Will the CCHA be affected by the BTHC?

With this being the last College Hockey Show Case Andy Baggot has another article about the impending Big Ten Hockey Conference. I am really getting the feeling that no one is really looking at what this new league could do to college hockey.

Will the Western Collegiate Hockey Association hold up without Minnesota and UW?

Will the Central Collegiate Hockey Association endure without Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State?

"That's the question everyone's asking," Michigan coach Red Berenson said this week before leaving to face UW tonight and Minnesota Saturday night in the final College Hockey Showcase. "Is this good for college hockey?

"If it is, it's a no-brainer. If it's not, if it's going to hurt other programs, then we have to consider that."

UW coach Mike Eaves acknowledged both sides of the coin, but tends to believe an organized Big Ten presence will be a "good projector of college hockey."

The sport has survived a multitude of landscape changes — the advent of Hockey East and the exchange of programs between the WCHA and CCHA to name two — and will do so again.

Heck, if the WCHA can continue to prosper with its backwoods approach to management, it can seemingly withstand anything.

Besides, in terms of priorities, college hockey has a much bigger problem with personnel — only 18 scholarships, recruiting inequities in Canada and the unregulated exodus of underclassmen to the pros — than future realignment.

"Give us coaches a chance," said Michigan State coach Rick Comley, whose two-senior roster is one of those raided annually by NHL teams.

During a recent appearance in Madison, Delany was asked about the advent of Big Ten men's hockey. He implied a league was in the offing, but raised eyebrows by saying it's possible the six schools could maintain residence in the CCHA and WCHA while having their head-to-head series count toward a Big Ten champion.

"Quite frankly, if you're going to get your bang for your buck, make the conference, put it on TV and let's showcase it," Eaves said.

He's right. Bring the Big Ten schools together, let them play their 20-game schedule, let them incorporate their current rivalries into the non-conference mix.

Comley, whose club comes to the Kohl Center on Saturday night, has seen a lot in 38 seasons and 772 wins as a college coach. He has some reassuring words.

"Regardless of what happens," he said, "college hockey is going to be fine." [Read the rest of the story]

I don’t think the right people are taking a very thorough look before jumping head long into the Big Ten Hockey Conference Farce. I am being serious. I think it takes a lot more than fancy platitudes like the one by Rick Comley; “college hockey is going to be fine." How does he know? Has anyone looked at the attendance numbers of the CCHA lately? Their attendance numbers are pathetic. Most of their schools aren’t in the top 20 for attendance except Michigan 8th and Michigan State 12th. Can you imagine a league minus OSU, MSU, and UM?

Many of the schools in the CCHA are located in Michigan which is experiencing harsh economic conditions; the State of Michigan is broke. So if the CCHA takes the marquee schools like Michigan and Michigan State out of the CCHA, what’s the draw for NMU, LSSU, WMU, FSU? There aren’t a lot of fans watching their college hockey games now. Add the other programs of Miami, Alaska, Notre Dame they are barely averaging in the 3000’s.

Here are the average attendance numbers minus the Big Ten schools.

Alaska – 3,192
Miami – 3088
Northern Michigan – 3048
Notre Dame – 2742
Western Michigan – 2742
Lake State – 2245
Bowling Green – 2239
Ferris State – 1586