(08-11-2014 11:04 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 08:40 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 04:41 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 12:59 AM)sctvman Wrote:  There needs to be more hockey for southern schools. South Carolina would also do well with a team (they have 18,000 seat arena) but they vetoed even minor league baseball from their area.

Finding a league to take southern schools is difficult. Almost need four or more to move up at once. Bowling Green and UA-Huntsville would probably be interested, as they have to travel to Alaska, Minnesota, and upper Michigan.

Dark horse southern candidates:

Kentucky - should a renovation of Rupp Arena ever get approved, a hockey team would be a way to increase the number of event dates. The men's ACHA team averages nearly 600 fans per game in an off-campus facility with games starting around Midnight.

Texas - As the Longhorns are forced to feed the network pig, hockey would gain instant exposure as the only program in the state of Texas.

Alabama - currently has a club team playing off campus in Hoover. The Tide would need a huge influx of capital to renovate Coleman Coliseum (again) for hockey, and juggling dates with both Gymnastics and Men's basketball may be an issue from January-March. UAH would be an instant rival. The Tide have a rather small athletic program in terms of number of sports, so the additional women's sport doesn't necessarily have to be ice hockey.

Florida State - The Leon County Civic Center previously hosted a minor league hockey team, which coincidentally played the 2002-03 season as the Lexington Men O' War in Rupp Arena. FSU would be the only program in Florida.

Georgia Tech - with the NHL out of the way in Atlanta, this could be another school who could carve out a niche. GT could actually get away with adding only a men's team, as it is one of the few schools with a majority male enrollment. This could also be an add-on the next time the on-campus arena is renovated or replaced.

If Ga Tech or FSU ever started hockey, Notre Dame and BC would get them in Hockey East or start an ACC league with Syracuse, Pitt, and maybe Louisville. When an ACC Network gets off the ground, it could actually make sense. Ga Tech could play in the smaller Gwinent County arena, where there are actual hockey fans.

Miami and W Mich would lobby for Kentucky, but they could split off from the NCHC if another school like Buffalo starts hockey and restart a CCHA.

Where would Georgia Tech put a hockey arena? It's a lot more expensive for an urban school to build a new facility that uses up that much acreage than it is for an rural school like Florida State or Alabama.

I'm still shocked that Syracuse doesn't have a men's hockey team. Neither does Pitt, Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, or Purdue. Purdue don't even have a single hockey arena in the entire county of 180,000 people that's only 70 miles south of Lake Michigan. That's real weird to me.

For that matter, the Dakotas only have 1 hockey team - UND. Hockey is HUGE in the Dakotas - all 4 D1 schools there should have hockey teams. I was in a bar in Sioux Falls once on a Saturday night during football season, and the TVs were all tuned in to a North Dakota vs Minnesota Duluth hockey game.

(11-18-2014 03:26 PM)NoDak Wrote:  No word yet on a conference (NCHC or WCHA)

John Buccigross @Buccigross · 1h 1 hour ago

NCHC is likely home for Arizona State. Greg Powers, who coaches ASU to ACHA (Club) National Title last year will be likely coach I was told.



NCHC will now span all 4 time-zones and be truly a "National" conference.


.

(11-18-2014 03:47 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 11:04 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 08:40 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 04:41 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 12:59 AM)sctvman Wrote:  There needs to be more hockey for southern schools. South Carolina would also do well with a team (they have 18,000 seat arena) but they vetoed even minor league baseball from their area.

Finding a league to take southern schools is difficult. Almost need four or more to move up at once. Bowling Green and UA-Huntsville would probably be interested, as they have to travel to Alaska, Minnesota, and upper Michigan.

Dark horse southern candidates:

Kentucky - should a renovation of Rupp Arena ever get approved, a hockey team would be a way to increase the number of event dates. The men's ACHA team averages nearly 600 fans per game in an off-campus facility with games starting around Midnight.

Texas - As the Longhorns are forced to feed the network pig, hockey would gain instant exposure as the only program in the state of Texas.

Alabama - currently has a club team playing off campus in Hoover. The Tide would need a huge influx of capital to renovate Coleman Coliseum (again) for hockey, and juggling dates with both Gymnastics and Men's basketball may be an issue from January-March. UAH would be an instant rival. The Tide have a rather small athletic program in terms of number of sports, so the additional women's sport doesn't necessarily have to be ice hockey.

Florida State - The Leon County Civic Center previously hosted a minor league hockey team, which coincidentally played the 2002-03 season as the Lexington Men O' War in Rupp Arena. FSU would be the only program in Florida.

Georgia Tech - with the NHL out of the way in Atlanta, this could be another school who could carve out a niche. GT could actually get away with adding only a men's team, as it is one of the few schools with a majority male enrollment. This could also be an add-on the next time the on-campus arena is renovated or replaced.

If Ga Tech or FSU ever started hockey, Notre Dame and BC would get them in Hockey East or start an ACC league with Syracuse, Pitt, and maybe Louisville. When an ACC Network gets off the ground, it could actually make sense. Ga Tech could play in the smaller Gwinent County arena, where there are actual hockey fans.

Miami and W Mich would lobby for Kentucky, but they could split off from the NCHC if another school like Buffalo starts hockey and restart a CCHA.

Where would Georgia Tech put a hockey arena? It's a lot more expensive for an urban school to build a new facility that uses up that much acreage than it is for an rural school like Florida State or Alabama.

I'm still shocked that Syracuse doesn't have a men's hockey team. Neither does Pitt, Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, or Purdue. Purdue don't even have a single hockey arena in the entire county of 180,000 people that's only 70 miles south of Lake Michigan. That's real weird to me.

For that matter, the Dakotas only have 1 hockey team - UND. Hockey is HUGE in the Dakotas - all 4 D1 schools there should have hockey teams. I was in a bar in Sioux Falls once on a Saturday night during football season, and the TVs were all tuned in to a North Dakota vs Minnesota Duluth hockey game.

Ga Tech could use the rink in Gwinnet County that hosts an ECHL team. Phillips is too big and expensive.

Iowa St and Illinois have top flight club teams, although Ariz State is the reigning club champion.

Dakota small towns generally don't have HS hockey teams, mainly because it takes too many kids to put together. You have to have a real community effort. The cities in South Dakota just really began a hockey push in the last decade. In North Dakota, the hockey culture gets bigger as you go east and north toward Canada and Minnesota.

(11-18-2014 03:56 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 03:26 PM)NoDak Wrote:  No word yet on a conference (NCHC or WCHA)

John Buccigross @Buccigross · 1h 1 hour ago

NCHC is likely home for Arizona State. Greg Powers, who coaches ASU to ACHA (Club) National Title last year will be likely coach I was told.



NCHC will now span all 4 time-zones and be truly a "National" conference.


.

That was a main point of naming the conference national, because they were hoping to add PAC12 and Big12 schools. Another was to be the main collegiate feeder to the National HL.

Arizona always stays on Mountain Standard Time, so at least in the winter, its three time zones. The WCHA spans from Eastern time though Alaska time.

(11-18-2014 03:26 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 03:08 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  John Buccigross ‏@Buccigross · 6m6 minutes ago
Sources confirm Arizona St will become 60h D1 hockey team. Transition starts next year. Full season in 2016-17. Big fish donates 32 million

http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/a...ram-111814

No word yet on a conference (NCHC or WCHA) or where they will play (Wells Fargo, Oceanside, Sun's arena).

Perhaps another PAC12 school will take the plunge.

It seems as though Washington would be a great place for a college hockey team. I'm a UConn fan and we have at least two players from Washington. Hockey seems to be getting more popular out west. Plus, British Columbia is right to the north and a major recruiting area for D1 Hockey. I bet some of these kids would like to stay closer to BC and play major D1 hockey, plus it's a great university.

I bet Utah and UC Boulder would be great additional PAC-12 schools to add D1 hockey teams as well.

(11-18-2014 05:11 PM)primus74 Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 03:26 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 03:08 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  John Buccigross ‏@Buccigross · 6m6 minutes ago
Sources confirm Arizona St will become 60h D1 hockey team. Transition starts next year. Full season in 2016-17. Big fish donates 32 million

http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/a...ram-111814

No word yet on a conference (NCHC or WCHA) or where they will play (Wells Fargo, Oceanside, Sun's arena).

Perhaps another PAC12 school will take the plunge.

It seems as though Washington would be a great place for a college hockey team. I'm a UConn fan and we have at least two players from Washington. Hockey seems to be getting more popular out west. Plus, British Columbia is right to the north and a major recruiting area for D1 Hockey. I bet some of these kids would like to stay closer to BC and play major D1 hockey, plus it's a great university.

I bet Utah and UC Boulder would be great additional PAC-12 schools to add D1 hockey teams as well.

One would think that Washington, Utah, and Colorado would have interest, but Lets Play Hockey is reporting the Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State, UCLA, and USC are the PAC12 schools interested in sponsoring varsity hockey.

Sounds like ASU will add women's lacrosse but that's not final. Since there already a women's league on the west coast with mostly PAC12 schools, it fits.

(11-18-2014 05:24 PM)NoDak Wrote:  One would think that Washington, Utah, and Colorado would have interest, but Lets Play Hockey is reporting the Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State, UCLA, and USC are the PAC12 schools interested in sponsoring varsity hockey.

Sounds like ASU will add women's lacrosse but that's not final. Since there already a women's league on the west coast with mostly PAC12 schools, it fits.

Well, Stanford, USC, and UCLA have the deep pockets even if they don't have the better teams in the current PAC8 club hockey league. With just one year of full revenue under Utah's belt, and new football, basketball, soccer, skiing, and softball facilities built/under construction I don't think Utah has the money to move up right now which is a shame.

If 6 or more Pac 12 schools started play, would ESPN or Fox have any TV rights? I could see Fox angling to get Pac 12 hockey for both their RSNs and Fox Sports 1. ESPN will crave the later games for live content on ESPNU.

This is a great day for college hockey.

ASU will have no problems recruiting or scheduling.

The NCHC is a great place for them, and I am sure Commissioner Fenton is all over ASU to get them in. That school has 60,000 students, a large fan base, a national brand and an easy non-stop flight from just about anywhere in the USA.

Does anyone know if the Wells Fargo Arena on the ASU campus has ice-making capabilities?

(11-19-2014 01:00 AM)puck swami Wrote:  This is a great day for college hockey.

ASU will have no problems recruiting or scheduling.

The NCHC is a great place for them, and I am sure Commissioner Fenton is all over ASU to get them in. That school has 60,000 students, a large fan base, a national brand and an easy non-stop flight from just about anywhere in the USA.

Does anyone know if the Wells Fargo Arena on the ASU campus has ice-making capabilities?

It wouldn't be a surprise if the Pig 10 makes a play for PAC12 hockey schools. They would split after the PAC12 has six.

Wells Fargo Arena was designed to accommodate hockey. There is talk the first year ASU will play in the US Air Arena, so it seems that Wells Fargo needs some renovations to actually host ASU.

The Minnesota Wild beatwriter:

Quote:Chad Graff
‏@ChadGraff
WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson tells us other Pac-12 schools are also looking at joining the Division I ranks. Mentions Stanford & Oregon.

Quote:Hurricane Hank ‏@hurricanehank1 Nov 22
@ChadGraff @OTBPuckWatch UW Huskies looking at serious attempt to enter with ASU. Seeing the opportunity & upcoming trend.

CU-Boulder does not have the money to start a hockey program nor a place to build a hockey arena. The Coors Event Center does not have ice capability. To have a hockey program, the Coors Event Center would have to be demolished and a facility capable of hosting basketball, hockey and volleyball would have to be built. That won't happen.

BTW, Lindenwood University does not play NCAA men's hockey. They do have a very successful ACHA club program. Lindenwood does not have an option to buy Family Arena in St. Charles. That idea was dropped four and half years ago.

(11-25-2014 10:22 PM)lew240z Wrote:  CU-Boulder does not have the money to start a hockey program nor a place to build a hockey arena. The Coors Event Center does not have ice capability. To have a hockey program, the Coors Event Center would have to be demolished and a facility capable of hosting basketball, hockey and volleyball would have to be built. That won't happen.

I doubt that western schools moving into D-I hockey are going to play in their basketball arenas or build arena-sized facilities. ASU's funding for this is reportedly $32 million -- that's not nearly enough to retrofit Wells Fargo Arena for hockey in addition to funding a hockey program plus a new women's sport. They would likely play in a local arena already capable of hosting hockey, like US Air Arena (or whatever they call it now) in downtown Phoenix, or maybe in a large local skating/hockey/training facility.

Stanford has talked about building a facility for hockey on campus; it would likely be something with multiple rinks including one "main rink" that would be able to seat 1,000 to 2,000 spectators, and not an arena. It would probably be about the size of Oakland Ice Center, where Cal's club team plays; I think UCLA's club team plays in a similar facility. Stanford also has a basketball arena that can't be feasibly retrofitted for hockey, which is probably true of all or nearly all Pac-12 basketball arenas.

(11-25-2014 10:22 PM)lew240z Wrote:  CU-Boulder does not have the money to start a hockey program nor a place to build a hockey arena. The Coors Event Center does not have ice capability. To have a hockey program, the Coors Event Center would have to be demolished and a facility capable of hosting basketball, hockey and volleyball would have to be built. That won't happen.

BTW, Lindenwood University does not play NCAA men's hockey. They do have a very successful ACHA club program. Lindenwood does not have an option to buy Family Arena in St. Charles. That idea was dropped four and half years ago.

The 1st Bank Center in Broomfield could host CU hockey. An arena does not have to be on campus. A practice rink should be on campus or close proximity though. Doubt CU starts hockey until their other programs, especially football, are up to snuff.

No one ever claimed Lindenwood would start DI men's hockey, but Lindenwood and Syracuse are the only schools that have NCAA women's hockey but not men's. When Lindenwood is a full fledged NCAA DII school (not transitioning from NAIA), they can elect to sponsor DI men's hockey (women's hockey is NCAA intercollegiate, not DI, so the rules are different for a NAIA to NCAA transitioning school like Lindenwood.)

UConn has been great for Hockey East so far. They're only 3-6-4 right now, but won ooc at Quinnipiac, and tied Renssalaer, and are playing better than expected.

Also, they beat BC 1-0 in front of 8k in Hartford, and drew 7700 last weekend vs Boston U.

They have a great goalie named Rob Nichols... last year I think he stopped 60 shots at PC.

(11-26-2014 11:21 AM)billyjack Wrote:  UConn has been great for Hockey East so far. They're only 3-6-4 right now, but won ooc at Quinnipiac, and tied Renssalaer, and are playing better than expected.

Also, they beat BC 1-0 in front of 8k in Hartford, and drew 7700 last weekend vs Boston U.

They have a great goalie named Rob Nichols... last year I think he stopped 60 shots at PC.

Thank you. I attended the home games against BC, Vermont, and BU. The atmosphere was like being at Gampel for a basketball game. Not only is Hockey East an amazing conference, but it also gives us geographically-friendly conference rivals - something Husky fans really miss post conference realignment.

It was expected but I can confirm ASU hockey will play games at Gila River Arena next season. Done deal

— Justin Emerson (@J15Emerson) April 9, 2015
__________________


This is where the Coyotes play - 30 minutes from Tempe next to Cardinals Stadium

(08-08-2014 08:37 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I think the consensus has always been that the Coyote's biggest problem has been the location of their rink. Apparently they built it in Glendale, which is on the far extreme of their market. At least, that is what my Phoenix-based hockey fan friend constantly tells me.

BTW, for my money AZ has one of the best non-original six team sweaters in the NHL. That is a very sharp look.

The red Blackhawks jersey is consistently named one of the top uniforms in all of sports. And I agree, the original six are all really good. Classic hockey.

(04-09-2015 05:42 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  It was expected but I can confirm ASU hockey will play games at Gila River Arena next season. Done deal

— Justin Emerson (@J15Emerson) April 9, 2015
__________________


This is where the Coyotes play - 30 minutes from Tempe next to Cardinals Stadium

Nothing says hockey like Phoenix, Arizona.

(04-09-2015 06:50 PM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  

(04-09-2015 05:42 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  It was expected but I can confirm ASU hockey will play games at Gila River Arena next season. Done deal

— Justin Emerson (@J15Emerson) April 9, 2015
__________________


This is where the Coyotes play - 30 minutes from Tempe next to Cardinals Stadium

Nothing says hockey like Phoenix, Arizona.

That's why they will play in Glendale