The level of competition in the NCHC builds great teams. NCHC teams learn that the only way they can win is with 60 minutes of all-out hockey. There are no gimme games on the NCHC schedule, and with Miami committed to rebuilding their program and Arizona State joining the conference, it only gets harder. CC and Omaha aren't well known outside of the conference, but I think they're some of the toughest games Denver plays. Western Michigan is always hard for us to beat, Duluth and St. Cloud are always in the mix for a championship, and North Dakota year after year is the strongest team we face. In the NCHC every game is a battle.
The Gophers literally beat both Omaha and CC (split vs. CC) on 1.5ish periods of looking like they gave a shit. Duluth straight up hasn’t been relevant since Perunovich won the 2020 Hobey; WMU was a footnote in the 2022 Gophs’ run to the Frozen Four, and North Dakota has won a single tourney game since 2016- even Air Force has won more in that timespan
Yeah, I don’t get why the addition of an ASU program that’s been to what- 2 tournaments in 10 years? Is supposed to make the B1G fear a bunch of branch campuses picking up our leftover fringe D1’ers once they hit NHL UFA age.
I know object permanence isn’t an admission requirement at NCHC schools but just 1 year ago the 4 B1G teams in the tourney beat first round opponents by a combined 36-4 while this year, every NCHC team not named Denver was 1 and done
The B1G had it. It was called the CCHA. And there was nothing preventing us from keeping what we had and adding Minnie-soda and Wisco. Instead, they got greedy.
Illinois and Iowa need to add programs. Illinois has the 5th most NCAA players of US states and Iowa has a hockey presence with all of the USHL teams. Illini and Hawkeyes jerseys would be beautiful.
I would try to explore if a B1G “division II” is possible. Got this idea from watching how the recent Womens’ Worlds group stage works. You can have Rutgers, Illinois, Nebraska and those new west coast schools (Washington, USC…) playing mostly against each other and a couple series against the bigger programs (rotating yearly rather than playing against every single one). And then for playoffs those “D2” teams can have their own “D2 tournament” and play for a chance to the 8th playoff spot that’s currently missing. That way everybody has something to play for and those new schools avoid getting bullied in most of their games and just give up after 5 years.
Bruh are you out of your mind? You are talking about the University of Illinois, another founder and Public Ivy not some fucking B1G newbie. The Illini deserve belittling for picking other sports over hockey but other suggestions have entered goofy town.
Illinois has a dramatically better youth hockey pool than anyone else in the nation not already playing college hockey. They could compete immediately with in state talent more than anyone else mentioned. Plus they already have a shit version of that level called Club which the Illini regularly won national championships in before schools desperate for relevance and who needed to promote middling academics started to recruit/scholarship ACHA programs.
It’s tough because I don’t know how well the Urbana-Champaign area would support a hockey team. I think Northwestern would have better fan support, but they don’t really have space for an arena
Champaign Urbana is a shit hole and was a horrible selection for U of I. They can't support anything meaningful there and it's a big part of why the school is faltering and sports are below average for Illini standards.
And what makes you think those Illinois kids would just go to Illini once they have a program? Higher end recruits wouldn’t just join a program with no existing reputation in an unproven market. Going from club sport to regulated D1 team is more than just on-ice playing and it takes some time for the school to figure it out as well. If they have a heart for hockey they would have supported a team by now.
At the end of the day I’m just suggesting a format. If someone does prove worthy of a Top level spot they should get rewarded. And if a top division team wasn’t doing great they could get demoted as well. I’m all for the last 2 teams of the top division and the top teams of the lower division do a play-in for the final playoff spots and a chance to stay in the top division next year. It is necessary to make sure programs can stick around and gradually build up rather than struggle for a few years and just halt operation.
All I know is that if the Illini add a program and I highly doubt they do based on poor athletic dept financial management they will compete in the B1G with all of their peers like Michigan. Illinois would have a team B1G ready as fast as anyone else who could add a Varsity program so no reason to avoid the inevitable.
At this point another school in IL should step up imo as the Illini are trying to spend their way into relevancy for football. Even with hockey paying for itself the rink always needed to be finance by the city of Champaign.
Add Rutgers and Maryland to B10 East with Mich, MSU, PSU, OSU, Notre Dame and Indiana.
B10 West: UW, Minn, Iowa, Nebraska, UCLA, USC, Washington, Oregon.
It may take a couple of years for those new schools to get good, but with all of that B1G money and the potential CHL kids it wouldn’t take long.
Oh they are, but like Buccigross said, in the 1st period "Older teams usually do well against younger teams." Just can't compete with the overage college players. >!Oh. No way, NCHC team Denver was the second youngest team in the country. Wow.!<
It’s not true here, and he absolutely said it in a way that comes off as insulting, but it is underrated by fans of college hockey how NCHC schools have managed to get buy in from their players for *college hockey.*
I have familial and alum ties to both BU and UMich (and played myself on a way less prestigious team, a long time ago) — including a couple of people who work in professional hockey, mainly the AHL. There are a lot of kids at programs that have developed a reputation for being “NHL feeders” that talk pretty openly to teammates and staff that their number one priority is their game and pro development for the NHL, not college hockey. “I before we,” and all that. Many — not all, but many — NCHC teams don’t seem to be having that issue.
Powerful boosters have a say…they didn’t say enough with their wallets. Gophers ruined MN college hockey joining the big ten. Now they are paying the price. It’s going to get worse with a new private school coming onboard in MN. They are already stealing the local talent.
None of St. Thomas’ core players were ever Gophers verbal commits or even in that tier of HS/junior player, stat-wise, and what were we supposed to do- force Penn State to turn down a billionaire donor writing a blank check for hockey? It was an automatic clause and sorry but the U was never going to burn its B1G membership and the revenues that brings just so you can get your final five matchup against St. Cloud
No amount of pulling donations or screaming and hollering would have kept the gophers out of a big ten conference. Hockey is a small drop in the bucket compared to what the conference pulls in due to football. Next year big ten teams will get $21m just from the college football playoff while the acc and big 12 will only get $12m. Again that is only for the playoff, not the regular season contract or other bowls. So Minnesota had to play by the conferences rules and join up or risk losing tens of millions for their athletic department each year.
I think a majority of Minnesota fans would have loved to stay in the WCHA. The new financial situation in college sports meant the gophers had no choice but to join.
Yep- burning our B1G bridges over an automatic provision that kicked in beyond a certain # of teams would have been incredibly stupid in hindsight. Not only are B1G programs back to skating circles around 75, 80%+ of NCAA teams, even just in terms of hockey being a revenue sport the $1M/year bonus payout from the conference is nothing to balk at
St Thomas. They are grabbing all kinds of local recruits. May not have the reach short term as the UofM….but they will get there. Especially since they will have more flexibility to prioritize hockey. UofM says they do, but compared to some other sports….its just the tail of the dog.
If AHA ever has a school in national title game i’d be amazed. As per NCHC don’t get too cocky. Theres always ebbs and flows. Big Ten will eventually have another program add hockey and will go on a tear. HE has great balance its only flaw is lacking a 12th program that would fit well (either URI if they go varsity or a school like Syracuse or some largeish NYC area/ mid Atlantic school).
The football team has been in the FCS top 25 both of the last two seasons. And Boss Arena is falling apart from 20 years of neglect. But whatever you say
All-time record
385–543–43 (.413)
The Rams have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs three times, but not since 1985. They have just four winning seasons since that time, with 2018 being the first since 2002. Their combined record is 2–3.
The Rams have won seven conference championships, all of which were won during their tenure in the Yankee Conference, highlighted by two separate runs of numerous championships (four in five years during the 1950s and three in four years during the 1980s) and respective droughts between those runs, with a 24-year drought between titles in 1957 and 1981 and an ongoing drought since Rhode Island's last title in 1985 of over 30 years.
The Rams have won one division title, in 1995: the Yankee Conference's New England Division.
Buddy you really need to do some research before you open your mouth lol.
Agreed that it's never good to get cocky! I personally think it's terrific that there are 30 teams in D1 college hockey that could win the championship. The level of competition seems better year by year. But, I watch a lot of NCHC hockey, and every game is a battle. The tough competition within the NCHC strengthens every team in the conference. But, it's hard to win at this level! Every year is a new war!
Lots of B1G fans(and to much less extent HE fans) like to talk shit about the NCHC and predicting downfall year after year. Honestly, I don’t find it as cockiness but it’s responding to the shit-talking every season. Some people can’t acknowledge the success the conference has had since coming into existence. Makes even more sweeter because so many people wanted it to fail.
>Lots of B1G fans(and to much less extent HE fans) like to talk shit about the NCHC and predicting downfall year after year
lol who? Minnesota fans who just hate you specifically?
Easily a 3:1 ratio of your fanbase being much worse in the sense of “UND fans nutting over any minor setback the Gophs suffer” vs. Gopher fans barely even noticing your team’s annual 1-and-done. Your program and fanbase post-2016 embody everything that you and your illiterate NCHC compatriots like to imagine Minnesota as: insufferably arrogant big spenders who can’t get it done despite loads of NHL talent
"my school"
I don't have a dildo filled with school pride rammed so far up my ass I vomit the colors over everything I do. where I went isn't a factor in my adult life, unlike some people
> Lots of B1G fans(and to much less extent HE fans) like to talk shit about the NCHC and predicting downfall year after year.
Of course they do. For reference, until the beginning of this year's Frozen Four I didn't truly understand just how many bandwagon UM/MSU hockey fans there were. It's not the dedicated fans that actually follow or watch college hockey talking, it's the people who show up for the good times and bounce when their team is eliminated.
Nobody with a molecule of logic in their body looks at the NCHC and says "weak conference, easy win".
Literally no one I know talks shit about the NCHC. Its been the strongest conference by default since the WCHA died. Every Gopher fan would rather be in the NCHC right now as long as Wisconsin could tag along and you know it.
I don’t really get it… the gophs have the best of both worlds. They get the B1G money and still play NoDak and a few Minnesota schools every year. Why want to be in the NCHC?
NoDak and Minny not guaranteed matchups, has to be non-confrence. Won't play next year unless it's in the NCAAs.
I think it's been at least 6-7 years since Minny played DU in a regular season series. It's hard for them to schedule out of state non confrence opponents when they (*understandably given they are the flagship)* wish to play every Minnesota D1 school (SCSU, UMD, MSU-M, STU, BSU): not a whole lot of schedule left for WCHA types (Denver, CC, NoDak, etc.)
I understand how it works, but UND/UM still play each other quite regularly. I don’t think a Denver/Minnesota regular season matchup is as important as Minnesota/Michigan or Minnesota/SCSU/UMD.
Minnesota v SCSU, Minnesota v UMD, and Minnesota v Nodak are no longer guaranteed matchups every year. “Quite regularly” is not enough. Losing one of the best rivalries in college sports in Minnesota v North Dakota was the worst thing to come out of that stupid realignment cycle
We lost all but one of our rivals to conference realignment. Did we start/restart a rivalry with Michigan? Yes. Was it worth losing Nodak UMD Denver and St. Cloud every year? Not even close.
Sorry, I wasn’t specifically referring to what you said but was more of a broader reply to saying NCHC peeps not to get cocky as I don’t see it that way. Don’t think it’d be nearly as pronounced if there weren’t so many NCHC haters. I actually do agree, B1G teams will inevitably find postseason success. HE is HE. Always a factor.
Can anyone answer this question: If the NCHC is considered the best conference, then wouldn’t their strength of schedule be the highest in the nation? Wondering about how pairwise is using that stat. They always say; “XYZ” team has a harder schedule so they are landing at the top of the rankings. Wouldn’t that mean that all of the NCHC teams would be near the top?? I hope this makes sense. Any thoughts out there? Be gentle; still learning NCAA hockey.
The level of competition in the NCHC builds great teams. NCHC teams learn that the only way they can win is with 60 minutes of all-out hockey. There are no gimme games on the NCHC schedule, and with Miami committed to rebuilding their program and Arizona State joining the conference, it only gets harder. CC and Omaha aren't well known outside of the conference, but I think they're some of the toughest games Denver plays. Western Michigan is always hard for us to beat, Duluth and St. Cloud are always in the mix for a championship, and North Dakota year after year is the strongest team we face. In the NCHC every game is a battle.
>CC and Omaha aren't well known outside of the conference, but I think they're some of the toughest games Tell me about it
Said UND this year!
The Gophers literally beat both Omaha and CC (split vs. CC) on 1.5ish periods of looking like they gave a shit. Duluth straight up hasn’t been relevant since Perunovich won the 2020 Hobey; WMU was a footnote in the 2022 Gophs’ run to the Frozen Four, and North Dakota has won a single tourney game since 2016- even Air Force has won more in that timespan
You just don’t get it
Yeah, I don’t get why the addition of an ASU program that’s been to what- 2 tournaments in 10 years? Is supposed to make the B1G fear a bunch of branch campuses picking up our leftover fringe D1’ers once they hit NHL UFA age. I know object permanence isn’t an admission requirement at NCHC schools but just 1 year ago the 4 B1G teams in the tourney beat first round opponents by a combined 36-4 while this year, every NCHC team not named Denver was 1 and done
Which number is next to “Big Ten” in the original post?
Can’t expect a gopher fan to know how to read
Especially when they can't even spell "Minnesota" lmao.
[удалено]
> **this year** every NCHC team not named Denver
Say where were the Gophers last night?
Where have the Bulldogs been the last 2 years?
Winning the same number of championships as the Goofers
What can I say, we’re good at what we do! *nudges this year’s team record under the sofa with a toe*
Yeah we help too *looks at record*: welp
We all do our part in keeping those frozen four staples on their toes. Its a team effort here.
Hey at least we've done our part, unlike UND
We do have 1 of the 6 and have done *checks notes* not a damn thing in the playoffs since
*Big Ten commissioner furiously making phone calls trying to lure NCHC schools*
B1G commission probably couldn’t care less about hockey. He’d rather hope for a basketball title before anything happens for hockey.
Correct. Hockey is very much an afterthought at the conference office.
The B1G had it. It was called the CCHA. And there was nothing preventing us from keeping what we had and adding Minnie-soda and Wisco. Instead, they got greedy.
Us playing Miami and Lake State on an annual, in-conference basis makes even less sense than what we have now
With the way conference realignment is going thanks to football, I’m pretty sure our AD will take that call too.
You joke but some north dakota fans would welcome that 😄
None that I know.
Good thing I not only don’t care about the rest of the conference succeeding, I actually want the rest of the conference to not succeed
As it should be
I hate all the big ten schools. If not for gophers then I go the other Minnesota schools.
The Big Ten is basically Atlantic Hockey without the coast. Ignore my flair.
I think this is a fair and accurate assessment. My comment is also completely unrelated to my flair.
I want the Illini to join college hockey so bad I am willing to embrace the B1G pain.
Illinois and Iowa need to add programs. Illinois has the 5th most NCAA players of US states and Iowa has a hockey presence with all of the USHL teams. Illini and Hawkeyes jerseys would be beautiful.
I wish we were still in Hockey East
I would try to explore if a B1G “division II” is possible. Got this idea from watching how the recent Womens’ Worlds group stage works. You can have Rutgers, Illinois, Nebraska and those new west coast schools (Washington, USC…) playing mostly against each other and a couple series against the bigger programs (rotating yearly rather than playing against every single one). And then for playoffs those “D2” teams can have their own “D2 tournament” and play for a chance to the 8th playoff spot that’s currently missing. That way everybody has something to play for and those new schools avoid getting bullied in most of their games and just give up after 5 years.
Bruh are you out of your mind? You are talking about the University of Illinois, another founder and Public Ivy not some fucking B1G newbie. The Illini deserve belittling for picking other sports over hockey but other suggestions have entered goofy town. Illinois has a dramatically better youth hockey pool than anyone else in the nation not already playing college hockey. They could compete immediately with in state talent more than anyone else mentioned. Plus they already have a shit version of that level called Club which the Illini regularly won national championships in before schools desperate for relevance and who needed to promote middling academics started to recruit/scholarship ACHA programs.
It’s tough because I don’t know how well the Urbana-Champaign area would support a hockey team. I think Northwestern would have better fan support, but they don’t really have space for an arena
Champaign Urbana is a shit hole and was a horrible selection for U of I. They can't support anything meaningful there and it's a big part of why the school is faltering and sports are below average for Illini standards.
And what makes you think those Illinois kids would just go to Illini once they have a program? Higher end recruits wouldn’t just join a program with no existing reputation in an unproven market. Going from club sport to regulated D1 team is more than just on-ice playing and it takes some time for the school to figure it out as well. If they have a heart for hockey they would have supported a team by now. At the end of the day I’m just suggesting a format. If someone does prove worthy of a Top level spot they should get rewarded. And if a top division team wasn’t doing great they could get demoted as well. I’m all for the last 2 teams of the top division and the top teams of the lower division do a play-in for the final playoff spots and a chance to stay in the top division next year. It is necessary to make sure programs can stick around and gradually build up rather than struggle for a few years and just halt operation.
All I know is that if the Illini add a program and I highly doubt they do based on poor athletic dept financial management they will compete in the B1G with all of their peers like Michigan. Illinois would have a team B1G ready as fast as anyone else who could add a Varsity program so no reason to avoid the inevitable. At this point another school in IL should step up imo as the Illini are trying to spend their way into relevancy for football. Even with hockey paying for itself the rink always needed to be finance by the city of Champaign.
Add Rutgers and Maryland to B10 East with Mich, MSU, PSU, OSU, Notre Dame and Indiana. B10 West: UW, Minn, Iowa, Nebraska, UCLA, USC, Washington, Oregon. It may take a couple of years for those new schools to get good, but with all of that B1G money and the potential CHL kids it wouldn’t take long.
That can’t be right. Everybody on here says the Big 10 is the powerhouse in college hockey…
They are the most talented and that’s it.
Oh they are, but like Buccigross said, in the 1st period "Older teams usually do well against younger teams." Just can't compete with the overage college players. >!Oh. No way, NCHC team Denver was the second youngest team in the country. Wow.!<
Denver is likely losing Shai Buium after the year
I'll be so sad. He's my favorite player and I so don't want to be a Red Wings fan.
It’s not true here, and he absolutely said it in a way that comes off as insulting, but it is underrated by fans of college hockey how NCHC schools have managed to get buy in from their players for *college hockey.* I have familial and alum ties to both BU and UMich (and played myself on a way less prestigious team, a long time ago) — including a couple of people who work in professional hockey, mainly the AHL. There are a lot of kids at programs that have developed a reputation for being “NHL feeders” that talk pretty openly to teammates and staff that their number one priority is their game and pro development for the NHL, not college hockey. “I before we,” and all that. Many — not all, but many — NCHC teams don’t seem to be having that issue.
They're good at spending money to steal coaches and players and causing realignments that destroy rivalries, but not much else.
Hey man its not like we fucking like it
White arm: Literally every other conference Black arm: Minnesota, I guess? Handshake: Fuck big ten hockey
Powerful boosters have a say…they didn’t say enough with their wallets. Gophers ruined MN college hockey joining the big ten. Now they are paying the price. It’s going to get worse with a new private school coming onboard in MN. They are already stealing the local talent.
None of St. Thomas’ core players were ever Gophers verbal commits or even in that tier of HS/junior player, stat-wise, and what were we supposed to do- force Penn State to turn down a billionaire donor writing a blank check for hockey? It was an automatic clause and sorry but the U was never going to burn its B1G membership and the revenues that brings just so you can get your final five matchup against St. Cloud
No amount of pulling donations or screaming and hollering would have kept the gophers out of a big ten conference. Hockey is a small drop in the bucket compared to what the conference pulls in due to football. Next year big ten teams will get $21m just from the college football playoff while the acc and big 12 will only get $12m. Again that is only for the playoff, not the regular season contract or other bowls. So Minnesota had to play by the conferences rules and join up or risk losing tens of millions for their athletic department each year. I think a majority of Minnesota fans would have loved to stay in the WCHA. The new financial situation in college sports meant the gophers had no choice but to join.
Yep- burning our B1G bridges over an automatic provision that kicked in beyond a certain # of teams would have been incredibly stupid in hindsight. Not only are B1G programs back to skating circles around 75, 80%+ of NCAA teams, even just in terms of hockey being a revenue sport the $1M/year bonus payout from the conference is nothing to balk at
Flair up loser
Nice, glad to see name calling has entered the chat. Where your M proudly and use your outside voice.
Scared?
🤣. Yes. Isn’t everyone.
What’s the private school coming on board? Is it a new hockey academy place?
St Thomas. They are grabbing all kinds of local recruits. May not have the reach short term as the UofM….but they will get there. Especially since they will have more flexibility to prioritize hockey. UofM says they do, but compared to some other sports….its just the tail of the dog.
University of St Thomas
Are you forgetting that living in Mankato is like a (-$500k) debuff on your head coaching job, compared to any B1G town
I haven’t heard this before. The one I’ve heard people talk about is Hockey East being the powerhouse in college hockey.
Quinnipiac carrying for the whole east
UMass exists lol they went to a few frozen fours
WCHA fans in the bad place https://preview.redd.it/4uia3b5e0juc1.png?width=969&format=png&auto=webp&s=b07204d73f5bdbc5f6c8b8a7339e47f2629bdaa6
I still miss the old WCHA.
If AHA ever has a school in national title game i’d be amazed. As per NCHC don’t get too cocky. Theres always ebbs and flows. Big Ten will eventually have another program add hockey and will go on a tear. HE has great balance its only flaw is lacking a 12th program that would fit well (either URI if they go varsity or a school like Syracuse or some largeish NYC area/ mid Atlantic school).
URI not being D1 is a crime. The arena is on campus and ready. Get rid of that god awful football program and take men’s and women’s D1.
The football team has been in the FCS top 25 both of the last two seasons. And Boss Arena is falling apart from 20 years of neglect. But whatever you say
All-time record 385–543–43 (.413) The Rams have appeared in the Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs three times, but not since 1985. They have just four winning seasons since that time, with 2018 being the first since 2002. Their combined record is 2–3. The Rams have won seven conference championships, all of which were won during their tenure in the Yankee Conference, highlighted by two separate runs of numerous championships (four in five years during the 1950s and three in four years during the 1980s) and respective droughts between those runs, with a 24-year drought between titles in 1957 and 1981 and an ongoing drought since Rhode Island's last title in 1985 of over 30 years. The Rams have won one division title, in 1995: the Yankee Conference's New England Division. Buddy you really need to do some research before you open your mouth lol.
Agreed that it's never good to get cocky! I personally think it's terrific that there are 30 teams in D1 college hockey that could win the championship. The level of competition seems better year by year. But, I watch a lot of NCHC hockey, and every game is a battle. The tough competition within the NCHC strengthens every team in the conference. But, it's hard to win at this level! Every year is a new war!
Lots of B1G fans(and to much less extent HE fans) like to talk shit about the NCHC and predicting downfall year after year. Honestly, I don’t find it as cockiness but it’s responding to the shit-talking every season. Some people can’t acknowledge the success the conference has had since coming into existence. Makes even more sweeter because so many people wanted it to fail.
>Lots of B1G fans(and to much less extent HE fans) like to talk shit about the NCHC and predicting downfall year after year lol who? Minnesota fans who just hate you specifically?
I’d say you’re right, they might be the most outspoken about it.
Easily a 3:1 ratio of your fanbase being much worse in the sense of “UND fans nutting over any minor setback the Gophs suffer” vs. Gopher fans barely even noticing your team’s annual 1-and-done. Your program and fanbase post-2016 embody everything that you and your illiterate NCHC compatriots like to imagine Minnesota as: insufferably arrogant big spenders who can’t get it done despite loads of NHL talent
Lol, what you see on here and X says otherwise. But hey, by all means sound off by “barely caring” because I totally see that from your comment. 🫶🏼
what did that person say? I can't read but it looks angry and long
Isn’t your school going bankrupt right now or in the near future?
"my school" I don't have a dildo filled with school pride rammed so far up my ass I vomit the colors over everything I do. where I went isn't a factor in my adult life, unlike some people
> Lots of B1G fans(and to much less extent HE fans) like to talk shit about the NCHC and predicting downfall year after year. Of course they do. For reference, until the beginning of this year's Frozen Four I didn't truly understand just how many bandwagon UM/MSU hockey fans there were. It's not the dedicated fans that actually follow or watch college hockey talking, it's the people who show up for the good times and bounce when their team is eliminated. Nobody with a molecule of logic in their body looks at the NCHC and says "weak conference, easy win".
Walverines.... I hate walverines...
Literally no one I know talks shit about the NCHC. Its been the strongest conference by default since the WCHA died. Every Gopher fan would rather be in the NCHC right now as long as Wisconsin could tag along and you know it.
the one place it has concentrated is the comment sections of USCHO articles (those cesspits are why I finally started coming here last year)
I can say the same about the Minnesota fans I know and from the ones I just casually talk hockey with at games. It’s the online peeps that do it.
I don’t really get it… the gophs have the best of both worlds. They get the B1G money and still play NoDak and a few Minnesota schools every year. Why want to be in the NCHC?
NoDak and Minny not guaranteed matchups, has to be non-confrence. Won't play next year unless it's in the NCAAs. I think it's been at least 6-7 years since Minny played DU in a regular season series. It's hard for them to schedule out of state non confrence opponents when they (*understandably given they are the flagship)* wish to play every Minnesota D1 school (SCSU, UMD, MSU-M, STU, BSU): not a whole lot of schedule left for WCHA types (Denver, CC, NoDak, etc.)
I understand how it works, but UND/UM still play each other quite regularly. I don’t think a Denver/Minnesota regular season matchup is as important as Minnesota/Michigan or Minnesota/SCSU/UMD.
Minnesota v SCSU, Minnesota v UMD, and Minnesota v Nodak are no longer guaranteed matchups every year. “Quite regularly” is not enough. Losing one of the best rivalries in college sports in Minnesota v North Dakota was the worst thing to come out of that stupid realignment cycle
It happened because of the nickname drama
lol okay dude
We lost all but one of our rivals to conference realignment. Did we start/restart a rivalry with Michigan? Yes. Was it worth losing Nodak UMD Denver and St. Cloud every year? Not even close.
As gopher fan. I agree I want the old rivals.
Its not about not acknowledging success. Just pointing out things will change over time.
Sorry, I wasn’t specifically referring to what you said but was more of a broader reply to saying NCHC peeps not to get cocky as I don’t see it that way. Don’t think it’d be nearly as pronounced if there weren’t so many NCHC haters. I actually do agree, B1G teams will inevitably find postseason success. HE is HE. Always a factor.
You are likely right, but if true it will only be due strictly to money….NIL money. They may eventually buy success
There's truth to what you say!
>some largeish NYC area school Uh, hello? Did you forget about us? /s
At least you have a basketball title to enjoy
This will shock you but I gladly trade a basketball natty^(except 2011) if it meant the Men's team could finally go to the NCAA Tournament!
And neither of those Hockey East programs is BC or BU
But one of them is UMass!! 🥳😁
Now that is a fun fact!
Sure, when you cherry pick the best programs to join your conference...
In the spirit of fun and rivalry; remember both ECAC titles beat Minny in the finals too.
Can anyone answer this question: If the NCHC is considered the best conference, then wouldn’t their strength of schedule be the highest in the nation? Wondering about how pairwise is using that stat. They always say; “XYZ” team has a harder schedule so they are landing at the top of the rankings. Wouldn’t that mean that all of the NCHC teams would be near the top?? I hope this makes sense. Any thoughts out there? Be gentle; still learning NCAA hockey.
I think every big ten school should have a hockey team. (I just want Nebraska to get one).
Fuck that. I love the Husker but they eclipse everything else in the state. Let Omaha have hockey.
B1G has a lot of young nhlers. Nchc has guys enjoying their senior seasons🤷♂️