1. Offer hockey only membership to Notre Dame, North Dakota, Arizona St, & Minnesota Duluth
2. Split to east/west divisions
East: Penn St, Ohio St, Michigan, Sparty, Notre Dame
West: Arizona St, North Dakota, Duluth, Wisconsin, Minnesota
3. Permanently move the B1G tournament to Minneapolis.


I'm not prepared to say the B1G has been a failure but it has been at a minimum a major disappointment. Hockey is a regional bus-league sport and the B1G is just too spread out to generate much buzz as fans seldom travel to away games. Adding Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota along with current members Minnesota and Wisconsin would give 3 regional opponents to each school for the upper mid-west and adding Notre Dame would do the same for Michigan, Sparty, and Ohio State. Penn State doesn't have traditional rivals but because of the newness of the program doesnt care who they play, they always fill the house and my expectation for Arizona St would be the same. As an aside, I think that we'd be a placeholder for Arizona St until a more regional west coast conference emerged.

Each division would have 4 centrally located members and an outlier. Which is somewhat customary given how the CCHA & WCHA both had Alaska teams in their leagues. At any rate, Go to 4 games per year against division opponents and 2 games per year cross division. That would cut down travel expenses as all teams would have 2 max 3 cross division road series per year. Play all conference series on the traditional Friday/Saturday slot. Televise double header on BTN 6 & 8 EST both Friday and Saturday where the early slot would be for East Division and the late slot for the West. Spread out conference season so as to try to get as many double headers as possible on BTN. Use Fox and their outlets to cover games that cant be put on BTN.

Last, Detroit has been an attendance disaster. Because of the history of thw WCHA Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, & Duluth would fill up any arena in Minnesota without the aid of the other schools. Minneapolis & Boston are to college hockey what New York & Boston are to baseball, So use that as a selling point. Just as I would recommend the B1G lacrosse tournament always be held at the Ravens stadium in Baltimore, I'd similarly recommend Minneapolis for the B1G hockey tournament. There has to be some excitement built up when thinking about B1G hockey and even though there are big brands they are not moving the needle like they could and should.

At the end of the day I think the league has been good for Penn State and Ohio State as we really had little or no tradition. I'D say neutral to postitive for Michigan and Sparty. Terrible for Wisconsin and an unmitigated disaster for Minnesota. Adding North Dakota and Duluth would add some much needed proximity to Wisconsin and Minnesota and long time rivals. I know it sounds crazy but I think it could do the trick in adding some fire back to the belly of the Minnesota fan base which was hosed by the creation of the league moreso than anyone else.

I like the thinking overall. However, Notre Dame isn't leaving Hockey East. For that matter none of the FBS schools in Hockey East are leaving unless their all-sports conference adds hockey or in the case of UMass or UConn a P5 conference with hockey (Big Ten) adds them for everything. Actually, a decent G5 conference with hockey might entice UMass at this point, but I digress.

The LAX tournament could be in Baltimore, Philly, or East Rutherford if it were going to be held in a big off-campus stadium. Any of those locations will work as that's the heart of the LAX belt from NY to NoVA. That being said on-campus football stadiums will work just fine for now.

I do agree about the hockey tournament that Minneapolis should be the permanent or most common home. I'd give it to Detroit once in a while just because hockey is huge in Michigan too and with two Big Ten schools that play it nearby it makes sense. Also, gives a nice travel reprieve every so often to the other two easternmost hockey playing members.

(03-02-2016 04:50 PM)brista21 Wrote:  I like the thinking overall. However, Notre Dame isn't leaving Hockey East. For that matter none of the FBS schools in Hockey East are leaving unless their all-sports conference adds hockey or in the case of UMass or UConn a P5 conference with hockey (Big Ten) adds them for everything. Actually, a decent G5 conference with hockey might entice UMass at this point, but I digress.

The LAX tournament could be in Baltimore, Philly, or East Rutherford if it were going to be held in a big off-campus stadium. Any of those locations will work as that's the heart of the LAX belt from NY to NoVA. That being said on-campus football stadiums will work just fine for now.

I do agree about the hockey tournament that Minneapolis should be the permanent or most common home. I'd give it to Detroit once in a while just because hockey is huge in Michigan too and with two Big Ten schools that play it nearby it makes sense. Also, gives a nice travel reprieve every so often to the other two easternmost hockey playing members.

The plan is coming together

Notre Dame has in fact joined the league and I still think we should offer North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth. Arizona State is heading to the NCHC so here's another left field Idea... invite all of the Minnesota schools!!! The divisions wouldnt balance perfectly as the other scenario but we'd have a 12 team league that looked like this:

East

Penn St
Ohio St
Michigan
Sparty
Notre Dame
Wisconsin

West

North Dakota
Minnesota
Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota State
St. Cloud State
Bemidji State

We'd have a bus league in both divisions with Wisconsin alone feeling a little out of place but with plenty of games in Minnesota they should be fine.

A league like that could potentially be better for Minnesota than any other alignment. It would be a slightly altered WCHA.

(04-30-2016 09:07 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  

(03-02-2016 04:50 PM)brista21 Wrote:  I like the thinking overall. However, Notre Dame isn't leaving Hockey East. For that matter none of the FBS schools in Hockey East are leaving unless their all-sports conference adds hockey or in the case of UMass or UConn a P5 conference with hockey (Big Ten) adds them for everything. Actually, a decent G5 conference with hockey might entice UMass at this point, but I digress.

The LAX tournament could be in Baltimore, Philly, or East Rutherford if it were going to be held in a big off-campus stadium. Any of those locations will work as that's the heart of the LAX belt from NY to NoVA. That being said on-campus football stadiums will work just fine for now.

I do agree about the hockey tournament that Minneapolis should be the permanent or most common home. I'd give it to Detroit once in a while just because hockey is huge in Michigan too and with two Big Ten schools that play it nearby it makes sense. Also, gives a nice travel reprieve every so often to the other two easternmost hockey playing members.

The plan is coming together

Notre Dame has in fact joined the league and I still think we should offer North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth. Arizona State is heading to the NCHC so here's another left field Idea... invite all of the Minnesota schools!!! The divisions wouldnt balance perfectly as the other scenario but we'd have a 12 team league that looked like this:

East

Penn St
Ohio St
Michigan
Sparty
Notre Dame
Wisconsin

West

North Dakota
Minnesota
Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota State
St. Cloud State
Bemidji State

We'd have a bus league in both divisions with Wisconsin alone feeling a little out of place but with plenty of games in Minnesota they should be fine.

That would be the best way to bring back our fans. I would love it to happen I just don't know if the presidents of the big ten would ever go for it.

Operation "Sew up Minnesota" is admittedly unlikely but seeing as how No B1G schools seem on the verge of adding a program... I say what have you got to lose? Significance? Already lost that. A move like this would really fortify the league and the league tournament (always held in Minneapolis). You'd have recognized brands to the East and Hockey royalty to the West.

Regardless. North Dakota and Duluth are MANDATORY!!! But adding the other 3 would put the B1G tournament on par with the old WCHA tournament.

And for good measure you could invite all 12 schools to Minneapolis. Give a Bye to the top 4 seeds... Then play a friggin Tournament.

(04-30-2016 09:07 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  The plan is coming together

Notre Dame has in fact joined the league and I still think we should offer North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth. Arizona State is heading to the NCHC so here's another left field Idea... invite all of the Minnesota schools!!!

I eat crow on that one and when you think about it further the Notre Dame hockey move makes sense for everyone involved. I still think Arizona State was a bad idea and one we fortunately won't have to live with.

It will be interesting to see what else is done with men's hockey at this point. I'd love to see North Dakota added.

I like the crazy ideas presented even if they are highly unlikely to happen. One thing though, I would like to see the tournament in Pittsburgh every so often. I know it makes no sense geographically (but we're talking crazy ideas) to have it there but at least I could attend, lol. Hockey is actually quite popular in da 'burgh and would probably be well attended.

I'd rather not water-down a Big Ten membership by offering it to just any school. Johns Hopkins would be an excellent school to have in the Big Ten if they were athletically able to be Division I in all sports. Notre Dame is obviously Big Ten material. North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, and others just are not Big Ten material.

(05-06-2016 09:02 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  I'd rather not water-down a Big Ten membership by offering it to just any school. Johns Hopkins would be an excellent school to have in the Big Ten if they were athletically able to be Division I in all sports. Notre Dame is obviously Big Ten material. North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, and others just are not Big Ten material.

We are talking Hockey. As far as hockey goes the Minnesota / North Dakota klan is the best in the country along with New England.

(05-07-2016 07:45 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  

(05-06-2016 09:02 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  I'd rather not water-down a Big Ten membership by offering it to just any school. Johns Hopkins would be an excellent school to have in the Big Ten if they were athletically able to be Division I in all sports. Notre Dame is obviously Big Ten material. North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, and others just are not Big Ten material.

We are talking Hockey. As far as hockey goes the Minnesota / North Dakota klan is the best in the country along with New England.

I don't really care if it is just hockey or not and it looks like the presidents agree. Presidents invite schools, not athletic directors. If Boston University wants to join the Big Ten in hockey, great. But North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth are not Big Ten material.

I'm kind of the opposite. I care more about getting state flagships and Midwestern teams than precieved academic standings, especially for affiliates. I think I'm rooting for North Dakota.

(05-08-2016 05:13 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I'm kind of the opposite. I care more about getting state flagships and Midwestern teams than precieved academic standings, especially for affiliates. I think I'm rooting for North Dakota.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive but there aren't many out there who aren't already in the Big Ten. In my opinion, I would stress the current Big Ten schools to start up hockey with all the media money flowing in. I don't know how exactly to do it but many monetize each sport with the BTN and only pay out money from the network to those schools providing the sports shown on the network.

(05-08-2016 06:42 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  

(05-08-2016 05:13 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I'm kind of the opposite. I care more about getting state flagships and Midwestern teams than precieved academic standings, especially for affiliates. I think I'm rooting for North Dakota.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive but there aren't many out there who aren't already in the Big Ten. In my opinion, I would stress the current Big Ten schools to start up hockey with all the media money flowing in. I don't know how exactly to do it but many monetize each sport with the BTN and only pay out money from the network to those schools providing the sports shown on the network.

I believe the hockey playing members get an extra cut of BTN revenue for providing the hockey rights. I could be wrong about this.

(05-09-2016 10:48 AM)brista21 Wrote:  

(05-08-2016 06:42 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  

(05-08-2016 05:13 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I'm kind of the opposite. I care more about getting state flagships and Midwestern teams than precieved academic standings, especially for affiliates. I think I'm rooting for North Dakota.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive but there aren't many out there who aren't already in the Big Ten. In my opinion, I would stress the current Big Ten schools to start up hockey with all the media money flowing in. I don't know how exactly to do it but many monetize each sport with the BTN and only pay out money from the network to those schools providing the sports shown on the network.

I believe the hockey playing members get an extra cut of BTN revenue for providing the hockey rights. I could be wrong about this.

I read an article to that effect many moons ago. Pretty sure it was a Wisconsin source and the figure was 2 million per year. It was never verified by the league or the network if memory serves. It could also get hairy drawn out to its fullest extreme and could become divisive should other schools start asking for concessions for their sport that is not at all campuses. Lacrosse comes to mind.

I agree most ideal would be for someone else to move up. Illinois would make a lot of sense. Don't see it happening though.

(05-09-2016 10:48 AM)brista21 Wrote:  

(05-08-2016 06:42 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  

(05-08-2016 05:13 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I'm kind of the opposite. I care more about getting state flagships and Midwestern teams than precieved academic standings, especially for affiliates. I think I'm rooting for North Dakota.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive but there aren't many out there who aren't already in the Big Ten. In my opinion, I would stress the current Big Ten schools to start up hockey with all the media money flowing in. I don't know how exactly to do it but many monetize each sport with the BTN and only pay out money from the network to those schools providing the sports shown on the network.

I believe the hockey playing members get an extra cut of BTN revenue for providing the hockey rights. I could be wrong about this.

I think so. Not sure whole revenue model, but the Big Ten Network probably pays rights fees by sport (as opposed to the ownership stake which everyone receives once bought in). Hockey is big enough it would warrant a little extra while most the others might just be thrown in as filler.

Sorta unrelated hockey topic. WHCA looks to be in trouble as far as conference tournaments go.

http://thehockeywriters.com/wcha-moves-c...pus-sites/

(05-19-2016 09:59 AM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  Sorta unrelated hockey topic. WHCA looks to be in trouble as far as conference tournaments go.

http://thehockeywriters.com/wcha-moves-c...pus-sites/

Yea that's not a good look. It definitely makes more sense to host quarterfinals games on-campus, but semifinals and the championship can definitely be held at a neutral site.

(05-19-2016 11:24 AM)brista21 Wrote:  

(05-19-2016 09:59 AM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  Sorta unrelated hockey topic. WHCA looks to be in trouble as far as conference tournaments go.

http://thehockeywriters.com/wcha-moves-c...pus-sites/

Yea that's not a good look. It definitely makes more sense to host quarterfinals games on-campus, but semifinals and the championship can definitely be held at a neutral site.

This is the friggon WHCA. All conference tournament attendance records belong to them. Hard though not having all of the name brands though.