ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

According to D3Hockey.com, the ECAC-W will now be known as the "United Collegiate Hockey Conference". This will be a bigger change for Women's DIII Hockey, though, as they are effectively kicking out the 5 SUNY Schools in the process, and Manhattanville will be leaving the NEHC. I would guess we see Morrisville and Canton being used to give a SUNYAC Conference 7 teams, even though they are not SUNYAC members...

The UCHC will feature the following teams in 2017-18:
Elmira College
Utica College
Hobart/William Smith Colleges
King's College
Lebanon Valley College
Manhattanville College
Chatham University
Neumann University
Stevenson University
Nazareth College (Men's only)

Additionally, both leagues will add Wilkes University in 2018-19.

[joecct]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

The SUNYAC looks like they will keep the AQ.

UCHC gets the AQ in 18-19

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

The SUNYAC looks like they will keep the AQ.

UCHC gets the AQ in 18-19

By my understanding, UCHC gets it in 2019-20, and the SUNY Schools keep the AQ until then, at which point they lose it if they haven't added 2 more teams

[shelfit]

Looks like Elmira is sick and tired of being 1st bridesmaid to Plattsburgh all the time so they started a conference where they will be the new Plattsburgh and get the AQ every year. Nobody else on that list of schools will be able to touch them for first place and to win the conference championship every year.

Wonder when Naz will add women's hockey. You'd have to think in the next couple of years.

Will Brockport, Geneseo, and Fredonia look to add women's hockey to their varsity sports too? I bet the 5 current SUNY women's programs hope so.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

Looks like Elmira is sick and tired of being 1st bridesmaid to Plattsburgh all the time so they started a conference where they will be the new Plattsburgh and get the AQ every year. Nobody else on that list of schools will be able to touch them for first place and to win the conference championship every year.

Wonder when Naz will add women's hockey. You'd have to think in the next couple of years.

Will Brockport, Geneseo, and Fredonia look to add women's hockey to their varsity sports too? I bet the 5 current SUNY women's programs hope so.

Naz is heavy women to men ratio. Pretty sure not long ago it was 2/3rds female. Not sure if they could add women's hockey and fit their ratio for Title IX.

[PSUChamps2001]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

My only question is..... if Plattsburgh wins the ECAC West Regular season title and makes the ECAC WEST Championship game this year, will Plattsburgh be forced to play the Championship game in Elmira ??

[Scott_TG]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

With all the programs affected by upheaval, I see only four programs coming out ahead in this realignment: Elmira, Utica, Buff State and Oswego. Elmira and Utica have an easier shot at both their conference and the NCAAs while Oswego and Buff State now have a better path to their conference championship. Everyone else I think is left in the same or worse position. Stevenson is the biggest loser going to the top of a small pond in the CHC to now having to play Elmira and Utica.

What becomes of the CHC in this? Stevenson goes to the UCHC. Morrisville and Canton likely get pulled to the SUNY schools. Daniel Webster is kaput. That leaves Endicott, Becker, Johnson & Wales and Salem State.

Unless the SUNYs from the old ECAC West join the CHC and you get:

Plattsburgh
Oswego
Buff State
Cortland
Potsdam
Morrisville
Canton
Endicott
Becker
Johnson & Wales
Salem State

That's a lot of real estate for one conference though....

[shelfit]

Hasn't the ECAC West typically had an AQ and an at-large qualifier almost every year because of how strong both Plattsburgh and Elmira have always been? I'd say the SUNYs lose any hope of an at-large bid after Plattsburgh wins the AQ every year. The only way I see the SUNYs getting the at-large bid is if someone miraculously upsets Plattsburgh in their conference championship playoff game because then Plattsburgh would obviously get the at-large spot. The NCAA Tournament just wouldn't be the same without them. The national championship could be renamed the Cardinal Challenge.

[Call It]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

Perhaps Elmira, Utica, Buff State and Oswego come out ahead in winning the League Title BUT i see this as a big negative for both conferences. Plattsburgh... who are they going to play? They only have so many non-league games to play. Same goes to Elmira & Utica to a lesser degree.

Both Conferences became much much weaker (They are D3 to D5) and United's travel is far. How does this impact recruiting? The New England Hockey Conf won today... Big Time!

[joecct]

With all the programs affected by upheaval, I see only four programs coming out ahead in this realignment: Elmira, Utica, Buff State and Oswego. Elmira and Utica have an easier shot at both their conference and the NCAAs while Oswego and Buff State now have a better path to their conference championship. Everyone else I think is left in the same or worse position. Stevenson is the biggest loser going to the top of a small pond in the CHC to now having to play Elmira and Utica.

What becomes of the CHC in this? Stevenson goes to the UCHC. Morrisville and Canton likely get pulled to the SUNY schools. Daniel Webster is kaput. That leaves Endicott, Becker, Johnson & Wales and Salem State.

Unless the SUNYs from the old ECAC West join the CHC and you get:

Plattsburgh
Oswego
Buff State
Cortland
Potsdam
Morrisville
Canton
Endicott
Becker
Johnson & Wales
Salem State

That's a lot of real estate for one conference though....

Can the CHC safely pull 3 from the NEHC / CCC?

EDIT: Can safely pull 2. But thinking of the CCC they could grab
UNE
Nichols
Salve Regina

That would reduce the NEHC to 6 D-III members. Then the NEHC has 2 years to find a 7th team before losing the AQ.

(BTW, 11 in a conference in unwieldy. 20 conference games? Trade somebody from the UCHC to the NEHC and everything works.)

[GTOWN]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

Nichols had already announced they are joining the CHC next season so CHC only needs 1 more. Taking Manhattanville out as well, that leaves 8 DIII schools in the NEHC (plus 4 DII schools):

Castleton
UMass Boston
New England College
U. New England
Norwich
Plymouth
Salve Regina
Southern Maine

Who's likely to go next out of that group? that would leave the NEHC at 7 (plus 4 DII schools) and, at least for now, the strongest conference in the east.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

Nichols had already announced they are joining the CHC next season so CHC only needs 1 more. Taking Manhattanville out as well, that leaves 8 DIII schools in the NEHC (plus 4 DII schools):

Castleton
UMass Boston
New England College
U. New England
Norwich
Plymouth
Salve Regina
Southern Maine

Who's likely to go next out of that group? that would leave the NEHC at 7 (plus 4 DII schools) and, at least for now, the strongest conference in the east.

The NEHC will not have any D2 or D1 schools in it for 2017-18.

Also, you only need seven for an autobid, which the Colonial will have with the addition of Nichols next year.

[GTOWN]

Re: ECAC-West rebranding as the UCHC, kicking out the SUNY Schools

Thanks for counting properly, which it seems I can't do .

What have you heard about the DII schools pulling out of the NEHC?

[shelfit]

Thanks for counting properly, which it seems I can't do .

What have you heard about the DII schools pulling out of the NEHC?

I think if it's possible the DII schools should choose to make their programs either DIII or DI depending on their respective situations.

[joecct]

I think if it's possible the DII schools should choose to make their programs either DIII or DI depending on their respective situations.

They can petition to play in the big pond without a problem. If 6 of them form a conference, they even get an AQ into the NCAA tournament!

There is no way they can play it the smaller pool without moving their entire athletic program down to D-III. That takes a while and is fraught with danger (see St. A's).

Personally, I love the former option just to see the look of horror in the NCHC or HEA coaches as one of their precious at-large bids goes away in favor of a DIVISION 2 CONFERENCE! Oh the humanity of it all!!!