More hockey realignment?

[Doggie Style]

Jack Eichel and the 11 other MA players on the BU roster would like a word with you.

Seriously!!

 

[Doggie Style]

Cue broken record: if Buffalo ever starts a D1 hockey program, they become a perennial powerhouse on day 1. Unfortunately, the people in athletics are from down south and they don't get it. Hockey is king in Buffalo. Buffalo is right next door to Ontario. Buffalo's high school and prep hockey is at a very very high level, higher than Boston's.

Upstater, listen..... I'm assuming you are 40+ish as am I. The game of hockey at the high school / prep level is NOWHERE NEAR what it was back in the day. If you are a college prospect, you don't go to the high school and Prep School level to play anymore, you go to elite Junior programs with the occasional powerhouse prep school, which is now the rare exception. All the high school talent is now skimmed off by these elite teams and high schools are not deep and do not produce the talent they once did because players want the exposure and tough schedules of these elite teams. That being said, Buffalo i'm sure has talent but to say they surpass Boston is a stretch to say the least. Boston has the rare talent pool that can feed both levels (elite/high school) and I would guess that most top prospects from Buffalo go the juniors as do the prospects in Michigan and Minnesota. Just to point out that as good as local high school and prep school teams are, is irrelevant because the teams that feed the college level rosters come from these elite junior teams that would run the best high school teams off the ice by HIGH double digit margins. Buffalo may get a prospect or two locally if they went big time but to suggest they would be good because of the local community and talent pool is a little off.

 

[pj]

His main point, that UB would be better off focusing its athletics on hockey than football, is a good one. They could get half as many fans for one-tenth the expense, and compete for championships.

 

[upstater]

Upstater, listen..... I'm assuming you are 40+ish as am I. The game of hockey at the high school / prep level is NOWHERE NEAR what it was back in the day. If you are a college prospect, you don't go to the high school and Prep School level to play anymore, you go to elite Junior programs with the occasional powerhouse prep school, which is now the rare exception. All the high school talent is now skimmed off by these elite teams and high schools are not deep and do not produce the talent they once did because players want the exposure and tough schedules of these elite teams. That being said, Buffalo i'm sure has talent but to say they surpass Boston is a stretch to say the least. Boston has the rare talent pool that can feed both levels (elite/high school) and I would guess that most top prospects from Buffalo go the juniors as do the prospects in Michigan and Minnesota. Just to point out that as good as local high school and prep school teams are, is irrelevant because the teams that feed the college level rosters come from these elite junior teams that would run the best high school teams off the ice by HIGH double digit margins. Buffalo may get a prospect or two locally if they went big time but to suggest they would be good because of the local community and talent pool is a little off.

Trust me, I know the lower levels of hockey very well. I never played. But I was indoctrinated into it by virtue of my closest friends to this day who all played HS, prep and were drafted. I used to go comp to bruins games and sit with the brass who drafted my best friend, who was also at BU at the time. I have been watching for a very long time. The Prep kids here for instance play in the Ontario leagues and against Junior teams. It is an entirely different level. I went to NDWH HS and watched that team play Leetch at Cheshire and Janney at Avon. Then I got a good look at the Boston Preps (who are still feeding talent into D1 hockey and then the NHL). I know the level of play. When I'm talking Prep here in Buffalo, I am talking about clubs that compete against the best in Ontario, and most of these kids go to juniors in their latter High School years.

Just as an example: Patrick Kane played in school and also for the Buffalo Regals club (which is a mile from me) until he was 15-16. He spent a half year in Michigan playing for another club while living with family friend Pat Verbeek before he joined the US National team at age 16.

 

[upstater]

U Buffalo could be good in hockey; but, Buffalo as a recruiting area is far behind the top 2 - Minneapolis/St. Paul and Boston. Boson hockey is a lot like NJ football. The area is loaded with perennially strong teams whose play improves year after year de to the competition between each other. That challenge and their success allows them to cast (not recruit, wink, wink) a wider net every year to bring in even higher quality talent. That's why Don Bosco (NJ football) has players from upstate NY, PA, southern NJ, and even NYC on their roster while Catholic Memorial (Boston Hockey) has had kids from as far away as Quebec on their roster. The 'best' team in Buffalo may be able to run with the Central Catholic Conference in Boston, as much as hockey teams from Don Bosco and Delbarton from NJ could do so also; but, on a whole, the top 10 teams from Boston would beat the top 10 teams from Buffalo 9 of 10 times.

Not by my eye. I have no stake in this, but having watched Boston schools and Buffalo schools play, the level is higher here. There are a lot more people living in Boston, so more to draw from, and more good players. But the top prep teams here easily compete with the top preps there. The top ones here compete in Ontario. Against colleges like Appleby. They travel across the country. They play those New England top Prep schools like Thayer. The hockey team the next block over from me plays Shattuck St. Mary's every year (a legendary school that fills D1 college rosters), and both schools are always in the top 10 of preps nationally.

 

[upstater]

Jack Eichel and the 11 other MA players on the BU roster would like a word with you.

Maybe he could talk to Patrick Kane and Kaleta and Foligno and dozens of others?

Eichel by the way took the same route as Kane. Local high school until he was 16 then off to the US team in Ann Arbor.

 

[Doggie Style]

Trust me, I know the lower levels of hockey very well. I never played. But I was indoctrinated into it by virtue of my closest friends to this day who all played HS, prep and were drafted. I used to go comp to bruins games and sit with the brass who drafted my best friend, who was also at BU at the time. I have been watching for a very long time. The Prep kids here for instance play in the Ontario leagues and against Junior teams. It is an entirely different level. I went to NDWH HS and watched that team play Leetch at Cheshire and Janney at Avon. Then I got a good look at the Boston Preps (who are still feeding talent into D1 hockey and then the NHL). I know the level of play. When I'm talking Prep here in Buffalo, I am talking about clubs that compete against the best in Ontario, and most of these kids go to juniors in their latter High School years.

Just as an example: Patrick Kane played in school and also for the Buffalo Regals club (which is a mile from me) until he was 15-16. He spent a half year in Michigan playing for another club while living with family friend Pat Verbeek before he joined the US National team at age 16.

You made my point, West Haven,ND, Fairfield Prep are good high school programs but don't have the talent anymore and this is no different from any other State, those days are gone. I played high school (5 players to D1) and moved to Prep School (12 players to D1) then college. That progression is dead for the most part at this point, it is rare. Your point of seeing the Boston Preps talent pool is fine but I'm telling you that the prep route is not where the top talent goes anymore (for the most part), they go to elite junior teams. as an example, I have 16 kids on my team from CT and Mass who were just run off the ice by a Boston Junior team over the weekend and that same Boston team was 0-3 against other Boston teams days earlier in a tourney. We all know about the days of Leetch at Avon, but those days of Avon doing what they have always done are over as well. The team when Quick was there not long ago was pretty much it as far as stacked programs go. There will be exceptions of course but there is not enough talent to go around anymore. Players want to be the superstar of their team just to get a sniff from a scout so the parents move their kids accordingly so they can have big numbers and not share the spotlight with other solid players. I don't like the way things have progressed but thats how it is.

 

[Lynwood Rowe]

You made my point, West Haven,ND, Fairfield Prep are good high school programs but don't have the talent anymore and this is no different from any other State, those days are gone. I played high school (5 players to D1) and moved to Prep School (12 players to D1) then college. That progression is dead for the most part at this point, it is rare. Your point of seeing the Boston Preps talent pool is fine but I'm telling you that the prep route is not where the top talent goes anymore (for the most part), they go to elite junior teams. as an example, I have 16 kids on my team from CT and Mass who were just run off the ice by a Boston Junior team over the weekend and that same Boston team was 0-3 against other Boston teams days earlier in a tourney. We all know about the days of Leetch at Avon, but those days of Avon doing what they have always done are over as well. The team when Quick was there not long ago was pretty much it as far as stacked programs go. There will be exceptions of course but there is not enough talent to go around anymore. Players want to be the superstar of their team just to get a sniff from a scout so the parents move their kids accordingly so they can have big numbers and not share the spotlight with other solid players. I don't like the way things have progressed but thats how it is.

"I have 16 kids on my team from CT and Mass who were just run off the ice by a Boston Junior team."

Geez, thanks coach...

 

[upstater]

You made my point, West Haven,ND, Fairfield Prep are good high school programs but don't have the talent anymore and this is no different from any other State, those days are gone. I played high school (5 players to D1) and moved to Prep School (12 players to D1) then college. That progression is dead for the most part at this point, it is rare. Your point of seeing the Boston Preps talent pool is fine but I'm telling you that the prep route is not where the top talent goes anymore (for the most part), they go to elite junior teams. as an example, I have 16 kids on my team from CT and Mass who were just run off the ice by a Boston Junior team over the weekend and that same Boston team was 0-3 against other Boston teams days earlier in a tourney. We all know about the days of Leetch at Avon, but those days of Avon doing what they have always done are over as well. The team when Quick was there not long ago was pretty much it as far as stacked programs go. There will be exceptions of course but there is not enough talent to go around anymore. Players want to be the superstar of their team just to get a sniff from a scout so the parents move their kids accordingly so they can have big numbers and not share the spotlight with other solid players. I don't like the way things have progressed but thats how it is.

Well, I can really only talk about the preps and college hockey. With the juniors it's more difficult because I don't watch it. I also see a lot of top college kids who eventually go to the pros coming out of prep so I tend to conflate it all together.

The thing is though, I am comparing the current prep scene around here to how the Boston scene USED to be, so if the changes have made it worse in Boston, wouldn't my point still stand?

I think this is a special area because of its proximity to Ontario.

 

[Doggie Style]

Well, I can really only talk about the preps and college hockey. With the juniors it's more difficult because I don't watch it. I also see a lot of top college kids who eventually go to the pros coming out of prep so I tend to conflate it all together.

The thing is though, I am comparing the current prep scene around here to how the Boston scene USED to be, so if the changes have made it worse in Boston, wouldn't my point still stand?

I think this is a special area because of its proximity to Ontario.

Yeah no doubt, i get it! Anytime you can factor in the close proximity to the Canadian border that changes the dynamic of everything! I hear you regarding Boston but the dynamic up there is that they have a huge market for both the $$$ elites and the $$$ non-elites. What happens is the families with vast financial means tend to make their kids go to prep-schools to ensure the education is a priority and because they can afford it. Whats happening with these elite teams as I mentioned is that these programs are typically cherry picking from the local public HS programs. The dynamic in Boston is that the market can actually sustain that which in other hockey hot beds it cannot.
I'm just having conversation, not looking to question anything as I do not know the Buffalo market at all.

"I have 16 kids on my team from CT and Mass who were just run off the ice by a Boston Junior team."

Geez, thanks coach...

LOL! yeah, we got smoked it sucked! I don't know who it is worse on, the team who gets creamed or the team who travels over 2 hours for no competition!
For the record, I am not the head coach

 

[Lynwood Rowe]

Trust me, I know the lower levels of hockey very well. I never played. But I was indoctrinated into it by virtue of my closest friends to this day who all played HS, prep and were drafted. I used to go comp to bruins games and sit with the brass who drafted my best friend, who was also at BU at the time. I have been watching for a very long time. The Prep kids here for instance play in the Ontario leagues and against Junior teams. It is an entirely different level. I went to NDWH HS and watched that team play Leetch at Cheshire and Janney at Avon. Then I got a good look at the Boston Preps (who are still feeding talent into D1 hockey and then the NHL). I know the level of play. When I'm talking Prep here in Buffalo, I am talking about clubs that compete against the best in Ontario, and most of these kids go to juniors in their latter High School years.

Just as an example: Patrick Kane played in school and also for the Buffalo Regals club (which is a mile from me) until he was 15-16. He spent a half year in Michigan playing for another club while living with family friend Pat Verbeek before he joined the US National team at age 16.

A little more personal information and I'll be over for beers tonite. Think the Cav's are on the tube. I'll bring snacks. Your wife good looking? Just asking...

 

[upstater]

LOL! yeah, we got smoked it sucked! I don't know who it is worse on, the team who gets creamed or the team who travels over 2 hours for no competition!
For the record, I am not the head coach

Don't feed the troll. Guy lives for this stuff.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Not by my eye. I have no stake in this, but having watched Boston schools and Buffalo schools play, the level is higher here. There are a lot more people living in Boston, so more to draw from, and more good players. But the top prep teams here easily compete with the top preps there. The top ones here compete in Ontario. Against colleges like Appleby. They travel across the country. They play those New England top Prep schools like Thayer. The hockey team the next block over from me plays Shattuck St. Mary's every year (a legendary school that fills D1 college rosters), and both schools are always in the top 10 of preps nationally.

My apologies, I was only considering the public High Schools and/or the local, non-prep Catholic schools. Thayer, Avon Old Farms, Groton School, etc. play on a higher level. No question there. On the tier I was referring to, I stand by my belief that Boston area schools would beat Buffalo area schools 9 of 10 times. Last year's final (non-prep) high schools appear to agree as the Top 25 is dominated by MA and MN schools with a few from CT, VT, and MI also in there. No NY school is in the top 25 with Pittsford NY being the highest (#58). The highest NJ non-prep is Delbarton at #28.

1. BC High, MA
2. Malden Catholic, MA
3. Edina MN
4. Champlain Valley, VT
5. Springfield Cathedral, MA
6. Wayzata MN
7. Detroit Catholic Central, MI
8. Lakeville North, MN
9. Cranbrook, MI
10. Blaine, MN
11. Hill-Murray, MN
12. Burnsville, MN
13. Xaverian, MA
14. Austin Prep, MA
15. East Grand Forks, MN
16. Trenton ,MI
17. Fairfield Prep, CT
18. St Thomas Academy, MN
19. Eagan, MN
20. Central Catholic, MA
21. Eden Prairie, MN
22. Notre Dame-West Haven, CT
23. BFA-St. Albans, VT
24. Elk River, MN
25. Notre Dame-Fairfield, CT

 

[upstater]

My apologies, I was only considering the public High Schools and/or the local, non-prep Catholic schools. Thayer, Avon Old Farms, Groton School, etc. play on a higher level. No question there. On the tier I was referring to, I stand by my belief that Boston area schools would beat Buffalo area schools 9 of 10 times. Last year's final (non-prep) high schools appear to agree as the Top 25 is dominated by MA and MN schools with a few from CT, VT, and MI also in there. No NY school is in the top 25 with Pittsford NY being the highest (#58). The highest NJ non-prep is Delbarton at #28.

1. BC High, MA
2. Malden Catholic, MA
3. Edina MN
4. Champlain Valley, VT
5. Springfield Cathedral, MA
6. Wayzata MN
7. Detroit Catholic Central, MI
8. Lakeville North, MN
9. Cranbrook, MI
10. Blaine, MN
11. Hill-Murray, MN
12. Burnsville, MN
13. Xaverian, MA
14. Austin Prep, MA
15. East Grand Forks, MN
16. Trenton ,MI
17. Fairfield Prep, CT
18. St Thomas Academy, MN
19. Eagan, MN
20. Central Catholic, MA
21. Eden Prairie, MN
22. Notre Dame-West Haven, CT
23. BFA-St. Albans, VT
24. Elk River, MN
25. Notre Dame-Fairfield, CT

It's an entirely different scene. An apples to oranges comparison, really. The 5 or 6 schools in town with top talent are prep schools competing at the highest levels with many future D1 players and a handful (say 20) who eventually make the NHL. These schools don't register in your top ranked of high schools because they compete at the high school level in Ontario. In fact, the school I linked to before, Nichols, plays in an Ontario league and then travels to play Minnesota high schools and New England preps like Thayer and Berkshire. In that sense, it's hard to make a comparison. Seeing a good many schools on that top 25 list which I've seen play, the level of play at the schools here in Buffalo is a lot higher. As I said, it's equivalent to New England preps.

 

[Waquoit]

I didn't check the date of this thread. I just assumed it was about BCU wanting to run away from UConn again.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

It's an entirely different scene. An apples to oranges comparison, really. The 5 or 6 schools in town with top talent are prep schools competing at the highest levels with many future D1 players and a handful (say 20) who eventually make the NHL. These schools don't register in your top ranked of high schools because they compete at the high school level in Ontario. In fact, the school I linked to before, Nichols, plays in an Ontario league and then travels to play Minnesota high schools and New England preps like Thayer and Berkshire. In that sense, it's hard to make a comparison. Seeing a good many schools on that top 25 list which I've seen play, the level of play at the schools here in Buffalo is a lot higher. As I said, it's equivalent to New England preps.

I have only seen Avon Old Farms play from years ago, so have no insight there. The same syndication does rank the 'Prep' schools, which looks to be a combination of Northeast Preps, Clubs, and Super High Schools in MN.

1. Shattuck Prep, MN
2. Duluth East, MN
3. Minnetonka, MN
4. Salisbury, CT
5. Lawrence, MA
6. Cape Cod Whalers MA
7. Phillips Exeter, NH
8. Honeybaked, MI
9. Benilde-St Margaret’s, MN
10. Edina, MN
11. Maple Grove, MN
12. Eagan, MN
13. Boston Jr Bruins, MA
14. Neponset Valley River Rats, MA
15. Dallas Stars, TX
16. Northwood Prep, NY
17. Noble & Greenough, MA
18. Chicago Fury, IL
19. Kimball Union, NH
20. Avon Old Farms, CT
21. Team Illinois, IL
22. Victory Honda, MI
23. Gunnery, CT
24. Mid-Fairfield Blues, CT
25. Little Caesars, MI

By the way, what is it with Michigan Club names? Honeybaked Ham versus Little Ceasers? Sounds like Robot Chicken contest. Victory Honda in the middle of Detroit? I have know people who have accidently driven their foreign rental to a Big 3 factory in Metro Detroit and have come out after the meeting only to find their car had been move to the back of the lot on its roof.

At least CT showing up a lot on the both lists, UConn hockey is in a good spot for recruiting

 

[ZooCougar]

I have only seen Avon Old Farms play from years ago, so have no insight there. The same syndication does rank the 'Prep' schools, which looks to be a combination of Northeast Preps, Clubs, and Super High Schools in MN.

1. Shattuck Prep, MN
2. Duluth East, MN
3. Minnetonka, MN
4. Salisbury, CT
5. Lawrence, MA
6. Cape Cod Whalers MA
7. Phillips Exeter, NH
8. Honeybaked, MI
9. Benilde-St Margaret’s, MN
10. Edina, MN
11. Maple Grove, MN
12. Eagan, MN
13. Boston Jr Bruins, MA
14. Neponset Valley River Rats, MA
15. Dallas Stars, TX
16. Northwood Prep, NY
17. Noble & Greenough, MA
18. Chicago Fury, IL
19. Kimball Union, NH
20. Avon Old Farms, CT
21. Team Illinois, IL
22. Victory Honda, MI
23. Gunnery, CT
24. Mid-Fairfield Blues, CT
25. Little Caesars, MI

By the way, what is it with Michigan Club names? Honeybaked Ham versus Little Ceasers? Sounds like Robot Chicken contest. Victory Honda in the middle of Detroit? I have know people who have accidently driven their foreign rental to a Big 3 factory in Metro Detroit and have come out after the meeting only to find their car had been move to the back of the lot on its roof.

At least CT showing up a lot on the both lists, UConn hockey is in a good spot for recruiting

Salisbury School up to 4th? Nice! I really need to keep track of my alma mater better.

 

[upstater]

I have only seen Avon Old Farms play from years ago, so have no insight there. The same syndication does rank the 'Prep' schools, which looks to be a combination of Northeast Preps, Clubs, and Super High Schools in MN.

1. Shattuck Prep, MN
2. Duluth East, MN
3. Minnetonka, MN
4. Salisbury, CT
5. Lawrence, MA
6. Cape Cod Whalers MA
7. Phillips Exeter, NH
8. Honeybaked, MI
9. Benilde-St Margaret’s, MN
10. Edina, MN
11. Maple Grove, MN
12. Eagan, MN
13. Boston Jr Bruins, MA
14. Neponset Valley River Rats, MA
15. Dallas Stars, TX
16. Northwood Prep, NY
17. Noble & Greenough, MA
18. Chicago Fury, IL
19. Kimball Union, NH
20. Avon Old Farms, CT
21. Team Illinois, IL
22. Victory Honda, MI
23. Gunnery, CT
24. Mid-Fairfield Blues, CT
25. Little Caesars, MI

By the way, what is it with Michigan Club names? Honeybaked Ham versus Little Ceasers? Sounds like Robot Chicken contest. Victory Honda in the middle of Detroit? I have know people who have accidently driven their foreign rental to a Big 3 factory in Metro Detroit and have come out after the meeting only to find their car had been move to the back of the lot on its roof.

At least CT showing up a lot on the both lists, UConn hockey is in a good spot for recruiting

I already mentioned Shattuck above in one of my posts. They are the #1 school on your list. They play the Buffalo preps. If you read this article, you'll read about Shattuck traveling to play a 2 games series in Buffalo against Nichols. The 2 school split in the last year, and they play again soon. I don't know why this list doesn't have Buffalo schools other than the fact that the Buffalo schools don't play in American leagues, but Canadian leagues.

http://www.southernminn.com/faribau...cle_25e1913d-0b60-5dc1-a52a-5024c63a9d38.html

Nichols for instance plays in the CISAA (an Ontario Hockey League) and the league sends kids to the NHL: http://www.pointstreaksites.com/view/cisaahockey/news-1675/news_117597

Have a look at this website to give you a sense of the interchange between Canadian Juniors teams and the CISAA and other Canadian school leagues. It will show you how kids leave these prep schools frequently in large numbers to play in the Juniors and then many in D1.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/index.php?status=league&leagueid=414

It's just a very different beast in Buffalo because of the proximity of Ontario. It makes more sense here since schools from So. Ontario are 5-60 minutes away. There's no point in traveling 5 or 6 hours to New England to get a game.

 

[B1GOSU]

Minneapolis Star Tribune makes a case for why the B1G should add Arizona State Hockey as an affiliate member to the B1G for Men's Ice Hockey:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/283095481.html





"Arizona State would be a good fit for the newly formed Big Ten hockey conference. The six-team conference allows its members to play the first half of their season against non-conference opponents. The Sun Devils could limit travel expenses with non-conference games west of the Mississippi against Air Force, Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, Nebraska Omaha, and the four Minnesota hockey programs outside of the Big Ten.

Once conference play rolled around, they would compete against like-programs in the Big Ten. Conference commissioner Jennifer Heppel said the Big Ten would consider expansion outside of its current 14-member institutions."

 

[Ldandy]

Minneapolis Star Tribune makes a case for why the B1G should add Arizona State Hockey as an affiliate member to the B1G for Men's Ice Hockey:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/283095481.html





"Arizona State would be a good fit for the newly formed Big Ten hockey conference. The six-team conference allows its members to play the first half of their season against non-conference opponents. The Sun Devils could limit travel expenses with non-conference games west of the Mississippi against Air Force, Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, Nebraska Omaha, and the four Minnesota hockey programs outside of the Big Ten.

Once conference play rolled around, they would compete against like-programs in the Big Ten. Conference commissioner Jennifer Heppel said the Big Ten would consider expansion outside of its current 14-member institutions."

Obviously with the addition of Hopkins for Lacrosse the conference is not opposed to adding partial members. Although circumstances were completely different in that their inclusion allowed for the formation of a viable league. The B1G already has a conference, so I'm not sure what ASU brings to the table? Maybe it is as simple as adding a few automatic wins to the column for the top of the conference, but I can't see schools like Minny or UM wanting to give up additional non con games to play ASU. The occasional OOC trip for the players and for the snow bird alums? Sure. Every season on the schedule multiple games home and away? That seems like a tough sell.

 

[Pudge]

Honeybaked Prep in Michigan?

Nice.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Obviously with the addition of Hopkins for Lacrosse the conference is not opposed to adding partial members. Although circumstances were completely different in that their inclusion allowed for the formation of a viable league. The B1G already has a conference, so I'm not sure what ASU brings to the table? Maybe it is as simple as adding a few automatic wins to the column for the top of the conference, but I can't see schools like Minny or UM wanting to give up additional non con games to play ASU. The occasional OOC trip for the players and for the snow bird alums? Sure. Every season on the schedule multiple games home and away? That seems like a tough sell.

I agree plus the B1G/John Hopkins alignment appears to be unique and multifaceted. First, Johns Hopkins' only D1 sport is Lacrosse, thus there are no issues with their other sports programs. Second, John Hopkins's AAU status as a top 10 national university is very attractive to the CIC members within the B1G plus U Chicago. It's a logical fit. Arizona State is not AAU (though it's a goal, join the club) and is ranked #129 (US News 2014) and has all D1 sports, though the PAC and B1G do work closely with each other. Thus, who knows.

 

[Ldandy]

I agree plus the B1G/John Hopkins alignment appears to be unique and multifaceted. First, Johns Hopkins' only D1 sport is Lacrosse, thus there are no issues with their other sports programs. Second, John Hopkins's AAU status as a top 10 national university is very attractive to the CIC members within the B1G plus U Chicago. It's a logical fit. Arizona State is not AAU (though it's a goal, join the club) and is ranked #129 (US News 2014) and has all D1 sports, though the PAC and B1G do work closely with each other. Thus, who knows.

Any membership increase will likely come from an existing member moving up like Purdue or Illinois, or from a school with an existing 1a program like UCONN joining for all sports.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Any membership increase will likely come from an existing member moving up like Purdue or Illinois, or from a school with an existing 1a program like UCONN joining for all sports.

Agree. I have heard that Northwestern is being pushed to add a team (they have the money and a decent metro area for hockey) while Rutgers would be pick #2 (again, hockey money); but, Rutgers has to get its financial house in order before that happens. Both colleges have teams in the collegiate club circuit, ACHA, which is what Penn St was before Mr. Pegula dropped $102 million into the program.

 

[Ldandy]

Agree. I have heard that Northwestern is being pushed to add a team (they have the money and a decent metro area for hockey) while Rutgers would be pick #2 (again, hockey money); but, Rutgers has to get its financial house in order before that happens. Both colleges have teams in the collegiate club circuit, ACHA, which is what Penn St was before Mr. Pegula dropped $102 million into the program.

Well aware, and God Bless Terry for his gift. Hockey at The Pegloo is a blast.