Save Uah Hockey!

[BC/HE]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The Big Ten is on record as stating no matter how many teams were to add hockey (Penn State being the one talked about most even though we all know it ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN) they won't force the issue of competing under the flag of the Big 10. The myth of the 6 team threshold needs to be put to rest. It's almost as annoying as any talk of the BTHC to begin with.

Even though the BTHC may never happen it is probably the best that UAH could hope for. That is why it comes up in any discussion of UAH's status now. Seriously if it were to happen it most likely would be with 8 schools not 6 anyway. For that to happen not only would Penn State need a team but 2 of Iowa, Illinois or Northwestern would have to add D1 hockey as we all know the state of Indiana(IU and Purdue) could care less about college hockey(Sorry Notre Dame fans). Adding Notre Dame to the Big Ten would be the easiest route for then only 1 of those 3 would have to add hockey(Is that a good enough apology Notre Dame fans?). With 8 of 12 it probably would happen.

UAH has to explore all options for 3 or 4 years as an Independant would probably sink almost any D1 hockey school now. We will approach our administration to see if there is anything we can do to help out.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

I am going to say bull **** and you know it.

Sid Hartman is the only Gopher fan stupid enough to believe in it and HE IS NOT A HOCKEY FAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for full of it, well that's you.

[gfmorris]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Any new news on the Save UAH buttons and t shirts? I am rounding up family and friends that I want to give them to.

We've got designs and are working with printers.

GFM

[bigmrg74]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Actually, this makes sense. If it is in fact travel concerns (and yes I understand UAH distance is about equal to UNO for CCHA teams, and no I'm not saying that's a good reason to reject UAH), then Alaska would be the team that wouldn't care. Alaska is getting on a plane for every conference away game regardless if it's more games against current CCHA teams or a weekend in Huntsville.

It would be interesting to know how many schools it was that voted against. It could be as few as 3 (8 for, 3 against and UNO not voting).

Speculation on wanting greater attendance numbers has me thinking that Ferris, Western and BGSU may all be thinking they'll make more money having an extra home game against either Michigan or Michigan State each year.

Yeah, a plan trip is a plane trip for _airbanks. And they're far enough away from the CCHA footprint that they're not going to get much of a bump when a Michigan or the Irish come to the Great White North. Plus, they do tend to get plenty of non-conference games up there as some teams like having those extra games they get for playing in Alaska.

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

It actually would have been a conference of eight and a conference of six with both have AQ's but that's water under the bridge now. Both would have been under an AHA banner though.

Was that where two schools (Canisius? and RIT?) were going to leave AHA and play in the CHA, but wanted to be guaranteed let back into AHA if the CHA folded, and the AHA said no?

Or am I thinking of something else?

Unless the BTHC [insert laugh track] is going to save UAH hockey, can we save your beefs with Gopher fans for another topic?

GFM

You're pretty lucky that the WCHA took UNO instead of UAH...our threads don't know the meaning of the words "on topic"

Goon...there's probably two people on the board not named Larry E. Bloom that want a BTHC. Most Gopher fans are against it on here...I'm afraid you're wrong on this. Don't make me defend the rodents again.

[CHFAN222]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

If Penn St added a team there'd be a third option that would benefit everyone. Form a new conference! Have the new conference consist of Bowling Green, Ohio St, Penn St, Niagara, Robert Morris, and UAH. The new conference would be competitive and have small travel costs with the occasional trip down to Huntsville. The remaining Michigan schools will get more games against Mich, Mich St, and Notre Dame and reduced travel budget. It also opens up expansion possibilities to schools such as Kentucky, Syracuse, and Northwestern. Everybody wins.

[CHFAN222]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

If Penn St added a team there'd be a third option that would benefit everyone. Form a new conference! Have the new conference consist of Bowling Green, Ohio St, Penn St, Niagara, Robert Morris, and UAH. The new conference would be competitive and have small travel costs with the occasional trip down to Huntsville. The remaining Michigan schools will get more games against Mich, Mich St, and Notre Dame and reduced travel budget. It also opens up expansion possibilities to schools such as Kentucky, Syracuse, and Northwestern. Everybody wins.

Include Miami in that list.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

Was that where two schools (Canisius? and RIT?) were going to leave AHA and play in the CHA, but wanted to be guaranteed let back into AHA if the CHA folded, and the AHA said no?

Or am I thinking of something else?

From what I was privy to, it was going to be Canisius and Mercyhurst. They were going to "join" the CHA and those six teams would be in a full scholarship league still called College Hockey America. The AHA would be the other eight schools and still be a "cost containment" league. The AHA wanted $$$ for the teams and they we also not going to guarantee a spot back in the league for teams if the CHA folded. Also in the mix was a proposal that both leagues would be operated under the AHA offices and management.

[Spydey629]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

If Penn St added a team there'd be a third option that would benefit everyone. Form a new conference! Have the new conference consist of Bowling Green, Ohio St, Penn St, Niagara, Robert Morris, and UAH. The new conference would be competitive and have small travel costs with the occasional trip down to Huntsville. The remaining Michigan schools will get more games against Mich, Mich St, and Notre Dame and reduced travel budget. It also opens up expansion possibilities to schools such as Kentucky, Syracuse, and Northwestern. Everybody wins.

That's pretty much the key. Not necessarily State, but for there to be a truly seismic shift in college hockey, it's going to take a BCS school to start a program.

Robert Morris, RIT, UAH, none of us are simply big enough to move the current conference mountains.

Syracuse, Penn State, Southern Cal, Colorado, Texas... any major conference school that would start-up would effectively break-up the Pangea of five conferences we have next season. Simply because of the fact that so many programs would love to get said school on the marquee on a regular basis.

[streaker]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

I am saying they shouldn't be looking down their noses at UAH.

That's an opinion. Neither of us are informed enough to know what the impacts really are. Aside from not adding a real impact team in terms of prominence and revenue, what would UAH add? Is that the responsibility of our league to take on another club that could add expense to the league for minimal return? As much as I would personally like to add them, goodwill doesn't pay the bills.

[joecct]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

That's pretty much the key. Not necessarily State, but for there to be a truly seismic shift in college hockey, it's going to take a BCS school to start a program.

Robert Morris, RIT, UAH, none of us are simply big enough to move the current conference mountains.

Syracuse, Penn State, Southern Cal, Colorado, Texas... any major conference school that would start-up would effectively break-up the Pangea of five conferences we have next season. Simply because of the fact that so many programs would love to get said school on the marquee on a regular basis.

The BCS schools will not step in until there is more revenue potential via TV, etc. than there is right now. And if that means getting rid of the "who are they?" schoools from D-1, then that may be the price that needs to be paid to expand the sport.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The BCS schools will not step in until there is more revenue potential via TV, etc. than there is right now. And if that means getting rid of the "who are they?" schoools from D-1, then that may be the price that needs to be paid to expand the sport.

Say it ain't so, Joe!

[alslammerz]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

That's pretty much the key. Not necessarily State, but for there to be a truly seismic shift in college hockey, it's going to take a BCS school to start a program.

Robert Morris, RIT, UAH, none of us are simply big enough to move the current conference mountains.

Syracuse, Penn State, Southern Cal, Colorado, Texas... any major conference school that would start-up would effectively break-up the Pangea of five conferences we have next season. Simply because of the fact that so many programs would love to get said school on the marquee on a regular basis.

Er, you'll need a BCS program to start TWO programs- Title IX and all that. Which is why so many don't in the first place. BTW, just to jump through your list real quick:

Syracuse- the closest to a men's program simply because they have a women's program. But they don't have a rink big enough for a men's team, and honestly, would probably easily slot into Hockey East, where the women's team is.

Penn State- nowhere even close at this point. Would need to spend money both to either build a new rink or put ice in over the basketball court, plus would need to start two new programs.

USC- just to come up with unique problems for every team, I'll just point out that the closest teams to USC would be Colorado College, Denver, Air Force, UAA, and UAF. Yeah, that's incentive for USC to turn it's club team (with a rink over an hour away) into a Division I program with a rink near campus.

Colorado- okay, the other caveat here is that even if a BCS team did start a men's and women's program, it actually has to be a GOOD BCS team. Colorado, Rutgers, Washington, Washington State, among others, would not get a conference to form around it.

Texas- even if a Texas Longhorns club hockey player went out tomorrow and hit both Mega Millions and Powerball within the week, there's no guarantee Texas would actually form a hockey team.


Oh, and add to all of this that you're asking for teams to build an ice rink (or rent one) plus create two new athletic teams, complete with scholarships, during a national recession. Uh huh. Plus there's no guarantee that this helps. Like you said, teams would jump at the chance to take these teams. So in the bizarro world where USC does get a hockey team, do you think they are going to start their own conference with the Colorado and Alaskan schools, or do you think the CCHA is going to throw oodles of money at them hoping for the prospect of USC-Notre Dame, USC-OSU, USC-Michigan games. That would completely shut the door on Alabama-Huntsville and the CCHA.

Moving on, look, I want to see Alabama-Huntsville saved. It tickles me that they took Notre Dame to all those overtimes, I love that there is a team in Alabama, etc. etc.

But it doesn't do anyone any good to focus on pipe dreams. If you want to save UAH, politely make noise, attend games, buy shirts, send petitions, and if you are too far away to do that, encourage your team's AD to book a non-conference series with UAH for next year. Hopefully UAH fans come out to support the team this year, boosting attendance, and when UAH goes on the road, fans who want to see them saved go out to show they give good road attendance numbers. That's what will save UAH hockey, not waiting for a big name school to add Division I hockey out of thin air.

As for me, I do honestly hope that rather than meeting in a tournament game like last year, that Harvard takes a trip down to Huntsville to show our support. I would be honored to call a game down there, especially if it could help. Good luck to the Chargers, and I'll be rooting for you guys to make a Cinderella run that opens up the CCHA's eyes. And hopefully on the run, you beat Michigan or some other big name CCHA school (but I really hate Michigan ).

[gfmorris]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

That's an opinion. Neither of us are informed enough to know what the impacts really are. Aside from not adding a real impact team in terms of prominence and revenue, what would UAH add? Is that the responsibility of our league to take on another club that could add expense to the league for minimal return? As much as I would personally like to add them, goodwill doesn't pay the bills.

Southern women, by God.

GFM

[CHFAN222]

Re: Save Uah Hockey!

The BCS schools will not step in until there is more revenue potential via TV, etc. than there is right now. And if that means getting rid of the "who are they?" schoools from D-1, then that may be the price that needs to be paid to expand the sport.

That may increase with more conferences getting TV stations and seeing hockey as a good program to have on their networks. Also expect a major shakeup in Big East with Football schools leaving in next few years. Who knows this could somehow shake up the athletic departments enough to get some programs started.