Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

Question: Does everyone hate big ten hockey or just Minnesota? This seems pretty cool to me. And since there will be one, possibly two more head to head Big Ten games that will heat up some Big Ten rivalries, which I am told are lacking.

Pulling for Ohio State to win it all. As Minnesota fans, do you guys care who wins?

I'm rooting for Michigan, but that's due to old associations and parents who are Michigan hockey season ticket holders.

And, yeah, the amount of whining by Minnesota fans about the creation of a Big 10 hockey conference has been ridiculous.

[Lindsay]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

I'm rooting for Michigan, but that's due to old associations and parents who are Michigan hockey season ticket holders.

That's cool. A Michigan Ohio State final would be amazing.

And, yeah, the amount of whining by Minnesota fans about the creation of a Big 10 hockey conference has been ridiculous.

I followed a writer named Nate Wells on Twitter when I learned he writes about women's hockey in addition to men's hockey. As such, I've gotten some men's hockey exposure. It was interesting to see how article comment sections and twitter discussion of Lucia devolved into Big Ten discussions. I hadn't experienced that with any of the Ohio State coverage over the years. It was interesting.

I figure we will experience it on the women's side eventually, just a matter of when whether its five, ten or twenty years. I will be very sad to say goodbye to Penn State as a CHA fan when the day comes, but I'm sure the CHA would survive as would the remaining Minnesota programs in a Big Ten free league.

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

... but I'm sure the CHA would survive as would the remaining Minnesota programs in a Big Ten free league.

Selfishly, a Big Ten women's league would have a completely different feel than the current WCHA. Right now, I can easily drive to a game anywhere but Columbus, but in a Big Ten, Madison would be the only destination that would be a weekend drive, unless someone unexpected like Iowa joined. There has been all the investment in rivalries over the years, particularly with UMD. I'm sure that teams would still play, but it would never be the same. Also, I'm not sure if the budgets of some WCHA teams would be able to manage the additional travel that would be required.

I know we tend to be reluctant to change overall, but I don't see the WCHA splitting as being a good thing in the short term.

[Lindsay]

Selfishly, a Big Ten women's league would have a completely different feel than the current WCHA. Right now, I can easily drive to a game anywhere but Columbus, but in a Big Ten, Madison would be the only destination that would be a weekend drive, unless someone unexpected like Iowa joined. There has been all the investment in rivalries over the years, particularly with UMD. I'm sure that teams would still play, but it would never be the same. Also, I'm not sure if the budgets of some WCHA teams would be able to manage the additional travel that would be required.

I know we tend to be reluctant to change overall, but I don't see the WCHA splitting as being a good thing in the short term.

Fair enough. All valid points. I don’t know whether it would be good or not, but I see it as inevitable one day. For new generations growing up they would not know any different. I wonder if other smaller schools would move up to D1, bolstering whatever Minnesota league came on board. I wonder if (hope) the same would occur in the CHA region.

[ne7minder]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

I'm rooting for Michigan, but that's due to old associations and parents who are Michigan hockey season ticket holders.

And, yeah, the amount of whining by Minnesota fans about the creation of a Big 10 hockey conference has been ridiculous.

I thought that at the beginning myself but it really does seem as if the competition just is not as intense as it was. I remembered the old days when MI & MSU were rivals and the whining that accompanied their leaving the old league. Today I don't think the amount of whining is ridiculous.

The expense of a hockey program is enough that I would be surprised if any of the B16 add a womens team. Because of the travel (both for the team and the fans) it would be horrible.

[ne7minder]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

Question: Does everyone hate big ten hockey or just Minnesota? This seems pretty cool to me. And since there will be one, possibly two more head to head Big Ten games that will heat up some Big Ten rivalries, which I am told are lacking.

Pulling for Ohio State to win it all. As Minnesota fans, do you guys care who wins?

Wrong forum, you want the mens side - you can find it on the banner at the top.

[Lindsay]

Wrong forum, you want the mens side - you can find it on the banner at the top.

Respectfully, there were multiple men’s hockey comments here before mine.

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

I thought that at the beginning myself but it really does seem as if the competition just is not as intense as it was. I remembered the old days when MI & MSU were rivals and the whining that accompanied their leaving the old league. Today I don't think the amount of whining is ridiculous.

If they can't get up to play teams like Michigan and Ohio State, the problem isn't a Big 10 hockey league. I remember the era of the College Hockey Showcase, and those games were plenty intense.

I would be very surprised to see any athletic departments expand the number of sports of any expense level in the near future, and would consider any such expansion to be malpractice. The next round of rights fees is going to be a lot smaller than the last round, due to the collapse of the ESPN business model (charging a fee to all basic cable subscribers, which is as much as $5 a month for ESPN, and which cord cutting is eating away at), which many of the other cable sports systems have adopted. Until the ramifications of this change can be assessed, you might see major capital expenditures from athletic departments, but probably not large increases to permanent operating expenses, like adding new teams.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

Bob Motzko ... looks like a shoe in given the results

And so it is...

[ne7minder]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

If they can't get up to play teams like Michigan and Ohio State, the problem isn't a Big 10 hockey league. I remember the era of the College Hockey Showcase, and those games were plenty intense.

I would be very surprised to see any athletic departments expand the number of sports of any expense level in the near future, and would consider any such expansion to be malpractice. The next round of rights fees is going to be a lot smaller than the last round, due to the collapse of the ESPN business model (charging a fee to all basic cable subscribers, which is as much as $5 a month for ESPN, and which cord cutting is eating away at), which many of the other cable sports systems have adopted. Until the ramifications of this change can be assessed, you might see major capital expenditures from athletic departments, but probably not large increases to permanent operating expenses, like adding new teams.

I don't think the issue was the team getting up for those teams but the fans do not feel the animosity towards them that they did towards UND, MSU and UMD. I think a huge amount of the loss of enthusiasm has to do with the wealth requirements for season tickets reaching ridiculous levels. Fat old men sitting on their hands is not conducive to an electric atmosphere.

More than the loss of TV revenue I think universities have well over-extended themselves with athletic department bull**** so there just is no money for new sports, particularly one as expensive as ice hockey.

[ne7minder]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

Respectfully, there were multiple men’s hockey comments here before mine.

Sorry, I didn't recognize your nym & the post sounded trollish. If it was not I am sorry

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

Sorry, I didn't recognize your nym & the post sounded trollish. If it was not I am sorry

Lindsay is not a troll -- far from it.

[EastFan1]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread

I figure we will experience it on the women's side eventually, just a matter of when whether its five, ten or twenty years. I will be very sad to say goodbye to Penn State as a CHA fan when the day comes, but I'm sure the CHA would survive as would the remaining Minnesota programs in a Big Ten free league.

?? The WCHA is using crowdsourcing to cover costs. If Minnesota and Wisconsin left, the remaining programs are in trouble.

[Lindsay]

Sorry, I didn't recognize your nym & the post sounded trollish. If it was not I am sorry

No worries! Didn’t mean to sound trollish.

[Lindsay]

?? The WCHA is using crowdsourcing to cover costs. If Minnesota and Wisconsin left, the remaining programs are in trouble.

Yes they would be in trouble, but I hope they would find a way to survive. Could reorganize under a league with more modest membership fees, play more games against Lindenwood, play non conference games against Wisc and Minnesota, and appeal to the 25ish other teams in the NCAA to travel west. If Notre Dame ever added a team, that’s drivable.

It’s an odd spot to be in, you want the sport to grow but not at the expense of others. I’m not advocating for a big ten, but do want the sport to grow, and just want what’s best for it overall. Who knows what that is.

Interesting to hear others say they don’t think it will happen anytime soon. I understand why the entire state of Michigan wouldn’t add hockey right now, but still wonder if Notre Dame might put something together. I take Eeyore’s word that the money from tv rights is going to go down, but at the same time I look at things like the athlete’s village that just opened at Minnesota, and it seems like there is money at the big schools (probably from boosters, but still).

Further, you look at small schools that have very respectable programs on presumably a much smaller budget and it’s hard to believe a big school is never going to come up with a similar amount of money and start a program of their own, especially if they have a rink, men’s hockey and women’s club team already.

Anyway, a bridge to cross another day I guess.