My take on the FCS Hockey broadcasts

Back in the summer, UND signed an agreement with Midco-Sports Network to broadcast around 40 games including all of the home games for UND Men’s Hockey, in addition will broadcast games from other sports to include, football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball. This agreement with MIDCO severed a relationship that the school had with WDAZ and the Fighting Sioux Sports Network. 

For this season, next season the games will no longer be on FCS because of the exclusivity deal that was signed between the NCHC and CBSN, all of the UND Men’s Hockey home games are going to be shown on FCS, just like they were under the former television deal. 

This means that you can watch UND Hockey where ever you are in the United States if you have Fox College Sports on your local cable package or if you have the sports pack on your DirecTV package. Also, Dish Network doesn’t carry Fox College Sports as of this time. 

I have heard a lot of comments on the quality of the UND Hockey Broadcast on FCS this season so far and till this past Sunday night, I hadn’t see any of the broadcasts on Fox College Sports.   

             

On Sunday night, I kind of blew up twitter with this comment – this was the first time that I had seen the broadcasts on FCS – because I attended the games in person. Needless to say, I was less than impressed with the picture that was coming across my television screen. 

I am watching last night's game on my DVR... Oh boy, the picture is really bad. Now I know what everyone is complaining about.
— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) October 29, 2012

I want to be clear, this isn’t meant to be a slam on the University of North Dakota, I am just saying the broadcasts that is coming across the FCS television channels isn’t up to par, just yet. Currently, there are people working on this issue, so I would imagine that there will be adjustments made in the near future.

@goon48 @20gdawg @fergy2004 HD coming next year. I will make sure to pass along each of your concerns re:quality. Working hard 4 you!
— Katie O'Keefe-Hale (@KOKeefeHale) October 29, 2012

It would also appear that this issue is on the back end – in other words – it’s on FCS’s side and that needs to be clean up before this issue will be fixed. This is what @UNDSID Jayson Hajdu had this to say yesterday on Sioux Sports.

"I looked into the issue some of you have reported regarding the audio not synching properly, and by all accounts everything checks out fine on the front end when the signal is sent out from Midco's uplink truck. So obviously there is an issue on the back end that needs to be solved.

We had already been in contact with Midco earlier this morning, and both parties have regular communication with FOX College Sports, so hopefully this particular issue can be rectified in short order."

If I hear anything I will pass it on.

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UND Women 5th in USCHO Poll

The UND women are ranked fifth in the first USCHO poll of the year. Coming into the season, the UND women's team returns most of their team from a year ago and will be "one" of the favorites in the WCHA this season.

College Hockey Inc. has a new leader

College Hockey Inc has named Mike the Executive Director. Snee has been the Executive Director of Minnesota Hockey; Snee’s first day of work will be on September 17, 2012. Snee replaces former executive director Paul Kelly who resigned last February, 2012 after spending 28 months in the position.

Mike Snee, a veteran amateur hockey and NHL executive, has been named the Executive Director of College Hockey, Inc., the organization’s Board of Directors announced today. Snee spent the past four years as the Executive Director of Minnesota Hockey and will begin his new duties on Sept. 17.

“Mike is a very talented professional with a great passion and love for college hockey,” said Steve Hagwell, Commissioner of ECAC Hockey and Chair of the 10-member Board of Directors of College Hockey, Inc. “He has enjoyed a great amount of success professionally. We look forward to a bright future for College Hockey, Inc. under Mike's leadership.”

Snee becomes the second executive director in College Hockey, Inc.’s history. The organization was formed in 2009 to promote Division I men’s college hockey to prospective student-athletes and fans. [read the rest of the story]

Not all WCHA members are thrilled about the new Mystery Alaska plan

The WCHA leadership has been in full spin mode since the league announced their “Mystery Alaska” plan. It’s been interesting to watch as the WCHA commissioner spins this unattractive playoff plan. This would be a text book definition of a “gong show” – there is no way to explain this – it is what it is.

Today we have found out that the new format might only be around for a two year rotation – to me this suggests that the league has taken an idea and thrown it up against the wall to see if it sticks, but to also see how the nWCHA’s fan base responds to the new playoff format.

Todd D. Milewski, USCHO.COM --- The plan was born from financial and geographical issues related to Alaska and Alaska-Anchorage being in the same conference for the first time when conferences reshuffle in 2013, McLeod said.

But the league committed to it for only two seasons, possibly further illustrating the trepidation WCHA members felt about making an outside-the-box change to postseason seeding.

“Some years if they both finish in the lower half, that’s not going to taste very good,” McLeod said. “But if they both finish in the upper half, it’s going to be not good for them. They might have been able to get two in [to the Final Five] otherwise and they’re only going to get one. That’s why we did it on a two-year rotation to see how things shake out and how people feel about it. It’s not a very long commitment.”

Including all nine teams in the postseason wasn’t a foregone conclusion, McLeod said. Eight- and six-team plans were also discussed at the meeting in Detroit before the full field was approved.

Perusing the fan message boards - I have seen a mixed response from the nWCHA fans about the new “Mystery Alaska” playoff format.

It would also appear that a big number of the nWCHA fans are siding more with the ‘we don’t like the new playoff format’ or they have just basically blamed the NCHC for the nWCHA’s fortunes.

Based on what we have seen transpire in the last week in Detroit. I believe is one of the major reasons that UND, SCSU, UMD, DU, C.C. and UNO decided to leave the WCHA and go out on their own to form a new league.

There seems to be a major divide between the schools that are strapped for cash and the schools that aren’t as strapped for cash; especially in the present economy. Schools are experiencing financial constraints and reduced budgets and this is not new to college sports or to college hockey.

Let’s also not forget there there’s always going to be the “haves” and “have nots, ” this was true even in the old North Central Conference and will be true in the Big Sky Conference as well. The present WCHA schools are never really going to be able to compete financially with the schools in the NCHC, B1G or even a majority of the Hockey East schools.

The question I pose is; is it the big school’s responsibility to prop up the small schools in Division I athletics?

Also, does the nWCHA hold the moral high ground?

Another school in their geographic template UAH (BGSU is 629 miles from UAH - it's rougly 4000 from BGSU to UAA) needs to find a conference home and it would appear from the side lines that the nWCHA is basically stalling or dawdling, almost hoping that the Chargers go away.

The UAH Chargers basically have one viable option, conference membership in the WCHA where they would be able to be with other schools (except BGSU who is DI); who outside of hockey are also Division II in all their other sports.

But I digress.

Lastly, Division I college hockey is currently resembling the other major Division I college sports right now with all their conference re-alignment. It has been really ugly with the other sports changing conferences leaving teams to scramble to find a new conference home. It’s almost like natural selection, or a survival of the fittest.

I also don’t know if there are any answers or quick fixes to what ails college sports – there doesn’t seem to be any magic pill that could just fix everything. Some say that the WCHA would have been fine if the schools that left had stayed. The CCHA still might have been a conference in shambles, Miami and Notre Dame still probably would have wanted out. There would still be other issues out there that would still be unresolved.

There is also another elephant sitting in the room – the commissioner of the WCHA Bruce McLeod – no one seem to want to talk about it right now. Eventually, I believe the WCHA is going to have to cut ties with McLeod and go a different direction. Keeping him on board past the 2013-14 season is detrimental to the WCHA going forward. The WCHA needs an infusion of new blood.

UAH to the WCHA?

150px px (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers need a home - the WCHA  appears to be their only option -   the Chargers are in dire need of a league  - the WCHA is currently sitting at nine teams and would like to expand to 10 teams so they would have an even number of teams. I think UAH would fit in nicely in the nWCHA and is a natural rival with BSU.

Adam Wodon, College Hockey News --- Meanwhile, Alabama-Huntsville, a program pulled from the grave recently but still in need of help, will be the only independent and needs a home.

The WCHA is lining up as UAH's only option, and getting a 10th team is appealing to the league. But UAH faces the usual hurdles — questions over facility, commitment and distance.

"We're not making any bones about it — we're committed to Division I hockey and trying to get in a hockey conference," UAH athletic director E.J. Brophy said.

Brophy and other officials from Alabama-Huntsville had meetings with numerous interested parties at the April coaches convention in Naples, Fla., and the recent Frozen Four. Brophy believes the lobbying efforts were successful to a point, but no one has committed to bringing in UAH yet.

"We are discussing things with them. I'd put it as unofficial," WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said. "I've met with (coach) Chris (Luongo), their president, E.J. (Brophy). We've discussed the process and what it would take. They did not officially apply, and we didn't ask them to. We wanted to find out how we learn more about one another, and how do we get a good feel for their commitment, where they're at with their building, and so on."

This tweet just came across Twitter as I was posting this blog post.

SCSU Assistant Hockey Coach Job annoucement

English: St Cloud State University Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Assistant Men’s Ice Hockey Coach #792767 (contingent on funding)

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Institution:	St. Cloud State University
Location:	St. Cloud, MN
Category:	Admin - Athletics and Coaching
Posted:	06/04/2012
Application Due:	06/18/2012
Type:	Full Time

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Date of appointment: July 16, 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter
Description: Assistant Men's Ice Hockey Coach
Responsibilities:
Assist head coach in planning, organizing and administrating all aspects of a highly competitive Division I men's hockey program. Responsibilities include but not limited to: all aspects of on ice coaching, recruiting, video analysis and all other areas of organizational needs. This person should also have the ability to assist in fundraising and public relations.
*Employment for this position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement for the Inter Faculty Organization which can be found at: http://www.ifo.org/contract09-11/2009-2011.pdf.

Qualifications and experience:
Required:
· Bachelor Degree
· Coaching and/or playing experience at the collegiate or professional level
· Evidence of demonstrated ability to teach and work with persons from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Preferred:
· Understanding of the NCAA rules and regulations
· Familiarity at the high school, junior and collegiate hockey levels

Application Procedures:
To apply for this position, please continue the process via this website or directly at: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/stcloudstate/default.cfm.

Application Review begins June 18, 2012 position is open until filled.
A complete application will include the following:
· Cover Letter
· Resume/Curriculum Vitae
· Contact information for three (3) current, professional references
· Copies of official Transcript(s) (undergraduate/graduate/PhD)
Contact Information:
Search Committee Chair - Bob Motzko
Phone: 320-308-4806
E-mail: rgmotzko@stcloudstate.edu

St. Cloud State University is committed to excellence and actively supports cultural diversity. To promote this endeavor, we invite individuals who contribute to such diversity to apply, including minorities, women, LGBT, persons with disabilities and veterans. St. Cloud State University is a member of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

Application Information

Contact:	Bob Motzko Department of Athletics St. Cloud State University
Phone:	320-308-4806
TDD:	1-800-627-3529 or (612) 297-5353
Online App. Form:	http://agency.governmentjobs.com/stcloudstate/default.cfm

s/t to Husker Mike for posting this on another message board. This Job announcement would be to replace former Fighting Sioux hockey player and SCSU assistant hockey coach Steve Johnson who is moving on to be an assistant Hockey Coach at UNO under Dean Blais.

NCHC Names Joe Novak Director of Hockey Operations

Official Press Release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has named veteran sports management executive Joe Novak as its Director of Hockey Operations.

Jim Scherr, the Commissioner of college hockey's newest conference, said that Novak, in his role, will primarily be responsible for the internal hockey operations and administration for the NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate hockey conference that will be begin play in the 2013-14 season.  Among Novak's immediate tasks will be developing, in consultation with Conference members, a comprehensive playing schedule; organizing and maintaining a system to hire, assign, compensate, evaluate, and supervise on-ice officials; developing and implementing the Conference's rules, playing standards, statistical programs and discipline program; and serving as the hockey operations liaison with the Conference's coaches and others in the hockey community.

The Colorado Springs resident brings to the Conference more than 30 years of experience in sports management, the last 15 of them with the United States Air Force Academy, including roles in NCAA Division I athletic operations, events management and scheduling, athletic facilities management, contract management, and tournament and special events director.  He has worked as an on-ice hockey official, a Supervisor of Officials with USA Hockey and an off-ice official with the National Hockey League and the Olympic Winter Games.

Novak joins the Conference after serving in a critical position with the accomplished Air Force Academy's Athletics department in several management roles, including Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Operations and Events. His range of experience also includes being an off-ice official at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver; Ice Hockey Game Operations Manager for the Torino 2006 Olympic Committee/International Ice Hockey Federation for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in the Italian city; and managing athletic programs for the New York Military Army Command at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY, and the United States Army Europe Headquarters/Heidelberg Military Community in Heidelberg, Germany. 

"Being able to bring to the Conference a proven and imaginative executive with outstanding hockey credentials like Joe to serve as our Director of Hockey Operations is tremendous for our members and for me personally," said Scherr.  "The Conference's inaugural season begins in about 18 months and there are many tasks to complete in advance of dropping the first puck.  I will be relying on Joe to ensure that everything relating to hockey operations will be the best in intercollegiate athletics."

Novak, who played ice hockey in semi-professional ranks and junior hockey in Germany and throughout Europe early in his career, says he is thrilled to become part of the new conference.

"I am grateful to Commissioner Scherr and the Conference members for this remarkable opportunity," said Novak.  "This position is both a great challenge and a great opportunity and, with so much to do, I look forward to working closely with the Conference athletic directors and coaches and to getting to work."

New Frozen Four ticket policy

 Official Press Release

The NCAA has announced a new ticket purchase process for the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, effective with the 2013 championship at the CONSOL Energy Center April 11 and 13 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The ticket purchase process, approved by the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee, will now be conducted beginning Oct. 1 and will no longer involve submitting an application for the opportunity to purchase tickets. Instead, ticket purchasers will be invited to purchase tickets, based on their priority level, and select their own seat locations at the time of the order submission.

“This new system gives our priority ticket holders something tangible,” said Sean Frazier, chair of the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and deputy athletics director at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “A lot of people never fully understood what priority status got them. Now, with this new system it leaves no doubt because they will be able to pick their exact seat location first.”

An individual’s priority level is determined by the number of Frozen Four championships he/she has purchased tickets to through the NCAA ticket application process, beginning with the 1997 championship in Milwaukee through the 2012 championship in Tampa. Ticket purchasers are awarded one priority point for each year tickets have been purchased in his/her name.

Each priority level will be given a designated date to begin the ticket purchase process. Individuals with the highest priority level will be invited to purchase tickets starting Oct. 1. Individuals with the next highest priority level will have the opportunity to purchase tickets shortly thereafter, and so on until the available inventory has been sold. Ticket purchasers will receive an e-mail approximately one week prior to the designated purchase date for their priority level with an invitation and instructions for purchasing tickets. Each priority ticket purchaser is limited to a maximum of four tickets.

All orders must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, Friday, Nov. 30, and tickets will be mailed in late February 2013.

Under the previous system established in 2002, seat assignments were determined based on the ticket purchaser’s priority level. But that location was not determined by the buyer. Fans also had to purchase tickets almost a full year in advance from the event and seat locations were not known until the tickets arrived in March.

“When the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee came up with the original system in 2002, it was done to ensure that we were rewarding the loyalty of our most avid fans,” said Lori Wolf, NCAA associate director for championships and alliances, ticketing. “However, with the new tweaks, it really takes the ticket-buying and seat selection experience to the next level. We really feel this will be a big hit with our fans.”

Those interested in the opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2013 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, but do not currently have an existing account/priority level, are invited to visit http://www.ncaa.com/frozenfourtickets to complete a registration form with their contact information. Any individual who registers their contact information prior to Oct. 1 will be sent an invitation to purchase any remaining tickets.

• 
  

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Double J of WTBX is our dirt bag of the week...

[click to listen]

First off where do we start? This guy is a buffoon. Seriously!!! I have been to Hibbing Minnesota, the place is a run down industrial town that is famous for  what, open pit mines and Iron Orr... I would take Grand Forks, ND over that dump any day.

Also, the Fighting Sioux have 7 NCAA titles and 15 Regulars Season Championships. For the people like me that aren't good at math; the University of North Dakota has more NCAA titles than all of the Division I schools in the state of Minnesota combined.

"Why am I being so hard on the UND fans? Simple, YOU ARE THE WORST! You are the Packer fans of college hockey! Keep your mulleted, dead gopher tossing 5xl jersey wearing selves out of our state. Quit trying to pretend you have any sort of pride in your hockey program! What you think North Dakota is any sort of hockey hotbed? Really, get a lot of recruits out of NoDak do ya? You do realize that your roster, year after year is comprised mainly of Minnesotans...Minnesotans who weren't good enough, smart enough or for legal reason able to play for one of our state schools! Yeah they are still hockey players, just too bad they have to wear the green and black!"

The most moronic comment of this guys rant is the comment about our Minnesota Players... So I guess that Danny Kristo, Nick Mattson, Derek Forbort Ben Blood, Joe Gleason and  Brock Nelson aren't good enough to play at the University of Minnesota or the other states schools. Yeah, Right. To take a quote from Forrest Gump, "stupid is that stupid does." 

You can share your thoughts here by clicking on this link.

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UND vs. BSU game 4 lines

Bemidji State Forward Lines

64 Natasha Kostenko – 17 Sadie Lunquist – 10 Emily Erickson

11 Whitney Wivoda – 16 MacKenzie Thurston – 6 Kristin Williams

18 Rachael Kelly – 19 Tess Dusik – 59 Danielle Williams

13 Molly Arola – 3 Abby Williams – 22 Lauren Williams 

Defensive Pairing BSU 

25 Montana Vichorek (C) – 15 Marlee Wheelhouse (C )

14 Erika Wheelhouse – 29 Kimberly Lieder

91 Jamie Hatheway – 27 Kayleigh Chapman 

BSU Goalies 

88 Zuzana Tomcikova

35 Jessica Havel

BSU Player Stats 

UND Forward lines 

8 Michelle Karvinen – 63 Josefine Jakobsen – 17 Jocelyne Lamoureux

13 Alyssa Wiebe – 2 Mary Loken – 10 Andrea Dalen

21 Kelsey Ketcher – 26 Monique Weber – 6 Allison Parizek

22 Sara Dagenais – 91 Ashley Furia – 15 Megan Gilbert 

UND Defensive Parings

19 Margot Miller – 18 Monique Lamoureux-Kolls

9 Kayla Berg – 32 Candace Molle

16 Tori Willaims – 12 Ashley Holmes

UND Goalies 

29 Stephanie Ney

30 Jorid Dagfinrud

33 Michelle Bonapace-Potvin

 UND Player Stats

NCAA Women's Division I Stats  

WEBCAST: www.UNDSports.com

Radio/Audio - : The Fan 1440 AM  and WDAY 970 AM & www.UNDSports.com

LIVE STATS: www.UNDSports.com

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UAH hockey supporters to meet with new UAH President tonight

It looks like the UAH hockey program might still have a Fighting chance to survive. I will try and get an update from the meeting that is scheduled to take place tonight.

Paul Gattis, The Huntsville Times --- Members of the Save UAH Hockey grass-roots effort will meet with new UAH President Robert Altenkirch tonight to discuss the hockey program, the school confirmed Monday.

Huntsville attorney Doug Martinson Jr., a vocal advocate for hockey, said the expectation is that Altenkirch may spell out specifically what is needed to sustain the program financially. That's something UA System Chancellor Malcolm Portera never did when he ended the 30-year program in October while serving as interim president at UAH, Martinson said.

"I guess it will be what (financial) number he throws out (to sustain the program)," Martinson said of any optimism going into the meeting. "We think we can come up with a plan.

"If they get in a conference and have home games, they will have more attendance and get a better deal at the (Von Braun Center). You bring in the alumni money and possibly more along with that."

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Alabama Lawmaker Leading Last-Ditch Effort To Save UAH Hockey

Image via WikipediaIt would appear that there is still a glimmer of hope to save the UAH Hockey program. Some wealthy donors, whose names have not been revealed, have said they will donate 1.5 Million to keep the UAH hockey program running. That is a lot of money and I think you could support a Division I hockey program with that kind of a donation. [Link to the video]

HUNTSVILLE, AL— Details of the plan have yet to be revealed, but Williams said it involves a group of wealthy hockey supporters who would fund the team's yearly budget of $1.5 million. But even if enough money was raised, there's no guarantee that a decision which dropped the program from varsity status could be reversed.

The death blow for Charger hockey appeared to come last week, when officials announced that UAH would no longer field a varsity team. University of Alabama System Chancellor Dr. Malcolm Portera cited lack of finances as the main reason behind eliminating hockey, which will be relegated to club level status starting next year.

Rep. Williams is an avid hockey fan, and said he has also been discussing the matter with Governor Robert Bentley's office. A meeting between the two is scheduled for later in the week.

UA-Huntsville Athletic Director E.J. Brophy said he had been contacted about the last-ditch effort, but said financial committments would have to be made in a matter of days if varsity hockey were to stay alive.

"I am aware that there are some people who want to help, and quite frankly we appreciate that sentiment," said Brophy. "If there is a benefactor, a heavy hitter, a benevolent angel that wants to write a monster check, that needs to happen very, very quickly."

The UA-Huntsville Athletic Department said for now they were moving forward with plans to convert hockey into a club level sport starting next year.

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UAH Hockey has donors willing to support team.

 (The Huntsville Times file photo)

Developing.... Looks like the Save UAH crowd isn't going to let their team go down without a fight. It also appears that they have a AL congressional leader that supports their cause. Here is a link to a video that talks about this issue as well. [click to view]

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Money will no longer be an issue to save the hockey program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville because of additional last-minute donors, a state legislator says he has been told.

In fact, Rep. Phil Williams, R-Monrovia, said today he has separate meetings scheduled with Gov. Robert Bentley and new UAH President Dr. Robert Altenkirch to discuss salvaging the program.

UAH announced last month that its NCAA Division I hockey program would be scrapped after this season and that the school would instead field a club team. Dr. Malcolm Portera, chancellor of the University of Alabama System who was serving as interim president at UAH when the decision was announced, said the $1.5 million annual expense was too rich for the school to support.

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UAH to end College Hockey

Image via WikipediaCross Posted at Inside Hockey.
The University of Alabama Huntsville’s Interim President Malcolm Portera announced today that following the 2011-12 hockey season, the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers will cease to exist as a Division I college hockey program.

This announcement means that there will no longer be a Division I college hockey program south of the Mason Dixon line.

This announcement officially ends 33 years of NCAA college hockey history for UAH. No other program that’s ever won an NCAA title has ever disbanded.

According to USCHO, UAH Chargers head coach Chris Luongo informed his team of the president’s decision on Sunday night.

There are many factors that have led to this decision; one the major factor is that UAH doesn’t have a conference to call home. After the 2008-09 season, the College Hockey American Conference disbanded and the UAH Chargers were left without a conference.

The Chargers applied for membership in the CCHA during 2009. On August 11^th, 2009 the Chargers were informed that their bid for membership to the CCHA was denied.   Without a conference to call home, the Chargers have had to play as an Division I independent, which put their program in further jeopardy. It’s very hard to get teams to travel to Huntsville to play hockey if they are not in a conference.

The Chargers also have don’t have a building of their own, they share the Von Braun Center with the Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL and are not the primary tenet, meaning the Chargers have had to play their games  at odd times, which further complicates things for the Chargers.

Here is the official announcement from of the UAH interim president Malcolm Portera.

I want to share with you a decision that has been made following months of careful study. As a result of a financial analysis of our athletic program, and numerous conversations I have had with athletic directors, university presidents and commissioners of Division I ice hockey programs, it has become obvious that, for the best interest of this university, our athletic department and the ice hockey program, we move the team from the Division I level back to its original classification as a club sport at the end of the 2011-2012 season.

In conclusion, this is a sad day for college hockey and for the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers hockey team and their fans. This story makes me physically sick to my stomach that in one swoop of a pen, a college administrator can kill a college hockey program with a rich hockey history.

Finally, I have been told by a source close to the UAH program that there is a businessman from Nashville Tennesee that has stepped forward to bankroll the operating expenses for the Chargers. All we know is that he is a top executive of a large corporation.

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UAH students vote to keep hockey at Division I level

Image via WikipediaHere is the latest information regarding the UAH hockey program. Nice to see the student getting behind their hockey program which is in dire straights and needs a conference to play in. It's time for the WCHA to step up and accept the Chargers. 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The student government association at the University of Alabama in Huntsville voiced its support of the school's beleaguered hockey program.

The SGA announced in a press release today that it voted to keep the Chargers hockey program at the NCAA Division I level rather than scale back to club level or abolish the program altogether.

The UAH hockey program is under close scrutiny from Dr. Malcolm Portera, chancellor of the University of Alabama System. Portera is considering scaling back the hockey program to a club team to save on expenses. Portera said maintaining hockey at the Division I level would cost the school about $1.5 million annually.