When Central Collegiate Hockey Association officials gather next week in Dearborn for annual meetings, they are expected to discuss the possibility of adding a 12th team to the league.Wow! I am speechless. Last year I said this, “I have to say that I smell bullshit here. Something doesn't add up and I am not buying it. So are we to believe that UAH isn't good enough to play in the CCHA? This is a league that includes FSU 12-19-7, LSSU 11-20-8, and BGSU 11-24-3. The bottom half of the league is stuffed with mediocre - crappy teams that would have a very tough time beating UAH. UAH also has a nicer arena and draws better crowd than the teams deemed worthy of being in the CCHA.” [Click - for distances and attendance]
The target: Penn State.
"They are a very attractive choice -- very attractive," CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos told The Detroit News on Tuesday. "They're in a different market than we're in, more and more U.S. players are on college rosters, and there's tremendous growth of the sport in Pennsylvania."
[The Detroit News]
I made those comments after the CCHA turned down UAH’s application for admission, I was right I do smell bravo sierra. Let me get this right; Penn State University, a school that doesn’t even have a hockey program or an ice hockey arena, is more attractive than UAH. Seriously, all Penn State University has is a rumor and a few articles in various papers that say PSU has a big time Alum with deep pockets that wants to add hockey. Please tell me that isn’t the definition of elitism? You're welcome to attempt to refute this if you would like.
Elitism Definition: - is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who supposedly form an elite — a select group of people with, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight or those who view their own views as so; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern...There has to be another angle that isn’t being discussed here. It doesn’t take an economics major to note that the majority of the CCHA teams are in the state of Michigan. Unless you don’t read the news or watch it on TV you will know that the state of Michigan is in dire states and suffering from 13.2% unemployment. Whole blocks of houses in Detroit Michigan are gone.
The only other thing that I can think of is that the CCHA is hurting for money and is trying to tap into the Big Ten money by adding another Big Ten School. With PSU in the CCHA they would have 4 of the 6 Big Ten schools that have hockey. If you add the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the equation the CCHA would have 5 of the bigger schools in division one hockey.
One can only speculate that the CCHA is hoping to siphon off money from the Big Ten network. Another thought that comes to mind is; maybe CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos is trying to offer PSU a place in their league to fight off the BTHC plundering the CCHA?
On the other side the problem is the other schools in the CCHA are small schools either division I mid majors (Western Michigan – MAC, Bowling Green – MAC, Miami – MAC) or division II schools (Northern Michigan – GLIAC, Ferris State – GLIAC, LSSU – GLIAC, Alaska Fairbanks – GNAC ) in every other sport but hockey. A lot of the member schools in the CCHA are teams that have smaller older buildings. It does seem like the CCHA is trying to keep up with the WCHA and maybe trying to kick start some life into their financially strapped league.
UA – Carlson Building, 6443, 1990
Bowling Green University – BGSU Ice Arena, 5000, 1967
Ferris State University – Robert L. Ewigleben Ice Arena, 2493, 1976
Lake Superior State University – Taffy Abel Arena, 4000, 1976
University of Michigan – Yost Ice Arena, 6637, 1923
Michigan State University – Munn Ice Arena, 6470, 1974
Northern Michigan University – Berry Events Center, 3902, 1999
Miami University – Goggin Ice Center, 3200, 2006
Notre Dame University – Joyce Center, 2857, 1968 – Notre Dame will get a new ice arena in October of 2011, Charles W. "Lefty" Smith Jr. Rink, 5000.
Ohio State University - Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center, 17,2000, 1998
Western Michigan University – Lawson Ice Arena, 3667, 1974
In comparision: University of Alabama Huntsville - Von Braun Center, 6602, 1975
The Big Ten Argument
I have been a college hockey fan since the late 1980’s and since the 1990’s we have heard about the possibility of the Big Ten Hockey Conference and how there is eventually going to be this super hockey conference that will include Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State University and a team to be named later _____________. To this date we still do not have a sixth team needed to form this super league. Sarcasm meter should be on.
I am hockey fan first and consider it my religion but lets be realistic here. Hockey is a niche sport and it’s never going to be very popular in markets that cater to the college basketball and football crowd. I am also cool with the fact that some people just don’t get hockey. I am appreciative of that and do not want them following hockey either.
I also don’t buy the argument that Pennsylvania is a growing hockey market. In comparison to what? College hockey is in Pennsylvania already with the RMU Colonials,what makes anyone think that PSU is going to over shadow RMU? Personally, I just don’t see the sport of college hockey growing in Pennsylvania to the level of enthusiasm that a school like Minnesota, Michigan or North Dakota has. College hockey is about traditions and history and PSU has none of it. Fellow Big Ten school OSU also lacks a rich hockey history.
I keep hearing this argument that if the big time BCS football schools got into college hockey they would dominate and take over the college hockey world. Really! I just don’t’ see it happening. Where are these new power house teams going to get their recruits from? Do these people think they are going to just step into college hockey and compete with the likes of North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, B.C., and Wisconsin? The college hockey recruiting landscape is already crowded and in competition for players with the CHL.
Finally, while the Big Ten Hockey Conference seems like a good idea to some I think it could be bad and disastrous for other college hockey programs mostly the small mid major schools (the majority of CCHA teams not in the Big Ten or named Notre Dame) and it could set into motion a collapse of college hockey as we know it today. If the BTHC formed it would basically cause the CCHA to become league that resembles the AHA.
The WCHA would remain competitive and strong with teams like UND, C.C., UMD, DU, UNO, BSU, SCSU, UAA, MSU Mankato and MTU and would come out almost as strong even with losing their top money makers in UMN and UW. Our league would feel a crunch but would come out of it stronger than most teams in the CCHA. One could also make the argument that Hockey East survived whether the CCHA or WCHA existed at all and this move would have little affect on them.
Also, the Big Ten Hockey Conference would have little effect on the ECAC, AHA as well. Their niche has already been determined and is successful. The addition of the Big Ten Hockey Conference could have a devastating affects on the CCHA, that league could crumble like a house of cards.
The loss of teams would mean the loss of at large bids for the NCAA tourney; this would further affect the other schools in college hockey. Here is what I could see happening with the CCHA and WCHA being pilfered by the BTHC, that could cause a realignment of college hockey and or a emergence of a super conference combined of CCHA and WCHA powers that were left over. We just don't know but maybe the the powers that be in the Big Ten should think twice before you meddle with college hockey. College hockey is doing fine without you already. If you want to bank on college hockey try showing a few more games on the BTN. Hockey exists outside of the schools that are part of the Big Ten. Frankly what is so special about the Big Ten Conference? The league isn't all that strong in comparison to the SEC in football. In basketball outside of a couple of schools the Big Ten gets murdered in the NCAA basketball tourney. It seems to me that some in the Big Ten conference is also displaying a bit of elitism of their own. College hockey also needs to find a solution for UAH Chargers so they don't twist in the wind for ever.
