John Whelan wrote:
 
>        If the WCHA is going to a 4-against-five, 2-against-four
> schedule, wouldn't it make more sense to go to two five-team
> divisions, and a 4x4 + 2x5 = 26 game schedule?
 
I had the same idea; indeed I had the same idea several years ago.
The main problem that I see with this is how are the 2x5 games with
the other division going to be scheduled.  Because the WCHA is so
far-flung, it is very unlikely that the sets of 2 games vs the other
division will be home and home -- instead they will be at one site
with the sites alternating from year to year.  This leads to half
of the teams playing 14 home games and 12 on the road and the other
half 12 and 14.  I don't think that this will be acceptable.
 
> Since everyone makes
> the playoffs anyway, you could have the first-round matches be A1(1st
> place-A division) vs B5, A2 vs B4, A3 vs B3, A4 vs B2, A5 vs B1.  The
> winner of MTU's division gets the McNaughton Cup, of course.  For
> purposes of comparing teams in different divisions (home ice in the
> first round, re-seeding for the Final Five, determining whether A1 or
> B1 gets the NC$$ bid), they could count record against the other
> division double, so everyone's effective SoS was the same.
 
Didn't the WCHA once half four-point games in the past because of an uneven
schedule?  I don't think that they liked it.
 
<snip>
 
>         The WCHA could also sidestep the issue of how to divide the
> divisions by having each school rank their rivals in order; first, try
> to make the divisions so as not to split up any primary rivalries,
> then secondary, etc.  Speculating, I'd guess the top chosen rivalries
> would be:
>        Minn picks Wisc
>        Wisc picks Minn
>        NoDak picks Minn or Wisc
>        UMD picks Minn
>        SCSU picks Minn or UMD
>        MTU picks NMU
>        NMU picks MTU
 
Gee, I thought that NMU decided that the downstate teams were its rivals.
:-).  Has the issue of NMU wanting to transfer to the CCHA ended?
 
>        DU picks CC
>        CC picks DU
>        UAA I'm not sure about (since UAF isn't an option), but let's
> say they pick Denver because it's easy to fly there.
 
<snip>
 
I really hope that the WCHA does go to 28 (or 26) games and it will follow
that the other games will include more games with _all_ of the other
leagues.  However, I suspect that the Minnesotas and Wisconsins will each
play a couple of games against their Big 10 rivals (I have to problem with
this, just think that it should be limited), UAA will play several games
against UAF, NMU and MTU will play games against LSSU and other Michigan
teams, CC and DU will play Air Force, and UMD and SCSU will play Bemidji
State.  This leaves North Dakota as the only team that doesn't have any
other teams who seem to me to be "natural" rivals outside of the WCHA.  I
suppose that besides for Minnesota and Wisconsin, not all of the non-league
games will be spoken for in this manner.  Hopefully, they will see fit to
play more games against the HEA and the ECAC, but I won't hold my breath.
 
Ralph Baer
RPI '68, '70, '74
 
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