It is not an issue of fan interest, when has that ever been of concern to a league commissioner? Given that there was an interlocking schedule and it was abandoned, the reason it was abandoned was because the added revenue was less than the cost for at least one if not both of the two associations (HE and WCHA). So the likelihood of that relic resurfacing is either slim or none. Fortunately, there are alternatives to interlocking league schedules - tournaments. Not only the current ones (there is even one in Estero, Florida!) but new tournaments can be developed which require no interlocking schedules. Someone out-East can attempt a "Hockey East Shootout" and invite any WCHA teams they want, and someone out-West can attempt a "Big West shootout" in Denver, Minneapolis, or Grand Forks by inviting their eastern cousins. By having the tournament in larger arenas you convert the "fan interest" into revenue. Unfortunately this favors the bigger schools with the bigger names, but so what.

Nathan Hampton


On 6/29/09 11:17 AM, "Sara M. Fagan" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Thanks.  I hadn't been thinking of that.  I guess it is harder to have travel partners like the ECAC does.  I will have to go back and look at the map.

Sara
SLU '77
Let's go SAINTS!!!
----- Original Message -----
From: David Parter
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:04:13 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: org charts - WCHA



> On Jun 29, 2009, at 12:28 AM, Sara M. Fagan wrote:
>
> > Why are 2 games per team too few?  The ECAC plays each other team 2
> > times (home and away).  They then have openings to play teams in
> > other leagues.  I really like the ECAC setup.  It is a balanced
> > schedule.  I find it very fair.

The ECAC schools are not quite as close to each other as HE (where most
of the rinks are within a slapshot of each other), but travel in the
WCHA make the 2-game series the only practical choice.

   --david