Seems there is a lot to say about keeping college hockey when there is a
campus rink that is used for PE, intramurals (hockey and broomball),
precision skating.....  Unlike the squeak ball or pigskin game, it seems
much easier to justify in AK where it has a very natural connection.  Also,
it does not seem that there would necessarily be more costly travel since a
team could play both teams on a weekend in AK and then again when the
Alaskans travel out of state with inexpensive local bus travel between
venues. Since air travel has a large fixed cost component, the AK teams
might travel on one chartered plane at much lower cost.   As an additional
money issue, I wonder if anyone has heard of conferences/schools are
seriously contemplating reducing the number of games played next season.

-----Original Message-----
From: Moller Edward N <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: is the WCHA paying attention?


>Or they could follow the easiest choice of all, which is drop the
>program.  This might be their only choice, because I don't see how any
>conference could justify absorbing them "for the good of the game."
>Unless your name is Notre Dame non-conference affiliation is suicidal,
>particularly in this economic environment.  And if I were a taxpayer
>from the Great State of Alabama I would be asking why we were supporting
>such an endeavor in the first place.
>
>It may seem sacriligious on this forum that a poster with such a strong
>allegiance to college hockey would support such a move, but I don't
>think A-H is loaded with options here.  Maybe they could scale back to
>D-III?
>
>One more thing.  The two Alaska schools can't join one league, because
>their opponents would resist two trips to the Last Frontier in one
>season.
>
>________
>Edward N. Moller
>Controller and Assistant Treasurer
>Mount Ida College
>777 Dedham Street
>Newton, MA  02459-3323
>Tel  617-928-4515
>Fax 617-928-4581
>[log in to unmask]
>
>Mount Ida College provides a diverse community of learners a challenging
>education that blends the liberal arts with professional preparation.
>We dedicate our energy, imagination, and resources to empowering all
>students to achieve academically and contribute responsibly in a
>changing world.
>P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hampton, Nathan E.
>Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 3:46 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: is the WCHA paying attention?
>
>Imagine being at Alabama-Huntsville. You have a choice to join a
>conference that requires a trip to ALASKA, Colorado (twice), Minnesota
>(five times if including Bemidji), North Dakota, Wisconsin, and the UP.
>Another option is to join some other conference requiring you to go to
>New York, Massachusetts, and other New England areas, particularly to
>maintain whatever CHA rivalries may exist. Which would you choose not
>only in terms of travel cost but other amenities?
>
>Now imagine you are a player being recruited by UA-H. Are you more
>likely to go there if they are part of the WCHA or if they are part of
>the alternative option? I would think your probability of going there is
>enhanced by the latter option.
>
>So should UA-H be part of the WCHA for the good of college hockey? The
>only way for them to be part of the WCHA is to apply, which is something
>they probably would not bother to do.
>
>Nathan
>
>
>On 3/31/09 1:21 PM, "David Parter" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Clearly, the best choice is to have the WCHA absorb the two CHA teams.
>
>Well, no. That is not clearly the best choice. That is a convenient
>choice for everyone else. If "take them for the good of college hockey"
>is the argument, the same argument can be made for some conference
>realignment, "for the good of college hockey."
>
>Scheduling an 11-team league in a fair manner, given the various
>constraints is almost impossible. It is not clear that scheduling a
>12-team league with the same constraints is really any easier.
>
>This would all be a lot easier if the WCHA arenas were all within
>slapshot distance of each other, but they aren't.
>
>Even ignoring financial cost, is Alabama-Huntsville a good fit for the
>WCHA? I don't know. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what the WCHA
>really is, given the mix of schools.
>
>Bemidji has a much stronger case -- location, tradition, similarity to
>the other Minnesota state schools...
>
>But lets talk about financial cost. For some of the WCHA teams, their
>budget depends on the "big draw" games for home ticket sales (I believe
>some schools charge more for the tickets to those games too). Diluting
>that further by adding teams that displace high income home games could
>be a disaster.
>
>Does adding either school make the WCHA more attractive to sponsors and
>TV? Bemidji is probably attractive enough to sponsors who are already ok
>with the various Minnesota schools. TV? Again, BSU probably works in the
>Minnesota/North Dakota (Grand Forks) market as well as anyone.
>Huntsville? Not so much.
>
>   --david
>
>ps: and the obligatory Big 10 conference talk, since no one else took
>the bait: it doesn't really help other than forcing realignment (or at
>least change) on the WCHA and CCHA.
>