to join the WCHA they first had to apply for membership and build an arena that met WCHA requirements. They did everything they needed to do, but it still took them almost two years before they got in. Certainly the distance to the other schools was a big part of the equation. But the other schools must have wanted them so they got in. I also remember Coach Lucia saying on his radio program that he was very happy to have them. Don't think I ever heard that from Woog about the Seawolves in 1993, but maybe he was too. The WCHA was their own Big 10 for awhile until Northern Michigan skedaddled.

[Timothy A]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

Someone please remind me on how many teams a conference needs to have to get an auto-bid into the ncaa's.

[joecct]

Someone please remind me on how many teams a conference needs to have to get an auto-bid into the ncaa's.

6. If you fall below that #, I believe you have 2 years to get back to 6.

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

6. If you fall below that #, I believe you have 2 years to get back to 6.

And it has to remain at six for two consecutive seasons, as the CHA had to do.

[Timothy A]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

And it has to remain at six for two consecutive seasons, as the CHA had to do.

So there's no way Lindenwood is coming to the wcha based on what that would do the CHA. All the teams look out for each other's best interests, right?

[ZedLeppelin]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

So there's no way Lindenwood is coming to the wcha based on what that would do the CHA. All the teams look out for each other's best interests, right?

I doubt Lindenwood (or any other team) would care about their former conference if they jumped to a new conference. The CHA autobid would be over until they could find a sixth team and keep them in the conference for two consecutive seasons.

[brokentwig]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

I doubt Lindenwood (or any other team) would care about their former conference if they jumped to a new conference. The CHA autobid would be over until they could find a sixth team and keep them in the conference for two consecutive seasons.

You think Captain Katie will bend the WCHA transfer rules and allow the ND women to jump to other WCHA teams next year without sitting out a year. Big decisions for the newby.

[D2D]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

You think Captain Katie will bend the WCHA transfer rules and allow the ND women to jump to other WCHA teams next year without sitting out a year. Big decisions for the newby.

I would think the league would already have an exception for when a member shuttles its program.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season

I doubt Lindenwood (or any other team) would care about their former conference if they jumped to a new conference. The CHA autobid would be over until they could find a sixth team and keep them in the conference for two consecutive seasons.

Two words - Sacred Heart. Time for them to put up or shut up.