OT: Illinois might be making the jump to DIV 1 NCAA Hockey! Big for the new B10 hockey conference!
Aw man, that's huge for Illinois! Who knows what's next. Maybe they'll bump their football program up to DI, too!
This is great news for college hockey if it happens, the B1G in particular. More teams are always a good thing.
For those reading this who aren't aware, prior to the formation of the B1G hockey conference, growth in college hockey had stagnated terribly. Small schools (by which I mean schools with names like "Findlay" and "Bemidji State") hovered on the edge of viability, and while most fans hoped for growth it seemed impossible with the existing conference structure. There was, basically, nowhere good for any new teams to go--Hockey East, the WCHA, and the CCHA were all operating at full capacity. A new team would be stuck in the television-and-attention-free Atlantic Hockey conference, playing teams like Mercyhurst all the time.
So the B1G, by forcing a total (and controversial) upheaval, has opened space for new teams. This is crucial for an expensive, regional sport, and a good sign of health.
Added bonus: This increases the chances that there will be "weak sister" teams in the conference every season to pad the win totals. Because Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin never stay bad for long. Of course we used to say that about MSU, too...
Not sure if that's a question or not, but Findlay had a D-1 program till 2004
http://www.uscho.com/2004/01/06/findlay-to-drop-hockey/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_men's_college_ice_hockey_teams
I had no idea.
Just a jersey sale...
FWIW re: Illinois hockey...club coach tells me Facebook post was just a PR intern hyping a jersey sale.
— Matt Slovin (@MattSlovin) July 28, 2013
Sort of like the MDen trying to cover their butts when they leaked the Legacy jerseys or Dave Brandon's awkward response of "....no....." when the Freep leaked them?
They're trying to save the surprise. And boy what a surprise this is.
I'll be ya Nebraska-Lincoln is next.
If not for their present terrible finances, I would pick Rutgers to be next
I did not expect that at all. That would be gigantic news.
I'm working on a diary on the total history of Big Ten Hockey and I was trying to wrap it up by projecting who the next team would be and my conclusion (till right about now) was basically no one for 10+ years unless the BTN makes hockey schools bookoo money.
Illinois, while only being varsity for 6 years, had a really good hockey program courtesy of Vic Heyliger. Would be amazing to see them suit up again
Edit: So this might be a big deflating false alarm
Club teams have interns? RT @MattSlovin re: Illinois hockey...club coach tells me Facebook post was just a PR intern hyping a jersey sale.
— Zach Helfand (@zhelfand) July 28, 2013
Now I'm wondering if that @USCollegeHockey tweet was just rampant speculation based off of that tweet from the Illini Hockey intern which has sparked a raging firestorm of twitter speculation itself
Temper excitement a bit on Illinois hockey, fans. There's nothing out there beyond a cryptic Facebook post. Working on finding out more....
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) July 27, 2013
I think I speak for the other 5 college hockey fans on MGoBlog when I say bummer
BEAT YOU TO THE NEWS...I need a life...
He's generally the guy on this blog who is most plugged in to the insider hockey world. If he says it's not happening, it's probably a good source
The announcement is supposed to be about a new jersey the club team will be wearing next season. This twitter account blew it all out of proportion and started the whole thing.
?
Isn't that how it traditionally was?
Of the 10 BigTen teams before PSU -- half had a D1 Team and half did not.
Ah well. It was fun to think about while it was lasted.
I guess I'll go back to thinking about Michigan's sparkling new receiver corps in three years.
Penn State required a donation of $102 million from Terry Pegula (owner of the Buffalo Sabres) in order to build a new arena and get the program started. That does not, however, mean that hockey is a money loser overall. Michigan hockey usually turns a profit, as do a few other schools if I remember correctly. Sure, a new program would lose money for the first couple of years, but it could conceivably become profitable down the road.
It would be interesting to see how it plays out.
Well, it's expensive because you need an oncampus arena suitable for it. And you have to offset with a women's program that has an equal number of participants. So it's not just that men's hockey is expensive but makes money, since you are guaranteed to have to include a money losing women's sport as well.
that's it, it's a money maker. I know baseball is a big deal in the south and Michigan hockey is pretty much the same as Texas baseball in terms of fan support. If you can sell tickets (and a winning B1G hockey program would) it makes money. Illinois has a bunch of obsticles in its way, but they have a great club program, and wins equal interest.
Also I'm pretty sure football and MBB are profitable pretty much everwhere, it's just not enough to drag the rest of the AD into the black at most schools.
Looks like it runs about $2-4 million per year based on this article from last year. Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are in the black but Ohio State spends about $1.5 million on it a year and I'd say shockingly, MSU is a net-spender too (at $1.2 million)
If the BTN generates more revenue to schools that have hockey teams, it may become feasible for other schools to join, but as of now, I'd say it's unlikely a new team would be able to make money off hockey
LOL Iliinois hockey
Illinois' program back in the day was better year-to-year than Ohio State's program ever has been. They would've been a force had they not folded
Michigan was 6-13-0 against illinois and illinois won the final 13 meetings.
Their program folded (like most others) during WWII.
I wish the whole B1G would have hockey. Would be so cool to see Michigan play these B1G schools and have these colors come into Yost. Would be strange. And it would be more attractive to the average student/fan who maybe doesn't follow hockey that closely.
Seeing UMass-Lowell and Boston University.....outside of hockey, those schools aren't exactly names.
Yeah Heyliger dominated us for that time, then he joined the good guys again and the rest is history
Northwestern would be the next team to throw their hat in to playing hockey
Once they finish facililty upgrades, I could see it.
to no evidence, someone should please change the title.
I'd bet money that we'll see most of the Big Ten schools add varsity lacrosse (Men's & Women's) before anyone else adds hockey
Plus it is a newer sport, which means that brand new programs can find it easier to compete (my speculation). Whereas with hockey, there are programs that have been there for a long time, with established histories. The Beanpot is a fantastic tradition.
It's cheaper and easy to balance out with a men's and women's team. I would also agree with this, but only at places that have men's and women's lacrosse programs they would be able to promote easily. I would not be shocked to see men's ice hockey paired with women's lacrosse as promotions either.