St. Scholastica and St. Norbert Join MCHA

Earlier this year, the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association saw itself blown up. Five members -- all University of Wisconsin system schools -- pulled out of the league so the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference could start its own hockey league.

The move immediately cast doubt on the futures of two private schools -- St. Scholastica of Duluth and St. Norbert, near Green Bay -- in the league.

Now, those futures are more clear. Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press Gazette reported Monday morning that the two will join the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association for men's hockey starting in the 2013-14 season.

Two local sources have since confirmed the report. A press conference is set for the St. Norbert campus on Tuesday afternoon to make the official announcement.

St. Norbert has won ten of the last 11 NCHA regular season championships, and the Green Knights are back-to-back NCAA Division III champions. SNC is unbeaten at 55-0-2 all-time against the current membership of the MCHA.

(That membership, by the way, is as follows: Adrian and Finlandia of Michigan; Concordia, Lawrence, Marian, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Northland of Wisconsin; and Lake Forest of Illinois.)

The league has seen improvement in recent years, thanks in part to the addition of an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs for its tournament champion. Adrian was the NCAA runner-up in 2010, while MSOE made the tournament last year and was hardly embarrassed in its first-ever game, losing 3-1 at Gustavus Adolphus.

Obviously, the WIAC taking in CSS and St. Norbert would have been best from a competitive standpoint. I can't envision a scenario where the Green Knights don't dominate the MCHA, at least at the start. The majority of the league will have plenty of work to do to catch up to the level SNC is capable of playing.

This adds uncertainty on the WIAC side, as the league -- currently set to be comprised of UWS, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Stout -- is one team short of the minimum required for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. There had been rumblings the conference would pursue Concordia (located in Mequon) and MSOE to develop a Milwaukee footprint. Nothing has been announced in that regard, however.

College Hockey Not Done Changing

I said it on Twitter last week, and I'll say it again now.

This is the craziest offseason in college hockey history.

Nuts. Bizonkers. Whatever word you want to use.

The sport is undergoing massive change to its landscape, with the recent announcements of the Big Ten and NCHC forming, combined with the impending move of at least Northern Michigan to the WCHA.

Now, it's the CCHA's turn to make a move to guarantee its survival as a league -- which is the best-case scenario for the sport.

College Hockey News reports that the first step towards that reality is set to happen.

CCHA officials will meet within the next two weeks with representatives of four Atlantic Hockey schools about a potential change in conferences in 2013-14.

Robert Morris, Niagara, Mercyhurst and Canisius are all actively exploring the possibility of switching from Atlantic Hockey to the CCHA. It is believed that the four would leave as a group, or not at all, though that is not set in stone.

All four schools have previously expressed interest in playing with 18 scholarships, the maximum allowed in Division I men's hockey. Atlantic Hockey, however, restricts its members to awarding 12 scholarships. A recent vote to increase that to 13 did not pass.

While this is a good thing for college hockey, Atlantic Hockey commissioner Bob DeGregorio isn't terribly happy about the development.

Actually, he's pissed.

"It's great we added a 59th program, but as I've been saying all along, what is the fallout?" DeGregorio said. "If we end up losing two to three programs, or destroying some good leagues, then we haven't done what's good for college hockey. It's funny, but when Robert Morris and Niagara were looking for a place to go, everyone called me and said, 'Bob, you gotta do a good thing for hockey.' Where is that now? Everyone is doing what's best for them and to hell with everyone else."

So, it's only a good thing for college hockey if it's good for Atlantic Hockey. Got it.

In all seriousness, I understand DeGregorio's frustrations. But the "every man for himself" ship sailed months ago, when Terry Pegula's donation to start the Penn State program started a chain reaction that led us to this moment. There's no pulling some rope to get the boat back in port now. It's gone.

(Actually, the argument could be made that this ship sailed the moment the CCHA decided not to take Alabama-Huntsville, because the world hasn't been the same since. But we'll stick with the Penn State program forming, because that's really what started things.)

We can either 1) lament the fact that a sport where commissioners and ADs were known for doing unselfish things to help the common good has gone all WWE Royal Rumble on the world, or 2) deal with the reality and do what can be done to preserve the programs that exist, many of which have great tradition and shouldn't be forced to go the way of the dodo bird because Bob DeGregorio doesn't want his league to lose any teams.

The sport will survive, and the teams that are playing it are committed to making it work. Even programs like Ferris State and Lake Superior State, which fall under the banner of "We should be at least a little worried about their futures," are being proactive and making sure they are out front in helping determine the CCHA's future.

It doesn't appear terribly likely that the WCHA and CCHA will merge at this point, as the CCHA appears focused on keeping a league together on its own.

As noted by CHN, the four Atlantic Hockey teams that could be moving aren't interested in moving if Alaska (Alaska-Fairbanks, as it's more commonly known) is still in the league.

Does that open the door for Alabama-Huntsville to also join the CCHA? (Doubtful.)

Does it open the door for Minnesota State-Moorhead to join UA(F) and make the WCHA eight teams?

Yeah, the landscape is still changing. Hopefully, it doesn't get any smaller while it continues to mold itself.

National Collegiate Hockey Conference Has Work Ahead

I didn't spring for a plane ticket to Colorado Springs for Wednesday's big event unveiling the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

In retrospect, I couldn't be happier about not spending that kind of coin.

Wednesday's press conference was nothing more than a waste of time in my eyes, and I was merely calling in to the event from my desk here in Duluth. I can only imagine how angry I would have been had I taken the time and money to fly to Colorado Springs for what should have been a historic moment for these six programs.

More time was spent explaining the history of Penrose House -- and the Broadmoor -- than was spent explaining exactly why the hell this was happening.

I'm not saying that the history isn't significant, and I'm not saying that the history isn't worth mentioning.

But they buried the lead, and it almost felt like they did it for a reason.

The NCHC announcement felt disorganized, somewhat contrived, and completely out of haste. It didn't ring as a well-organized event, and it didn't sound like the six schools had spent much time coming up with a good story about why they decided to break off and form a league together.

(And this is someone who was joking with an official from one of the schools involved over the weekend about sending in a bill for "all the PR work I have been doing." I wasn't expecting the world Wednesday, but I was still sorely disappointed. That should tell you something.)

The question-and-answer session at the initial press conference was completely void of anything newsworthy or notable. You can argue that the six athletic directors and coaches all made themselves available to the media afterward, and you'd be correct. However, the way those sessions were organized -- three at a time -- made it tough for those of us intent on asking actual questions of those involved in the NCHC decision. We were left to try to pick between Ken Ralph and Bob Nielson, and then pick between Brian Faison and Trev Alberts.

For those of us dialing in on the phone, it was a hit-or-miss proposition just trying to hear what the principle people were saying. That only rendered our job more difficult.

If you were working on site, you were lucky in one way. You were in Colorado Springs -- a great city. But you couldn't roll your eyes at everything without potentially being seen. That was an advantage I had, and my eyes almost got stuck in the back of my head, as I heard people generically talk about core values and take veiled shots at those programs they were leaving behind.

North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison made it abundantly clear that his program intends to "be a good member" of the WCHA until the 2012-13 season ends, and the move officially takes place.

While Faison was unwilling to identify a "breaking point" when asked what made him finally decide to break away from the WCHA, there were a couple references by others to the formation of the Big Ten Conference, which was officially announced in March.

There was a lot of talk about competition -- from what I heard, it came up with UMD coach Scott Sandelin, Colorado College coach Scott Owens, Denver coach George Gwozdecky, and North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol. No one wanted to poke the remaining WCHA teams, but one couldn't help but look at the comments as being directed a bit in that direction.

Whether the NCHC feels it is breaking off the strength of a top-heavy league or not, that appears to be a potential reality. None of the coaches or athletic directors want to be part of a program going the way of the dodo bird, but none of them could guarantee that wouldn't happen.

Of course, it's out of their hands now.

This isn't meant as a rip. It's a reality. The NCHC didn't make a good first impression for itself. It reminded me of a scene in one of my favorite movies.



You might remember that after this impassioned, emotional, off-the-cuff speech, Jerry and Dorothy (and the fish) got in the elevator, and Dorothy asked Jerry if he would have a medical program (she is a single mom, for crying out loud!). Jerry had that flushed-out look that made us all understand that he didn't know what the hell he was doing, and that he would figure it out as they went along.

The NCHC has two years. Along with a medical program, they have to complete the process of incorporating, need a commissioner, a PR guy, a place to put their stuff, and a plan to move forward.

But you never get a second chance to make a first impression. For the most part, people weren't impressed Wednesday. It leaves the NCHC with plenty of work ahead.

Penn State Changes Everything

College hockey is going to get started soon. With just 58 teams, fans should typically consider themselves lucky that there are 16 teams allowed into the national tournament at the end of the season. That's quite a low ratio of participating schools to tournament teams.

The sport has backed itself into a corner in a way. There are no smaller conferences for teams to join when they first become Division I programs. There is no room for newcomers in most of the leagues. And why would a powerful league like the WCHA want a Division I newcomer, likely to be at least a short-term whipping boy?

Over the weekend, our friends at INCH reported that Penn State was set to join the ranks of Division I hockey institutions, with an announcement possible this week.

It's an announcement that will be heard around the hockey world, as the sport has not seen much expansion since the early days of College Hockey America. It shows that there is indeed the opportunity for growth within the game, and it proves that big-time institutions like Penn State are indeed interested in a sport like hockey, which is relatively expensive and can be a big money-bleeder if not handled properly.

One has to wonder what has already been determined behind the scenes. It's not likely that mighty Penn State is starting a varsity hockey program so it can be an independent, or play in a league like Atlantic Hockey.

No, there's a big-boy ambition here, and the resources exist to carry that ambition out.

Where will they go? Well, the obvious answer seems to be the Big Ten. Penn State's teams are in the Big Ten conference, but the Big Ten does not yet sanction a hockey league. There are only five Big Ten members with active hockey programs, and six teams are required for a league to gain an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for its champion.

Penn State would be the sixth. So would Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin jump at the chance?

I don't see why not. None of them are reliant on their current league for survival, especially Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. They are big-time hockey programs that could thrive in any league. Michigan State has a lot of tradition, and Ohio State -- while not the powerhouse it should be -- is not going to stay in the CCHA out of blind loyalty.

The Big Ten is a cash cow, thanks to a wonderful television network that makes a ton of money for the league and its member schools. That network is set up to be the home of Big Ten hockey, should the league get started. That could happen as soon as 2014, as it's not expected leagues will release members before then because of scheduling commitments.

However, the Big Ten can't do this alone. With only six members, teams will only be able to bank on 20 conference games per season. That leaves between 12 and 14 non-conference games that must be arranged. In order for the Big Ten to have a chance, I would expect them to reach scheduling agreements with at least two of the other Division I leagues. That may require them to work hand with leagues they've raided to get teams -- the WCHA and the CCHA. Because of the power the Big Ten teams are likely to have nationally (even with Minnesota down right now, Michigan and Wisconsin are NCAA regulars, and Michigan State is back on the rise), no league will turn down a chance to get some non-conference dates with Big Ten teams.

That said, the Big Ten would be smart not to burn bridges along the way to making their hockey conference a reality at last.

If/When the Big Ten finally forms a hockey league, we'll get some answers to these questions. Until then, it's largely pure speculation.

After all, wouldn't it be funny if Penn State just joined Hockey East and left everyone alone?

Reports of Big 12's Demise Were Apparently Exaggerated

I wrote Friday about the impending demise of the once-great Big 12 Conference.

Spoke too soon.

Instead, the Big 12 is alive and very well Monday night, thanks to a decision by Texas to stay put, pushing aside the advances of the Pac-10 conference.

It wasn't long after that we found out lapdogs Texas A&M and Oklahoma will also stay in the Big 12.

(OU fans are probably cursing me. With all due respect to Texas, I never thought I'd see the day that A&M and Oklahoma just bowed their heads and went the way of the Longhorns. Rivalries be damned, it just looks stupid to me.)

In the end, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has found a way to at least keep a ten-team league together. That's big, because most people who have fake Twitter accounts created in their name aren't having it done for the good of the world.

(The latest, by the way, from the "Fake Dan Beebe" account? "OK, I'm actually a little worried now. UT, A&M and OU all have announced they are staying. KSU, BU and ISU are oddly silent."

Good times.)

This is good for a number of reasons. The Big Ten can stay at 12 teams, with the addition late last week of Nebraska. They fit the Big Ten, and they'll benefit from losing 14-13 to Iowa and Wisconsin all the time, as opposed to losing at home to Iowa State or having Kansas beat them by like six touchdowns.

(How stupid is Nebraska going to feel after that first 7-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten season? And you know it's coming. Nebraska stopped being this elite, unbeatable, legendary football power like a decade ago. It's just that no one bothered to tell Nebraska. The Big 12 North can cast quite a spell. Hell, look how competent Kansas looked for a few years.)

How close did we come to the end of the Big 12? Dr. Saturday sets the timeline.

Thus concludes the dramatic, week-long Big 12 Missile Crisis, just hours before the apparent dismemberment of the league: By all accounts, the Texas Board of Regents was fully prepared to vote the Longhorns into the Pac-10 on Tuesday, followed by Texas Tech and then Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Wednesday. Don't let the stunning reversal over the last 24 hours paint that narrative as mere smoke: Larry Scott was in Lubbock, Oklahoma City, College Station and Austin over the weekend with invitations in hand. Texas A&M's commitment was in flux, but as for the Longhorns, Sooners, Cowboys and Red Raiders, the wagon train West was packed and ready to roll.

That's close. And it didn't happen.

Congrats to Beebe, because he figured out a way to make it work.

The math nerds in college sports are probably having a field day with this. The Big 12 has ten teams. The Big Ten has 12. The Pac-10 has 11. The Atlantic 10 has 14 teams in many sports and 15 actual members.

Of course, conference names are nothing but a form of branding. The Big Eight changing to the Big 12 was the last major league to go through a name change.

(Stop it, Conference USA fans. You're not that big, yet.)

We might not be done with change.

The Big Ten should stay put. So should the Big East, ACC, SEC, and WAC. But the Mountain West may lose Utah (to the Pac-10) after gaining Boise State. The ripple effect of that could send TCU packing back to Conference USA, where they have a better TV deal and the Horned Frogs could reunite with Houston, SMU, and UTEP.

Would there be more movement among the BCS leagues? It's possible, but not likely.

As for Texas, don't salute their nod to tradition or their smarts for not wanting to schedule regular trips to Corvallis, Pullman, Eugene, and Berkeley. They are getting a lot of money from the Big 12, thanks to their stupid unequal revenue arrangement that acts as if their league would exist in its current form without the likes of Missouri, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas State.

(Does Northwestern pull in less coin than Ohio State? Nope. Nor should they. Leagues are a partnership, and giving the big dog special treatment only makes it more difficult for others to emerge as a contender.)

Texas is doing this for money. They'll get more money from the Big 12, and they'll have the right to start their own television network, with a chance to make even more money. Had they joined the Pac-10, they would have been forced to turn their video inventory over to the league for the Pac-10/16/whatever Network, which was to launch in 2012 and probably still will.

Beebe pulled this together, but he had to get on his knees for the Longhorns to make it happen. Give him credit for that, because it had to be a pride-killing move.

Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and the rest of them are just pawns.

Texas is the king, and don't you ever forget it.

Boise State to the Mountain West?

All the talk about conference expansion seems to have focused on the wrong leagues.

Sure, the Big Ten, Pac 10, and Big East are among the "notable" "power" conferences involved in talks about membership changes. There's no question that moves by one of the "notable" "power" conferences will set off a chain reaction of stuff happening.

However, the most significant and noteworthy move could come from outside college football's power structure. Such a move might cause a change in what we all think the power structure really is.

As June starts, we are approaching what could be a significant day in the history of the Mountain West Conference. The league meets next week, amid speculation that they will be looking to add Boise State to the already-formidable lineup.

Dr. Saturday has more on this, making it sound like it's pretty much a done deal if the conference goes through with the formal invite.

Let's not make a mistake about this. It's a football move. Doc explains as best he can.

... even rival presidents would have a hard time begrudging Boise a move that would mean more money, less travel, better competition and, if the stars align, a shot at an automatic BCS bid. As you may be aware, that title comes with a pretty significant bump in pay grade.

To recap, the Mountain West must pass the BCS' three-pronged test for an automatic bid to one of the big-money bowls, which takes into account a) The average rank of each conference's highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings; b) The average computer rank of the entire conference lineup at the end of the regular season; and c) A complicated point system that measures the percentage of each conference's lineup in the top 25 of the final BCS standings, all over a given four-year period.

For the next BCS negotiations, the four-year period in question will be 2008-11, and though the MWC's "Big Three" – BYU, TCU and Utah – have kept the conference in pretty good standing so far according to criteria a) and c), the bottom half of the league remains an anchor when it comes to the averaging the standing of the entire conference. By that crucial measure, the Mountain West ranks seventh; the BCS requires a top-six finish in all categories. (With likely exceptions for the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-10 and ACC, of course, should the need ever arise – those carefully negotiated bowl tie-ins must be fulfilled, after all. Otherwise, based on the first two years of the ongoing evaluation period, the ACC would seem to be on particularly thin ice.) Adding Boise's nearly flawless record to the mix would dramatically increase the MWC's chances of making the cut; if nothing else, it would provide enough of a boost to increase their chances of being granted an exception, however farfetched that scenario may be. Above all, it makes the Mountain West a stronger conference on the field, and therefore a more marketable conference off it – certainly too good to remain in the television ghetto of Versus and the mtn.

The idea of the Mountain West stealing an automatic BCS bid is pretty hilarious. Even if they can't do it, the addition of Boise State gives them a pronounced top four of Boise State, TCU, Utah, and BYU. You have Air Force just outside that group, but perfectly capable of picking off any or all of those top four teams in the right year.

It's a football move, though. With all due respect to Boise's other athletic programs, the Mountain West is looking to boost its football profile, and they know they can't do it if they simply wait for New Mexico and UNLV to form more consistent programs. Wyoming isn't putting them over the hump, either.

The intention is obvious. The Mountain West wants to be stronger in the most important college sport you'll find.

To me, though, the most interesting offshoot of a Boise State invite to the Mountain West is its potential implications on the Big East and ACC.

Regardless of whether the Mountain West can swipe an automatic BCS bid, the league could fire the first shot in a historic run of expansion that could change the landscape of the sport. Without anything else happening, Boise State moving would apply a ton of pressure on the Big Ten and Pac 10, both of whom seem to want to expand to parts unknown. You've talked the game, and now the piddly little Mountain West has played the game before you could pull anything off. Better back up that big talk, or wind up looking pretty dumb in the end.

In essence, there would then be heat on the Big East and ACC, both of whom could get raided in expansion efforts, and both of whom could find it tough to stay in "automatic BCS bid" territory.

All because of Boise State.

Boise State could start the avalanche of conference expansion. Wow.

Imagine what would have been said to someone who uttered those words five years ago.