(07-12-2013 11:13 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote: Well, kind of ECU specific I guess.... we have a Club team but they do a lot of "home" games up in Raleigh. The rink here is smaller than regulation (think converted Roller Skating Rink). I think both the Bladez on Ice and ECU could put together a decent regulation rink for both. I doubt ECU would ever multipurpose Minges. I'd have no idea if the market demographics could support a City/ECU/Bladez on ice partnership for a multipurpose arena.
I think the Club team could draw better given a real arena with real seating capacity. Don't get me wrong as I doubt seating over 2-4K would make good on cost/benefit analysis.
While YES, Title IX would be a concern, I think we could find a Women's sport to fill in. That Sand Volleyball would be EPIC :D
If Greenville doesn't have a 3-4000 seat rink, it's difficult imagining a league that would want ECU. It's almost impossible for a new college hockey team to get home games without a league, so starting a hockey team without a league agreement practically guarantees failure.
For ECU, the only league that might consider ECU would be Atlantic Hockey (they will be at 11 members once UConn moves to Hockey East). The two schools considered the likely 12th school are Rhode Island (moving up from club) and St Anselm's (NH) moving up from DII. Both have on campus rinks.
Navy and Liberty have made noises in the past about starting DI hockey (and both have on-campus rinks and Liberty in particular has very good club hockey), but both have limited conference options: namely Atlantic Hockey. Both Air Force (in spite of the travel) and Army are in Atlantic Hockey, so that league would be the natural place for Navy. The ECAC and Hockey East have not added schools outside the NE with exception of Notre Dame to Hockey East, and likely wouldn't unless a higher level academic school like UVa or UNC wanted in.
Alabama-Huntsville will now be in the WCHA, but that league was kind of in a scheduling bind with only nine schools plus the other schools wanted to dilute the number of times to fly to Alaska (two Alaska schools in that league). The WCHA and NCHC play two game series at one location on weekends, so travel partners really don't apply to those situations. UAH actually had support from Minn St-Mankato and Bemidji St, as all three were rivals from DII days.
What really needs to happen is for a southeastern hockey league to form:
Navy, Liberty, UAH, ECU, Kennesaw St (explored it), FGCU (considered it), with maybe Delaware and NJIT as NE anchors (both have some hockey interest).