There isn't enough interest. It works at the club level, nothing more.

Alabama's priorities go something like this:

1) Alabama Football
2) Rooting against Auburn football
3) SEC! SEC! (in football games against other conferences)
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4) basketball and baseball - at least they're American sports
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5) Academics
6) Insert any random Olympic / Canadian / commie sport here

I just don't think the interest is there for hockey.

(12-21-2014 04:44 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Lots of schools would love to add men's hockey (including several Big Ten schools that have top level club teams and legit fan bases). The main issues are that (1) few schools can add *only* men's hockey - they almost all have to add enough women's scholarships for Title IX (meaning you're really adding 2 sports as opposed to just one) and (2) the facilities required are extremely expensive and capital intensive. The entry cost is extremely high, which is why the sport has such anemic growth despite pretty good popularity.

If the B1G is looking to increase the number of programs it has playing in its new hockey division, they don't need to ask current B1G programs to make the huge financial investment that it would take.....they just need to invite UCONN as a full member and we'll bring our existing D1 men's and women's programs.

(12-21-2014 04:44 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Lots of schools would love to add men's hockey (including several Big Ten schools that have top level club teams and legit fan bases). The main issues are that (1) few schools can add *only* men's hockey - they almost all have to add enough women's scholarships for Title IX (meaning you're really adding 2 sports as opposed to just one) and (2) the facilities required are extremely expensive and capital intensive. The entry cost is extremely high, which is why the sport has such anemic growth despite pretty good popularity.

SEC would have the additional factors that it would require a large number of start-ups at once to sponsor a competition with AQ into the NCAA championships ... and "home games by one or two SEC schools playing in some other conference" does promise the same appeal for the SECN as "SEC hockey" would offer ... and the recruiting pool is quite shallow as far as supporting six SEC programs goes.

The cheapest time to add the facilities is when you are building a new arena, when you can add ice making facilities to the arena so that you "only" have to have a practice facility ... and when is there going to be a time when there are six SEC schools starting up at once?

The move in AZ makes sense in terms of being able to recruit as a single PAC-12 South school in the PAC-12 South region, not as the first step toward a rapid establishment of a PAC12 hockey league. Similarly, if Bama (or Mizzou) were to start up a hockey program, it would make the most sense in terms of recruiting from a wider area, not in terms of "starting SEC hockey". And with AU-H, even that makes more sense for Mizzou than for Bama.

The most natural TitleIX offset would seem to be women's lacrosse, since lacrosse can often be established with substantial facilities sharing with soccer.

(12-21-2014 08:25 PM)jam2112 Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 04:44 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Lots of schools would love to add men's hockey (including several Big Ten schools that have top level club teams and legit fan bases). ...

If the B1G is looking to increase the number of programs it has playing in its new hockey division ...

You read that backward ... BigTen schools that would like to add hockey if they could does not mean that the BigTen as a conference wants to add hockey schools. Rather, the BigTen as a conference will have to add a BigTen member's new hockey program, whether it wants to or not, and that fact makes adding a hockey program even more interesting as a project ... if some donor with a lot of bucks steps up to fund the project.

You've got to admit that when an SEC thread about hockey gets 25 posts on the first day it is a great indication that there isn't a danged thing going on worth talking about in the sports world. But hey it is so way out it does hold some intrigue.

The SEC should play all sports. There should be an SEC Olympics every 4 years.

Any SEC school that starts a DI hockey team would have good attendance. The name would sell the team, much more than minor leagues. It's getting conference affiliation the is a problem. Liberty would start a DI team tommorrow, as they have clubs teams at every level and have sponsors. FGCU would likely start a team too, as well as Lindenwood.

Would Alabama lower itself to being in a conference with UAH, Liberty, FGCU, and Lindenwood? That defeats the purpose of the Roll Tide name.

(12-21-2014 06:16 PM)NoDak Wrote:  The Miami Redhawks are a model for what Southern team can do for Title IX. Add men's hockey but also add a varsity women's synchronized skating team to use the same facility. The NCAA recognizes synchro skating. There aren numerous teams in the North, but mostly club teams and most are non-scholly.

Women's hockey simply doesn't have the player base to expand to many more DI teams

Synchronized skating......

(12-21-2014 10:57 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Any SEC school that starts a DI hockey team would have good attendance. The name would sell the team, much more than minor leagues. It's getting conference affiliation the is a problem. Liberty would start a DI team tommorrow, as they have clubs teams at every level and have sponsors. FGCU would likely start a team too, as well as Lindenwood.

Would Alabama lower itself to being in a conference with UAH, Liberty, FGCU, and Lindenwood? That defeats the purpose of the Roll Tide name.

I mean not really.

Contrary to popular belief Alabama is not always opposed to playing non brand schools or even local schools in sports besides football.

Furthermore, UAH would serve as a benefit for UA in hockey because it would add an in state rivalry to a sport that has not found it's footing. The schools would not really be in direct competition for resources because you have to go to Canada to get players anyway.

An interesting thought along these lines: instead of starting up D1 hockey, the SEC could start up men and women's lacrosse. A lot of the same dynamics (speed and rough physical play) since hockey is descended from it and no need for a special indoor ice rink, just an open field and some bleachers

(12-22-2014 06:20 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 06:16 PM)NoDak Wrote:  The Miami Redhawks are a model for what Southern team can do for Title IX. Add men's hockey but also add a varsity women's synchronized skating team to use the same facility. The NCAA recognizes synchro skating.

Synchronized skating......

Don't mess with our Synchronized Skating team. 10 Times NATIONAL CHAMPS !!! Boo-Yah !!!!

Miami trounces collegiate field
RedHawks establish new record with 10th consecutive national title



http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/03/0...iate-field


.

(12-22-2014 11:09 AM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(12-22-2014 06:20 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 06:16 PM)NoDak Wrote:  The Miami Redhawks are a model for what Southern team can do for Title IX. Add men's hockey but also add a varsity women's synchronized skating team to use the same facility. The NCAA recognizes synchro skating.

Synchronized skating......

Don't mess with our Synchronized Skating team. 10 Times NATIONAL CHAMPS !!! Boo-Yah !!!!

Miami trounces collegiate field
RedHawks establish new record with 10th consecutive national title



http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/03/0...iate-field


.

Nothing says intimidation like synchronized skating.

The next great challenge for the Redhawks will be to catch up with the Haydenettes, who have taken the gold medal at 21 of the last 26 USFSA championships. The Redhawks have mastered the simpler turns, such as Mohawks and Choctaws, but if they are to reach the pinnacle of synchronized skating they will have to improve their twizzlers, counters and rockers.

EDIT: For those of you who are true aficionados of this sport, was it proper of me to capitalize Mohawks and Choctaws?