Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU and ??

[aparch]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

I hope that at least occasionally those games will take place in Marquette and Houghton.

I'd like to see that too, but I've heard that Wisco "has no reason to travel to the UP." No financial benefit, no huge alumni base to tap into, nothing.

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

And since UAA and UAF are granted that waiver every year ... then it's especially not a problem. Here's the thing though ... the Alaska teams probably aren't overly concerned with the number of conference games per year. Typically, I think UAA and UAF wouldn't have a hard time coming up with non-conference opponents. In fact, I think they'd both easily fill their schedule. But how many non-conference games are Mankato, MTU, SCSCU and Bemidji going to want to have to schedule? Is there a magic number? Is 10 too many for any of them? An insular conference schedule (i.e. what the WCHA has currently) is fine when you've got "powerhouses" in the mix but I can't feature a 28 game conference schedule going forward ...

I'm just sooooo into the 7 ...
8? not so much ...

SCSU can fill the non-conference games especially if the butt hurt conference only has 6 teams.

[Pump It Up]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

Of course, this would make me very happy if indeed LSSU was the secret, heretofore unknown applicant.

And of course LSSU makes enormous sense -- LSSU, NMU, Tech, Bemidji, UAA, and UAF -- the real question mark is whether Mankato and St. Cloud have a geographic fit, not the other way around. Note -- Obligatory defensive remark upcoming: I am not sure what SCSU or Mankato offer in this scenario. A WCHA dominated by the northern hockey schools means that the southern half of Minnesota is just as lost in the wilderness as anyone else. It all depends upon perspective. If your world-view originates from Minneapolis, and your world-view narrow enough, I can see where a person might think LSSU is a distant addition.

Of course, if your world view is from the UP or Alaska, Mankato and SCSU are just as distant, remote, and nationally meaningless as BGSU and Ferris.

Perhaps instead of engaging in xenophobic spasms caused by the mere mention of non-Minnesota-based WCHA programs, the supporters of college hockey in distant, remote, isolated, south-central Minnesota should perhaps be celebrating the survival of their league, with the addition of schools wherein hockey is the Number One program, with their own histories and rivalries.

My hope: LSSU applies to the WCHA with UAF, both are admitted, and the league offices are located in Houghton, the most centralized location and the city and school.

This post makes little sense to me. First, Bemidji is not leaving SCSU and Mankato, sorry. Second, I have not seen much Minnesota chest thumping done on behalf of SCSU, Mankato, or Bemidji in the past few weeks, so what's with the inferiority complex? Third, our league already survived. We have 6 teams. For all 6 of those teams, I would say hockey is the number one sport with a bullet (possible exception for Mankato and their basketball squad, but I don't follow any NSIC sports so not sure).

You have this confused. You are not in a barganing position. Just smile and hope McLeod and the WCHA ADs show you mercy. If you don't want into the WCHA you can stay put with Ferris, WMU, UA-H, and whoever you can siphon from the AHA.

I feel for LSSU and would welcome them into the WCHA, but this post bothers me. There, now you've seen a xenophobic spasm from an SCSU fan.

[dggoddard]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

I still CANNOT wrap my head around the new UAA sports arena not including hockey!!!! I just don’t get it. Simply perplexed.

It costs $4,200 to convert a small arena from hoops to ice. DU does it 120 times a year [$500,000]. Factor in the cost of adding an ice equipment, a practice ice sheet when Hoops uses the floor, different seating layouts and you add millions to the cost of the arena.

Hockey to Basketball Time-Lapse from DU Clarion on Vimeo.

[Rms123]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

It costs $4,200 to convert a small arena from hoops to ice. DU does it 120 times a year [$500,000]. Factor in the cost of adding an ice equipment, a practice ice sheet when Hoops uses the floor, different seating layouts and you add millions to the cost of the arena.

Hockey to Basketball Time-Lapse from DU Clarion on Vimeo.

I see what you're saying, but my point is.........that I am perplexed by the fact that it isn't a hockey facility, with a gym, student rec center, etc added on. The BB and VB facilities at UAA are good enough for the level they compete at, and for the crowd sizes they bring in. Those sports will never fill a 5k arena in Anchorage. I don't care if the school goes DI in those sports, it will never happen. When you are dumping 100 million plus into a facility like that, why would you not build it for a team that could darn near fill it every game, generate revenue, and who competes at the highest NCAA level for the sport. It is a giant waste for bouncy ball, VB, and gymnastics.

[uaafanblog]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

I see what you're saying, but my point is.........that I am perplexed by the fact that it isn't a hockey facility, with a gym, student rec center, etc added on. The BB and VB facilities at UAA are good enough for the level they compete at, and for the crowd sizes they bring in. Those sports will never fill a 5k arena in Anchorage. I don't care if the school goes DI in those sports, it will never happen. When you are dumping 100 million plus into a facility like that, why would you not build it for a team that could darn near fill it every game, generate revenue, and who competes at the highest NCAA level for the sport. It is a giant waste for bouncy ball, VB, and gymnastics.

People paying attention to the struggle for UAA to get it's arena funded will remember a proposition which was all-sports inclusive facility with permanent ice and an attached facility for the other sports. This is the proposal that Sarah Palin line-item vetoed. It was to be built catty-corner from East High School at the Bragaw and Northern Lights intersection. The original price tag was 110 I believe.

After that debacle the UAA Administration went gun shy. Everybody and their brother jumped on them about it being too expensive, having too many seats (was going to be 7500) and that the location sucked. It was clear that UAA was gunning to make it so that the ECHL Aces might be interested in becoming a tenant. So anyway, their gun shy state caused them to dramatically scale back the original concept. They figured they should get what they can get and then go after a hockey rink with some other effort.

Meanwhile UAF, got a new museum (100 million), a new ocean going research vessel (100 million - federal money) and other new buildings that I can't specifically remember.

So, not to be overly rude but you perplexed state is pretty much your own doing.

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

I sincerely think there is more to the UAA arena than the public knows about. A 5,000 seat arena for D2 basketball and volleyball is a little excessive. My hunch is that either hockey will be included or they will use it to jump to D1 in other sports.

SCSU's basketball arena holds 5,000+ seats.

[Pump It Up]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

SCSU's basketball arena holds 5,000+ seats.

Just under 7,000 grand in fact. Northern State's Wachs Arena has a capacity over 8,000.

[Rms123]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

People paying attention to the struggle for UAA to get it's arena funded will remember a proposition which was all-sports inclusive facility with permanent ice and an attached facility for the other sports. This is the proposal that Sarah Palin line-item vetoed. It was to be built catty-corner from East High School at the Bragaw and Northern Lights intersection. The original price tag was 110 I believe.

After that debacle the UAA Administration went gun shy. Everybody and their brother jumped on them about it being too expensive, having too many seats (was going to be 7500) and that the location sucked. It was clear that UAA was gunning to make it so that the ECHL Aces might be interested in becoming a tenant. So anyway, their gun shy state caused them to dramatically scale back the original concept. They figured they should get what they can get and then go after a hockey rink with some other effort.

Meanwhile UAF, got a new museum (100 million), a new ocean going research vessel (100 million - federal money) and other new buildings that I can't specifically remember.

So, not to be overly rude but you perplexed state is pretty much your own doing.

Good back ground info. Why didn't they just scale back the project and still include hockey?

[Rms123]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

SCSU's basketball arena holds 5,000+ seats.

For a school basically in Minneapolis, not Anchorage.

[Jimjamesak]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

Good back ground info. My own doing?!?!?!? How do you figure?

For the same reason many of us do not like UAF, UAF can get what they want but when it comes to UAA asking for anything the rest of the State gets all up in arms.

UAA gets the students, UAF gets the money.

[Jimjamesak]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

People paying attention to the struggle for UAA to get it's arena funded will remember a proposition which was all-sports inclusive facility with permanent ice and an attached facility for the other sports. This is the proposal that Sarah Palin line-item vetoed. It was to be built catty-corner from East High School at the Bragaw and Northern Lights intersection. The original price tag was 110 I believe.

After that debacle the UAA Administration went gun shy. Everybody and their brother jumped on them about it being too expensive, having too many seats (was going to be 7500) and that the location sucked. It was clear that UAA was gunning to make it so that the ECHL Aces might be interested in becoming a tenant. So anyway, their gun shy state caused them to dramatically scale back the original concept. They figured they should get what they can get and then go after a hockey rink with some other effort.

Meanwhile UAF, got a new museum (100 million), a new ocean going research vessel (100 million - federal money) and other new buildings that I can't specifically remember.

So, not to be overly rude but you perplexed state is pretty much your own doing.

Let's not forget the Title IX lawsuit over facilities where all UAA could do was go "Yeah, we know"

[Jimjamesak]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

Good back ground info. Why didn't they just scale back the project and still include hockey?

Because that would be impossible.

[Rms123]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

For the same reason many of us do not like UAF, UAF can get what they want but when it comes to UAA asking for anything the rest of the State gets all up in arms.

UAA gets the students, UAF gets the money.

Really? No money huh........... http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_s...ge-basketball?

It looks like they are getting their 110 million facility. So as UAAfanblog pointed out, the original price tag to include hockey was 110 million (which apparently everyone went up in arms about), and so they now are getting a facility with a 110 million price tag that excludes hockey. I don’t know every little detail behind this, but even as a Fairbanks fan, I still don’t get why they are building a 110 million dollar facility that does not include your hockey team. Just my little opinion.

[Jimjamesak]

Re: Faribanks Daily: Rumors of the WCHA announcing two applicants this week? NMU an

Really? No money huh........... http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_s...ge-basketball?

It looks like they are getting their 110 million facility. So as UAAfanblog pointed out, the original price tag to include hockey was 110 million (which apparently everyone went up in arms about), and so they now are getting a facility with a 110 million price tag that excludes hockey. I don’t know every little detail behind this, but even as a Fairbanks fan, I still don’t get why they are building a 110 million dollar facility that does not include your hockey team. Just my little opinion.

Because everybody in the State told them "UAA doesn't need two arenas". They've been trying to get this built for 10 years and have needed new facilities for 20, so they took the path of least resistance.