The Detroit Free Press has an article updating people on the latest news regarding the decision made by Penn State University, of the Big Ten Conference, to introduce Division I college hockey to its roster of intercollegiate athletics programs.
The news has stirred up some strong interest in the college hockey ranks in recent weeks and months. Detroit Free Press writer George Sipple has an article that I would encourage people to check out regarding Penn State hockey.
Here is an excerpt from Sipple's article:
The Big Ten issued a statement indicating there could be discussion of adding a hockey conference in the future.
If the Big Ten did create one, the CCHA would lose two of its strongest members, Michigan and Michigan State. Any CCHA member school that planned to leave the conference would have to give a year’s notice, as Nebraska-Omaha did, when in 2009, it joined the WCHA in 2010-11.
Tom Anastos said he’s been hearing rumors of a Big Ten hockey conference since he became CCHA commissioner 13 years ago.
“The college hockey landscape over the last 10 years continues to evolve,” Anastos said. “So, I just see this as an ongoing part of that process. I think it’s so simplistic for people to say, ‘Oh, the CCHA has a spot for a 12th team. This makes sense.’ Yeah, maybe that will be great. But I don’t think it is just that simple.”
The college hockey landscape does continue to evolve, but this ramifications of this change is more than a little significant.
As Anastos suggested, not everything is as simple as it looks, but we also hope everything is not as dangerous as it potentially looks should the Big Ten move forward with a college hockey conference.
The fact that the Big Ten is now discussing things should make people at schools like Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan more than a little uncomfortable.
These schools, to a large extent, depend on guaranteed competition with Michigan and Michigan State as partners in the CCHA.
Should U-of-M and MSU depart for a Big Ten hockey conference, is there any guarantee the two major CCHA schools would continue to play Ferris, Lake State and Northern?
Is there any guarantee that the Spartans and Wolverines would even want to travel to Big Rapids, Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette? What's in it for U-of-M and MSU?
Some of us assume that Michigan and Michigan State will want to play schools like Ferris, Bowling Green, Northern Michigan, Lake Superior and Western Michigan? BUT, would the Wolverines and Spartans want to go on the road or would they force those schools to just come to Ann Arbor and East Lansing?
Michigan and Michigan State, playing in Big Rapids, are big draws for schools like Ferris.
Detroit Free Press:
http://www.freep.com/article/20100917/SPORTS08/100917060/Penn-State-s-addition-leads-to-Big-Ten-hockey-speculation
0 comments:
Post a Comment