Notre Dame lamenting conference realignment - Hockey

[FDNY99]

Also FWIW, very trusted and connected HE reporter Mike McMahon tweeted earlier today that he would not at all be surprised if ND left HE within a few years.

IMHO ND will realize shortly if they haven't already that it's going to be tough for them to even compete with schools like UCONN never mind BC, BU, UMASS-Lowell, Merrimack, and the rest of the conference. They will like McMahon said end up leaving HE...question then becomes who replaces them...Holy Cross maybe..or QU. Or the stars could all align we could hit jackpot lotto and be on our way to the B1G and HE would be able to just stay at 14. More likely someone else replaces ND to be 16.

 

[Adios]

Also FWIW, very trusted and connected HE reporter Mike McMahon tweeted earlier today that he would not at all be surprised if ND left HE within a few years.

Who would replace ND? I know Quinnipiac wants in. Very badly.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

IMHO ND will realize shortly if they haven't already that it's going to be tough for them to even compete with schools like UCONN never mind BC, BU, UMASS-Lowell, Merrimack, and the rest of the conference. They will like McMahon said end up leaving HE...question then becomes who replaces them...Holy Cross maybe..or QU. Or the stars could all align we could hit jackpot lotto and be on our way to the B1G and HE would be able to just stay at 14. More likely someone else replaces ND to be 16.

I suspect ND would leave not for competition reasons, they'll always be able to field a competitive team, but probably not a powerhouse consistently. Instead, they wouldn't like the travel, and really they are an outsider in HE. My guess is they'd go to NCHC, I don't see mutual interest between them and the B1G.

As for HE #12, MacMahon seemed to think Holy Cross. Puke. My preference is very much for QU - better facilities, better program, better location, a nice in-state rival for UConn, overall better fit IMO.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I would prefer not-QU...but J am not sure what a reasonable alternative would be.

 

[primus74]

We should just get all 11 HE teams play both conference games in South Bend. Unbelievable. Kick them out. Alternatives would be Holy Cross, QU, RPI, Cornell if they'd leave ECAC with the Ivies, or maybe URI if they'd commit to upgrading to a D1 team with 18 full scholarships and have all 6 New England state flagship universities.

 

[WestHartHusk]

We should just get all 11 HE teams play both conference games in South Bend. Unbelievable. Kick them out. Alternatives would be Holy Cross, QU, RPI, Cornell if they'd leave ECAC with the Ivies, or maybe URI if they'd commit to upgrading to a D1 team with 18 full scholarships and have all 6 New England state flagship universities.

My order: Cornell, URI (it would be cool to have every State U in NE), QU then RPI. Looking at the landscape, URI better be getting their house in order if they want to be considered when ND leaves.

 

[FDNY99]

I suspect ND would leave not for competition reasons, they'll always be able to field a competitive team, but probably not a powerhouse consistently. Instead, they wouldn't like the travel, and really they are an outsider in HE. My guess is they'd go to NCHC, I don't see mutual interest between them and the B1G.

As for HE #12, MacMahon seemed to think Holy Cross. Puke. My preference is very much for QU - better facilities, better program, better location, a nice in-state rival for UConn, overall better fit IMO.

I agree on the ND replacement. The only thing against QU may be Pecknold's rep among his peers...and that should totally be a non-issue! Replacing ND with QU would be a big upgrade imho.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

0% Cornell leaves. Don't think hockey is in URI's pipeline. RPI is on the downswing and they have facility issues. They wouldn't be a horrendous addition but would be far from ideal. QU is the best available option by far.

 

[TerryD]

This was a student author's opinion piece with two things in it said by Jackson.

I doubt Swarbrick is going to move ND hockey anywhere, especially with NBC Sports paying to televise every ND home hockey game.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

IMHO ND will realize shortly if they haven't already that it's going to be tough for them to even compete with schools like UCONN never mind BC, BU, UMASS-Lowell, Merrimack, and the rest of the conference. They will like McMahon said end up leaving HE...question then becomes who replaces them...Holy Cross maybe..or QU. Or the stars could all align we could hit jackpot lotto and be on our way to the B1G and HE would be able to just stay at 14. More likely someone else replaces ND to be 16.

ND already has a contract with the ACC and would join the ACC if they have to join a conference in full. In that case, UCONN could become a candidate for #16. How that would affect Hockey East your guess is as good as mine.

 

[FDNY99]

ND already has a contract with the ACC and would join the ACC if they have to join a conference in full. In that case, UCONN could become a candidate for #16. How that would affect Hockey East your guess is as good as mine.

I was solely talking about HE and got my conference membership numbers confused...my only reference to the B1G was in reference to UCONN joining.

 

[Yawkey Way]

This was a student author's opinion piece with two things in it said by Jackson.

I doubt Swarbrick is going to move ND hockey anywhere, especially with NBC Sports paying to televise every ND home hockey game.

Agree. ND is not taking its Hockey program out of HE, as there is no other league that will make up the revenue ND currently receives for its participation of its Hockey program in the BE league. The ND fan above has already correctly listed several reaasons why ND won't be going to the BIG.... in anything, frankly. So the rumors cited above on here of their contemplating leaving the HE in Hockey anytime soon are simply untrue and frankly ridiculous in too many ways to count.

 

[FDNY99]

Agree. ND is not taking its Hockey program out of HE, as there is no other league that will make up the revenue ND currently receives for its participation of its Hockey program in the BE league. The ND fan above has already correctly listed several reaasons why ND won't be going to the BIG.... in anything, frankly. So the rumors cited above on here of their contemplating leaving the HE in Hockey anytime soon are simply untrue and frankly ridiculous in too many ways to count.

Funny thing Yawkey...those rumors were started by a reporter from their own student newspaper...nowhere else

 

[Yawkey Way]

Funny thing Yawkey...those rumors were started by a reporter from their own student newspaper...nowhere else

Yes, consider the source is always a good thing.

The writer here as well uses as one of its reasons that it considers ND not a good fit for HE... " geography " ( its words ). This writer must be stuck in a time capsule, as one look around the league formations today, and few of the leagues in college sports make sense anymore on the basis of travel and " geography ".

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Agree. ND is not taking its Hockey program out of HE, as there is no other league that will make up the revenue ND currently receives for its participation of its Hockey program in the BE league. The ND fan above has already correctly listed several reaasons why ND won't be going to the BIG.... in anything, frankly. So the rumors cited above on here of their contemplating leaving the HE in Hockey anytime soon are simply untrue and frankly ridiculous in too many ways to count.

MacMahon is as good as they come as far as covering the sport. He's also EXTREMELY well connected. I place a lot of weight in his assertion. Mind you, he only said it wouldn't surprise him to see them leave, and his opinion is they'd go NCHC, not B1G. They have existing rivalries with NCHC hockey schools, NBC would be fine with televising whoever they play, they show ND sports, not ND-PC/Maine/UNH sports. North Dakota and Denver both would be acceptable TV replacements for BU and BC.

 

[buddy]

We should just get all 11 HE teams play both conference games in South Bend. Unbelievable. Kick them out. Alternatives would be Holy Cross, QU, RPI, Cornell if they'd leave ECAC with the Ivies, or maybe URI if they'd commit to upgrading to a D1 team with 18 full scholarships and have all 6 New England state flagship universities.

I like the "kick them out" statement. ND is for ND. However, hockey makes no difference in conference realignment. If hockey mattered, ND would not have joined the ACC, they would have looked for a P5 conference where hockey mattered. Maybe it does in the B1G, but to the rest of the P5 world it is meaningless. I don't think UConn can rely on hockey to get it to the P5.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Another point on ND whining about officiating. They are ranked 10th of 12 in penalties called. As in, they've had the third-LEAST amount of penalties called.

 

[CL82]

Conspiracy Kitty says:
Just because something is so secret that it only exists in your own head doesn't make it untrue.
Stay strong you crazy redneck, I've got your back!

 

[upstater]

Should invite U. Buffalo

 

[kyleslamb]

Notre Dame fans haven't yet realized that their arrogance and wanting to avoid the Big Ten has helped them be largely irrelevant the past 10-15 seasons. Other than a smoke and mirrors championship appearance where they were waxed, they've been a second rate program in recent seasons.

They can have their 'national' status by affiliating with the ACC... except they haven't really been national for several years. No one is beating down their door to go to Notre Dame now.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Where would ND go if it left Hockey East? B1G is the most logical based on geography; but, it is a no go for political reasons. ECAC would have the same travel issues for ND as Hockey East without the cache of BC, BU, etc. . WCHA has some schools that are closer; but, none of the big names that ND wants. NCHC has Denver, North Dakota, UM-Duluth; but the travel would be as bad if not worse for ND. Atlantic, uh, not. Maybe the Irish could form a new league with Arizona St. once the Sun Devils are up to speed.

As for who would Hockey East replace ND with, HC adds nothing except to make BC happy with their 'biggest' sports rival. Cough, cough. Quinnipiac, Union & RPI all have positives and negatives. I don't see URI making the jump due to state budget issues while Hockey East does not align well with the academically oriented Ivy League teams (Dartmouth, Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Yale, Princeton). I wonder if a school like Delaware, who was a major rival for Penn St at the club level before the Nittany Lions made the jump to the B1G, be interested. What about Lehigh, Villanova or Pitt? Just thinking that a program that expands Hockey East into a new regions (NY or PA) while still being a bus ride away for most teams would be good.

 

[IMind]

Delaware, Lehigh and Villanova and even Penn are just club teams. UConn was a varsity program playing without scholarships in a D1 league. What's baffling to me is that Penn is just a club team. There are only two D1 programs in PA: Robert Morris & Penn State and while there's some thriving junior college and DIII programs it's really under represented all things considered.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I like the "kick them out" statement. ND is for ND. However, hockey makes no difference in conference realignment. If hockey mattered, ND would not have joined the ACC, they would have looked for a P5 conference where hockey mattered. Maybe it does in the B1G, but to the rest of the P5 world it is meaningless. I don't think UConn can rely on hockey to get it to the P5.

In a resume for P5 membership it's in the same category as other activities ,that perspective employers only use a tie breaker. Usually they go unread
I wanted to know what you actually have accomplished 1. (football), education 2 (basketball)other 3 (hockey ,soccer etc)

 

[captainron2]

My order: Cornell, URI (it would be cool to have every State U in NE), QU then RPI. Looking at the landscape, URI better be getting their house in order if they want to be considered when ND leaves.[/QUOTE

It won't be URI. Football sucks up too many dollars and too many scholarships for them to go big time in hockey. The athletic pie is already stretched pretty thin there. There has been some talk about dumping football, but too many big dollar donors would revolt if they did so they hang around and suck every year. (sound familliar?)

 

[huskymedic]

Another point on ND whining about officiating. They are ranked 10th of 12 in penalties called. As in, they've had the third-LEAST amount of penalties called.

JeffCoxSports 2:29pm via SB Nation
Hockey East bans Notre Dame senior defenseman Robbie Russo for 2 games
http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/hoc...d-slashing-northeastern-ny-islanders-prospect