Compare and Contrast

Thank you fans from @UNDmhockey, @DU_Hockey, @UMDMensHockey and @SCSUHUSKIES_MH for an outstanding #FrozenFaceoff pic.twitter.com/F07lwYbBIR

— Josh Fenton (@Fenton_JC) March 20, 2016

These pictures will tell you all you need to know. The Big Ten Conference Tourney, attendance was light. The NCHC actually drew pretty well.

The Big Ten, with power schools Minnesota and Michigan in the championship game of the Big Ten Championship game at the Xcel Energy Center, drew a grand total of 6,180 fans.

For those keeping track, the Univesity of Minnesota's Mariucci Arena is roughly about 8 miles from the Xcel Energy Center. This should be a home game for Minnesota and they can't draw better than this.

Let's compare and contrast, on Saturday, the NCHC drew 11,643 fans for the consolation and championship games at Target Center. On Friday, the Big Ten drew 5,423. Across town at the grungy, run down Target Center, the NCHC drew 10,926. Basically, in two days, the NCHC doubled the attendance of the Big Ten Hockey Conference.

Finally, two mid-majors and a couple of division II schools outdrew five of the biggest schools in division I hockey. I am dead serious. Think about this, the big five conference schools with all of the advantages, can't outdraw the small schools.

Tell us how you really feel! pic.twitter.com/HD96z6szrn

— Tom Chorske (@hockeylogic) March 19, 2016

Good seats still available for Michigan-Penn St Big Ten hockey semifinal at Xcel. UM 2, PSU 0, end of first. pic.twitter.com/s38yAT8hQ8

— Rachel Blount (@BlountStrib) March 18, 2016

NCAA Board approves Division I autonomy

#451290594 / gettyimages.com

The NCAA just voted to give the five power conferences autonomy. I am not so sure if this is a good thing, or if this is bad for the smaller schools. I do know that there's a lot of money to be off division I college sports. For those that don't know, the big five is the SEC, ACC, Big Ten Big 12 and Pac-12 schools.

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA on Thursday approved a new governance structure for Division I that will give the five power conferences and their 65 members a level of legislative autonomy never seen before in the history of the organization.

The 16-2 vote by the Division I Board of Directors, which took place at NCAA headquarters, is subject to a 60-day veto period before the new governance structure is official. It is not expected enough schools will submit an override to put the legislation in jeopardy. The dissenting votes came from Ivy League rep and Dartmouth President Phil Hanlon and Delaware President Patrick Harker, the representative of the Colonial Athletic Conference.

"In the end, everyone recognized this was something that was very good for Division I," NCAA president Mark Emmert said. "It allows (all Division I) institutions to continue to have access to championships, to continue to share resources in the same way they always have and provides the five higher-resourced conferences with some greater latitude in areas they were concerned with. This was a wonderful development, and I'm very pleased."

Notre Dame to the ACC? Part 2...

Image via WikipediaI have been watching this story unfold and I have to admit that it's been like a car accident, you don't want to look, but you have to. I am still holding out hope that Notre Dame doesn't end up in the B1G, so once again a certain Gopher know it all fan will be wrong on another prediction. This was the same person that said Scott Sandelin to Penn State was a done deal.

Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports --- If I’m Notre Dame today I’m on the phone to Atlantic Coast Conference headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. because tomorrow may be too late.

If I’m Notre Dame today, and I see the Big East in mid-implosion, see that the ACC has essentially left a spot for me (temporarily) and see the long-term demographic trends for the Midwest, I’m spending the afternoon having a long, soul-searching look in the independence mirror.

And then I’m starting negotiations to join the ACC, not the Big Ten, my persistent local suitor and the one everyone assumes I’ll eventually marry.

“Obviously they are the most attractive option out there,” one ACC athletic director told Yahoo! Sports on Monday, noting he had no knowledge of any discussions between the school and the league. Speaking generally, however, he added: “every league would want Notre Dame and we’re no different.”

Related articles

• ACC begins seismic shift, SEC and Big Ten will finish it (aol.sportingnews.com)
• Notre Dame vs. MSU: 3 NEW Reasons for Irish to Consider Big Ten Realignment (bleacherreport.com)
• Big East football close to collapse (nypost.com)