Some thoughts from a naive fan:
 
I'm not privy to any of the motivation or politicking behind
it, but when PRIME really kicked in with the GotW two seasons
ago, the PASS CCHA GotW was dropped.  As part of the new
deal, the CCHA was heavily featured.  (I *believe* it was
specified that each CCHA team be seen at least once for the
first couple of years or so.)  This may have been the only way
to get PASS and/or the CCHA involved.  I don't know.
 
What does strike me is that, as a *general* rule, Hockey East
and the WCHA already have plenty of local TV coverage.
The CCHA does not.  The only way to see the CCHA is on
PRIME.  I can understand why fans in non-college hockey
areas (e.g. California) would be peeved at having the CCHA
forced upon them with respect to the national GotW, but *many*
fans IN college-hockey areas have little grounds to complain.
They can pick and choose between PRIME, NESN, MSC, etc.
Here in the Midwest, if the PRIME GotW is an ECAC clash, we
don't have the option of flipping the channel and finding a non-
nationally broadcast CCHA game.  I would hope that this is
some of the motivation for making PRIME CCHA-heavy.
Something to consider.
 
As for dubbing it the Michigan GotW, that is one of the most
absurd things I've ever heard.  That's like blaming the 49ers
and Cowboys for appearing on Monday Night Football.  As
a fan, there are very few things as annoying as having a home
game televised.  I doubt that a PRIME telecast is anyone's
first exposure to the University of Michigan, so I'd prefer to
never see the PASS/PRIME crew at Yost.
 
The best solution *for me* would be to bring back the PASS
CCHA GotW and get the CCHA off of PRIME, period.  That
way, assuming I had access to viewing the PRIME game, I'd
always have a pair of games to choose from.  It doesn't make
sense to me that fans who have their local team or conference
already on TV wouldn't want to see something different (e.g.
the CCHA) on the national telecast.
 
*My* bottom line is this:  When the PRIME GotW became a
reality, it had a positive impact on ECAC/HE/WCHA viewers
because if offered them something in addition to what they
already had.  It had a neutral or, more likely, negative impact
on CCHA viewers because it removed something that they
had (and enjoyed).  If any of the other conferences had a
reduction in their number of TV games due to the PRIME
GotW, I'd like to hear about it.
 
The voice of a college hockey fan (disregarding "the greater
good of the game", etc.)...
 
 
John H / U Mich
 
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