2019-20 WCHA Hockey

[Millsy]

WCHA Men's Playoffs are set

8 Anchorage at 1 Mankato
5 Bowling Green at 4 Alaska
6 Michigan Tech at 3 Northern Michigan
7 Lake Superior State at 2 Bemidji

Semifinals will be reseeded with the highest remaining seeded team hosting the lowest remaining seed. The second highest team will host the remaining semifinalist.

[MStateMaverick]

I really don't believe that the travel is the main issue here for leaving UAH, Alaska and Alaska-Fairbanks out. Those three schools subsidize travel costs and they have to make the long trips for EVERY road series. It probably is a factor, but not the main one.

The issue is the uncertainty with the life of these three programs.

As for UAH, there always seems to be an air of uncertainty with their program, and this year is no different. Even though the Alabama Board of Regents have given the green light to work on getting an on campus arena owned by the school, they have allocated $0 for the project or study. But yet they can do $100 million upgrades to the Crimson Tide football stadium, locker rooms and practice facility.

Does collegiate hockey have much of a fan following at UAH? I would imagine it is a sport not very familiar with most residents of a state in the deep south. Football is really big there; I recall visiting relatives in that state in the month of March, being amazed that high school teams were having spring practice.
Division I athletic programs can be expensive to maintain (for that matter, even Division II for many).

[Purple Mav Man]

Does collegiate hockey have much of a fan following at UAH? I would imagine it is a sport not very familiar with most residents of a state in the deep south. Football is really big there; I recall visiting relatives in that state in the month of March, being amazed that high school teams were having spring practice.
Division I athletic programs can be expensive to maintain (for that matter, even Division II for many).

http://www.wcha.com/men/statistics/1920/oaattend.php

They draw better than I anticipated. And Anchorage draws way worse.

[Millsy]

Does collegiate hockey have much of a fan following at UAH? I would imagine it is a sport not very familiar with most residents of a state in the deep south. Football is really big there; I recall visiting relatives in that state in the month of March, being amazed that high school teams were having spring practice.
Division I athletic programs can be expensive to maintain (for that matter, even Division II for many).

During the D-II championship days and their battles with Bemidji in the 90s, it was not uncommon for them to have 5,000 + fans at a game. They are called the Hockey Capital of the South as they have had a school sponsored hockey team since around 1980, I believe. They had a real strong club team, winning a couple of Club titles, played a D-I independent for a bit and then went Club before jumping back into NCAA at D-II and then moving back to D-I when the CHA was born. But not having a winning program since the CHA fell apart and the almost death of their program before the new WCHA was formed, has killed any momentum they had as far as fans go. The Huntsville metropolitan area boasts a population of 444,000, Huntsville proper is at 200,000.

At the end of World War II, it was all the Germans that came over and worked on the US rocket program that started hockey in Huntsville, so it has a deep history.

[MStateMaverick]

During the D-II championship days and their battles with Bemidji in the 90s, it was not uncommon for them to have 5,000 + fans at a game. They are called the Hockey Capital of the South as they have had a school sponsored hockey team since around 1980, I believe. They had a real strong club team, winning a couple of Club titles, played a D-I independent for a bit and then went Club before jumping back into NCAA at D-II and then moving back to D-I when the CHA was born. But not having a winning program since the CHA fell apart and the almost death of their program before the new WCHA was formed, has killed any momentum they had as far as fans go. The Huntsville metropolitan area boasts a population of 444,000, Huntsville proper is at 200,000.

At the end of World War II, it was all the Germans that came over and worked on the US rocket program that started hockey in Huntsville, so it has a deep history.

Thanks for the information. I'm mainly a football/basketball follower, but I also have interest in D1 hockey to a degree. Hopefully for UAH, they can find a new conference. Also the Alaska institutions. Though they may have to continue as independents.

[Millsy]

Thanks for the information. I'm mainly a football/basketball follower, but I also have interest in D1 hockey to a degree. Hopefully for UAH, they can find a new conference. Also the Alaska institutions. Though they may have to continue as independents.

I have heard Huntsville is working on a presentation to the new CCHA and also one to Atlantic Hockey. I would venture to guess any presentation would have to include a travel subsidy, and I am just not sure how much they can afford. If they have to go independent, they will not survive. That almost killed them last time around, I believe one year they could not get enough D-I games to be tournament eligible. They also had something like only 10 home games most of those seasons.

I really only see one Alaska school surviving this shakeup. Fairbanks would be the choice from a competitive standpoint, Anchorage would be the choice from a population standpoint. If only one Alaska team is around, I think teams would be a little more willing to have them in a conference if there was only one trip to The Last Frontier for league play instead of two.

[njmav1]

I have heard Huntsville is working on a presentation to the new CCHA and also one to Atlantic Hockey. I would venture to guess any presentation would have to include a travel subsidy, and I am just not sure how much they can afford. If they have to go independent, they will not survive. That almost killed them last time around, I believe one year they could not get enough D-I games to be tournament eligible. They also had something like only 10 home games most of those seasons.

I really only see one Alaska school surviving this shakeup. Fairbanks would be the choice from a competitive standpoint, Anchorage would be the choice from a population standpoint. If only one Alaska team is around, I think teams would be a little more willing to have them in a conference if there was only one trip to The Last Frontier for league play instead of two.

I wonder if membership isn't the only thing that they are after. Hopefully their backup plan is a scheduling agreement. Going to Alabama or Alaska every other year or so might be more acceptable to everyone.

[laker]

I'm embarrassed for the Gophers. Home playoff game vs Notre Dame. I saw another one from last night when both teams were on the ice playing. Announced crowd of 2012. Looks more like 212. Mariucci holds more than 9000.

[laker]

Mavs top UAA 4-2 to sweep the series. Will play at home next week but I don't know the opponent yet.

Bemidji lost 5-3 to Lake Superior State tonight so Game 3 will happen tomorrow.

[MStateMaverick]

I'm embarrassed for the Gophers. Home playoff game vs Notre Dame. I saw another one from last night when both teams were on the ice playing. Announced crowd of 2012. Looks more like 212. Mariucci holds more than 9000.

Rather unbelievable, compared to what it usually has been there as to attendance.

[Purple Mav Man]

I'm embarrassed for the Gophers. Home playoff game vs Notre Dame. I saw another one from last night when both teams were on the ice playing. Announced crowd of 2012. Looks more like 212. Mariucci holds more than 9000.

[laker]

Playoff hockey attendance. Even with conferences returning to higher seed hosting instead of neutral sites, the crowds are way down. Gophers beat Notre Dame to advance in front of another meager crowd- not Minnesota high school state tournament today!

[njmav1]

I wonder if the BTN money makes up for it this.

[Purple Mav Man]

I wonder if the BTN money makes up for it this.

[Millsy]

Playoff hockey attendance. Even with conferences returning to higher seed hosting instead of neutral sites, the crowds are way down. Gophers beat Notre Dame to advance in front of another meager crowd- not Minnesota high school state tournament today!

Playoff Hockey has almost always had attendance issues, especially in Minnesota. The first round always seems to be right around the High School Hockey Tournament, which should just be a state holiday as nothing much gets done that week anyway. HS Hockey can put 19,000 plus seats in the Xcel Center for the AA Semis and Finals, and OUTDRAW every NHL game played those night. Add to that Spring Break starting at most schools pulling a large amount of the student population away. And a lot of fans wait to see what happens/save money for the semifinals and/or finals.