So Minnesota & Wisconsin, both traditional powers from way back, don't make the NCAA hockey tournament and the league still gets 4 teams in... I'd say that's a pretty competitive league. Even if you say that Notre Dame is Johnny come lately and you don't really consider them a B1G team... We still got 3 of 6 in.
At any rate... We've got 2 #1 seeds and a fairly good chance to make noise as a conference in the tournament.
Which leads to my second point. Minnesota, which is and should be the flagship program in the B1G, according to my understanding still hates the B1G Hockey conference. So as I see it their issue isn't really the lack of competitiveness as much as the loss of longtime and "bus trip" rivals. I understand that but given that the B1G isnt going anywhere, I say schedule North Dakota and the 4 other Minnesota schools Out of Conference annually. The schedule would be brutal and beautiful at the same time. Minnesota would have a full slate of confer3nce opponents and at least one game per year with close rivals. Not exactly the best of both worlds but certainly a decent compromise.
Another random thought. It seems to my eye that Wisconsin has suffered far more in terms of Attendance at games and program prestige in the move to the B1G than Minnesota.
Anyway hockey lovers... Tell me what you think.

I'm not a Minnesota or hockey fan but I did see yesterday that the coach is stepping down after 19 years.

So hopefully the new coach can reenergize the program and perhaps schedule some of traditional rivals.

(03-20-2018 08:44 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  So Minnesota & Wisconsin, both traditional powers from way back, don't make the NCAA hockey tournament and the league still gets 4 teams in... I'd say that's a pretty competitive league. Even if you say that Notre Dame is Johnny come lately and you don't really consider them a B1G team... We still got 3 of 6 in.
At any rate... We've got 2 #1 seeds and a fairly good chance to make noise as a conference in the tournament.
Which leads to my second point. Minnesota, which is and should be the flagship program in the B1G, according to my understanding still hates the B1G Hockey conference. So as I see it their issue isn't really the lack of competitiveness as much as the loss of longtime and "bus trip" rivals. I understand that but given that the B1G isnt going anywhere, I say schedule North Dakota and the 4 other Minnesota schools Out of Conference annually. The schedule would be brutal and beautiful at the same time. Minnesota would have a full slate of confer3nce opponents and at least one game per year with close rivals. Not exactly the best of both worlds but certainly a decent compromise.
Another random thought. It seems to my eye that Wisconsin has suffered far more in terms of Attendance at games and program prestige in the move to the B1G than Minnesota.
Anyway hockey lovers... Tell me what you think.

I think that "Johnny Come Lately" did pretty well in its first year in the hockey conference.

P.S. I don't mind if nobody considers ND hockey a "Big Ten team". I don't either.

(03-20-2018 08:44 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  So Minnesota & Wisconsin, both traditional powers from way back, don't make the NCAA hockey tournament and the league still gets 4 teams in... I'd say that's a pretty competitive league. Even if you say that Notre Dame is Johnny come lately and you don't really consider them a B1G team... We still got 3 of 6 in.
At any rate... We've got 2 #1 seeds and a fairly good chance to make noise as a conference in the tournament.
Which leads to my second point. Minnesota, which is and should be the flagship program in the B1G, according to my understanding still hates the B1G Hockey conference. So as I see it their issue isn't really the lack of competitiveness as much as the loss of longtime and "bus trip" rivals. I understand that but given that the B1G isnt going anywhere, I say schedule North Dakota and the 4 other Minnesota schools Out of Conference annually. The schedule would be brutal and beautiful at the same time. Minnesota would have a full slate of confer3nce opponents and at least one game per year with close rivals. Not exactly the best of both worlds but certainly a decent compromise.
Another random thought. It seems to my eye that Wisconsin has suffered far more in terms of Attendance at games and program prestige in the move to the B1G than Minnesota.
Anyway hockey lovers... Tell me what you think.

That's part of the problem I have with SOME B1G fans (not saying you).

Once someone is invited to the conference, they're in the conference, whether SOME like it or not.

I still hear that about Maryland, Rutgers, and even somewhat with Nebraska. Hate to break it to them, but until they leave or are kicked out, THEY'RE IN THE CONFERENCE.

That being said, I think the arrow is pointing up. Wisconsin will be back thanks to Tony Granato and it seems that there's more than a couple quality programs in the conference. Let's see how Illinois "exploratory" ends up, could be another B1G time addition.

(03-23-2018 10:08 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that "Johnny Come Lately" did pretty well in its first year in the hockey conference.

P.S. I don't mind if nobody considers ND hockey a "Big Ten team". I don't either.

I'm happy with Notre Dame in the conference. They basically smacked the league around so now everyone will need to step it up to not be Notre Dame's bootch in perpetuity.

I would also like to see the league expand to 12. On my short list I would love to add North Dakota & Minnesota Duluth. That would bring us to 9 and bring Minnesota fans completely into the fold. Next I'd like to see some growth from within the league: Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana are programs I think have potential to jump and if it proves profitable perhaps they could make the jump.

(03-24-2018 04:13 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  

(03-23-2018 10:08 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that "Johnny Come Lately" did pretty well in its first year in the hockey conference.

P.S. I don't mind if nobody considers ND hockey a "Big Ten team". I don't either.

I'm happy with Notre Dame in the conference. They basically smacked the league around so now everyone will need to step it up to not be Notre Dame's bootch in perpetuity.

I would also like to see the league expand to 12. On my short list I would love to add North Dakota & Minnesota Duluth. That would bring us to 9 and bring Minnesota fans completely into the fold. Next I'd like to see some growth from within the league: Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana are programs I think have potential to jump and if it proves profitable perhaps they could make the jump.

I'm an IU fan.........Indiana has very little hockey culture, esp. southern Indiana. I can't imagine IU fielding a D1 hockey team.

A school like IU has to pick and choose where it can be competitive. I would expect to see more resources going to baseball, wrestling & volleyball. If IU WERE to add a sport, I'd expect it to be lacrosse, as it is so much cheaper.......however, the ISHAA does not presently sponcer lacrosse, so that would have to change first.

(04-02-2018 09:54 AM)mushroomgod Wrote:  

(03-24-2018 04:13 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  

(03-23-2018 10:08 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that "Johnny Come Lately" did pretty well in its first year in the hockey conference.

P.S. I don't mind if nobody considers ND hockey a "Big Ten team". I don't either.

I'm happy with Notre Dame in the conference. They basically smacked the league around so now everyone will need to step it up to not be Notre Dame's bootch in perpetuity.

I would also like to see the league expand to 12. On my short list I would love to add North Dakota & Minnesota Duluth. That would bring us to 9 and bring Minnesota fans completely into the fold. Next I'd like to see some growth from within the league: Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana are programs I think have potential to jump and if it proves profitable perhaps they could make the jump.

I'm an IU fan.........Indiana has very little hockey culture, esp. southern Indiana. I can't imagine IU fielding a D1 hockey team.

A school like IU has to pick and choose where it can be competitive. I would expect to see more resources going to baseball, wrestling & volleyball. If IU WERE to add a sport, I'd expect it to be lacrosse, as it is so much cheaper.......however, the ISHAA does not presently sponcer lacrosse, so that would have to change first.

Question, what is ISHAA...guessing Indiana High School Athletic Assoc? Are you saying no high schools sponsor lax? Because I don't think that is true but I may not be understanding what you're saying. Indiana High School Lacrosse Association (IHSLA). Also, I'd LOVE IU to join the B1G in lax. Indiana has a club team but would REALLY need to step it up to compete

(04-02-2018 06:06 PM)TerpsNPhoenix Wrote:  

(04-02-2018 09:54 AM)mushroomgod Wrote:  

(03-24-2018 04:13 PM)Big Ron Buckeye Wrote:  

(03-23-2018 10:08 AM)TerryD Wrote:  I think that "Johnny Come Lately" did pretty well in its first year in the hockey conference.

P.S. I don't mind if nobody considers ND hockey a "Big Ten team". I don't either.

I'm happy with Notre Dame in the conference. They basically smacked the league around so now everyone will need to step it up to not be Notre Dame's bootch in perpetuity.

I would also like to see the league expand to 12. On my short list I would love to add North Dakota & Minnesota Duluth. That would bring us to 9 and bring Minnesota fans completely into the fold. Next I'd like to see some growth from within the league: Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana are programs I think have potential to jump and if it proves profitable perhaps they could make the jump.

I'm an IU fan.........Indiana has very little hockey culture, esp. southern Indiana. I can't imagine IU fielding a D1 hockey team.

A school like IU has to pick and choose where it can be competitive. I would expect to see more resources going to baseball, wrestling & volleyball. If IU WERE to add a sport, I'd expect it to be lacrosse, as it is so much cheaper.......however, the ISHAA does not presently sponcer lacrosse, so that would have to change first.

Question, what is ISHAA...guessing Indiana High School Athletic Assoc? Are you saying no high schools sponsor lax? Because I don't think that is true but I may not be understanding what you're saying. Indiana High School Lacrosse Association (IHSLA). Also, I'd LOVE IU to join the B1G in lax. Indiana has a club team but would REALLY need to step it up to compete

ISHAA is the sanctioning body for all "official" state competition.....IHSLA is a private non-profit organization---kind of like a club sport in college. There is no "real" state championship in lacrosse that I know of....

I live in Columbus, 45 miles SE of Indy.....I believe there is a club team made up of high schoolers but there are no official lacrosse teams at either of our two HSs.

We have a similar situation for hockey in Indiana....no ISHAA sanctioned competition....but we have a local team that has won several state titles in that sport's version of a club sport.

IU has a field hockey team that was a title 9 add maybe 10-15 years ago. FH is not an ISHAA sponcered sport in Indiana either. As a result, IU field hockey never has many players from Indiana and always sucks.

FH, to me, looks like a pretty silly sport. I would definitely prefer lacrosse, esp. men's, and I imagine the powers-that-be would go in that direction (with a women's team only) if they had a do-over. Nobody, and I mean nobody, cares about FH at IU. I don't think IU would add lacrosse unless and until the ISHAA sanctioned competition in that sport. If they added women's, they'd probably also have to add men's, and that might be too expensive.

Ah! Got it now, thanks.

This Spartan is always glad to compete with our brothers in South Bend.
I for one hope that some day The Prodigal Son returns home in more than hockey.

Nevertheless, Notre Dame is part of BIG Hockey and should be fully respected in that position.