(06-28-2019 07:58 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(06-28-2019 07:25 PM)Mav Wrote:  Disgusting, disgusting move. An absolute middle finger to three programs that make college hockey unique. UAF fans are talking about how their entire athletic department might go under as a result of this. Fairbanks has had college hockey since 1925.

That's easy to say, I suppose. But let's not forget that your school ditched the WCHA a few years ago as part of a broader movement that ultimately killed the CCHA. In helping to kill the CCHA, Nebraska-Omaha also helped kill the standing gentlemen's agreement that college hockey had, in which each western conference took in one Alaska school in order to spread out the burden of travel on everyone.

It's been six years since Nebraska-Omaha ditched the WCHA. In those six years, your NCHC never once lifted a finger to take either of the Alaska schools in. You left it to the Bowling Greens and the Ferris States and the Michigan Techs to make one or even two trips up to Alaska each year (not counting the tournament), while your own program -- in the most geographically logical conference in America for Alaska college hockey -- couldn't be bothered to help at all.

We all know what happened here.

So: If this is such a middle finger to college hockey or whatever, will the NCHC now be offering to take either of these Alaska schools in?

No?

I didn't think so.

I wasn't happy about that move, either, for multiple reasons. I get why UND did it, and it was and is North Dakota's pet project, but I didn't like the impact it would have on the sport, let alone being stuck as a lower-end program in a conference full of heavy-hitters. I didn't like how it took college hockey west of the Appalachians, which used to be more horizontally-aligned, and turned it into a tiered system with WCHA as a mid-major of sorts. However I understand that all of those things were a reaction, probably an overreaction, to the Big Ten starting hockey, abandoning those two leagues and potentially monopolizing college hockey TV coverage.

No, to answer your question, the NCHC will absolutely not taking the UA_ schools since the NCHC's about schools that can and will commit to the sport. UAA just finished building an 800 seat arena to play in. That's ECAC/AHA size. If they were to expand, the two schools would be two of Minnesota State, Bowling Green, and Arizona State. I would love to have Fairbanks back, since them and UNO had a fun rivalry when they were together, but I can't see that happening.

To say UNO's done nothing to help grow the game is unfair, though. The Mavericks are playing Arizona State every year while they're an independent to help fill the schedule, and their reasoning is that as a relatively new program, they want to help grow the sport by helping other new hockey teams get off the ground. UNO's also traveling to Anchorage this year and has been in the Goal Rush on two different occasions.

Honestly, if Bowling Green was admitted to the NCHC (like I think they should have been), I know you wouldn't be showing up with fingers pointing. You'd be an idiot to turn down an NCHC invite at the time with the trajectory the sport appeared to be on at the time. If you're going to blame someone, blame Pegula and Jim Delaney.