The winds of realignment have been blowing the past few years in college hockey, tearing apart long-standing rivalries and introducing uncertainty into conference structure and future expansion.
Arizona State is the most recent entrant into the D-I hockey ranks, and there has been considerable discussion about where the program will ultimately land.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference, Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and Big Ten Hockey Conference have been mentioned as possible homes for the Arizona State program.
In recent months, most of the signs appeared to point the Sun Devils toward the Big Ten.
Then a story appeared yesterday on the WCCO website which knocked that theory off course:
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/04/25/arizona-st-hockey-big-ten-wcha-nchc/
"Two sources told WCCO that the Big Ten is no longer in the running to add the Sun Devils, and the choice is now between the Western Colleginate Hockey Association or the National Collegiate Hockey Conference."Laying Out Preferences
Twitter has been chirping with various scenarios and preferences on the topic.
There are a number of NCHC bloggers and fans who would prefer the conference stay at its current eight member institutions -- preserving the NCHC's nascent tradition of being a strong hockey conference on a perennial basis.
Some believe Arizona State would fit better in the WCHA.
It has even been suggested that Arizona State should join Hockey East. (It reminds me of the time in 1998 when Maine Hockey Coach Shawn Walsh told the crowd at a UNO Blue Line Club Luncheon that he wanted to see UNO join Hockey East).
Last season has ended, and a myriad of banter ensues until the puck drops in the fall. I even wrote a piece ruminating on the hypothetical notion of UNO and North Dakota playing hockey in the Big Ten.
The Lack of Love
It is interesting to note the healthy cynicism on social media regarding Sun Devil Hockey. Part of it stems from the fact that collegiate hockey is largely represented by "smaller" schools.
Arizona State boasts that it is one of the largest public universities in the nation. There have been suggestions in intervening months that ASU would prefer to be in a conference with other "similar-size" institutions. That fueled suggestions that the Big Ten might accept the hockey program as an affiliate member (as they recently did with Notre Dame).
In some respects, Arizona State's newly minted D-I hockey program is like that new kid on the block who tries to push his way into a long-standing pickup game. The core fans who make up the small, tight-knit group of college hockey afficionados treat ASU with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Mixed Emotions -- Remembering How It Was For UNO in the Early Years
It is easy to be cynical about an upstart program wanting to play with the "big boys."
Even so, I remember the difficulties UNO had when it announced the formation of men's hockey in 1996. The university had assumed it would be able to join the WCHA.
After getting a tepid response from WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod (along with wary skepticism from some of the WCHA member schools at the time), UNO began to look elsewhere.
There were those who thought UNO should join with the other independent schools that would eventually form College Hockey America (CHA).
Based on what we heard at UNO Blue Line Club membership meetings we attended back during the first season, UNO had little interest in that conference.
From a stability point of view, the university wanted to be in a conference with more established programs.
UNO ultimately pursued the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and was accepted to start play in the 1999-2000 season (finishing one game away from getting the conference autobid to the NCAA tournament).
At the time, we were told that Michigan State's Ron Mason was an advocate for adding UNO, and instrumental in greasing the wheels for our application. He proved to be a strong voice for expansion in college hockey, and had been so since his days at Bowling Green and Lake Superior State.
The reality at the time was that the CCHA had hit some potholes with Kent State and the University of Illinois-Chicago -- member schools that fizzled out (Kent State after only a single season). It wouldn't have been at all surprising for the conference to reject UNO as a result.
In 1998, Lake Superior State Athletic Director Bill Crawford told the Omaha World-Herald, "We've been the Ellis Island of college hockey. We bring everybody in."
Miami (OH) Coach Mark Mazzoleni told the paper, "It would be easy for guys like [Ron Mason] to just look out for their own schools. Ron Mason has always told us that we have to open to the betterment of college hockey as a whole."
Unlike some of my compatriots, I have a difficult time summarily dismissing the notion of adding Arizona State to the NCHC.
I believe there are some tangible positives for the NCHC-member schools with the addition of Arizona State. Not only would it be a terrific trip for players, coaches, and fans, it has the ancillary benefit of increasing exposure in the southwest United States (and we are seeing more hockey players from places like Arizona and California on college hockey rosters).
Arizona State had two of its hockey games broadcast on the Pac-12 Network last season (a game against Yale and a game against the U.S. Under-18 Select Team). There is an opportunity for NCHC schools to be featured in matchups against the Sun Devils on the network, and that would increase the national TV footprint.
Where Do We Go From Here?
College hockey fans go should go into this with eyes wide open. It is possible that other Pac-12 programs will follow suit and eventually join Arizona State in the D-I ranks -- leaving the NCHC with a hole if the "Pac-12 Hockey Conference" ever becomes a reality.
Some don't believe it is worth the risk. They feel it is better to maintain stability and avoid risking the solid foundation the NCHC has tried to achieve.
I would merely remind those fans that the NCHC is a diverse conference featuring schools with varying academic backgrounds, funding, facilities, and goals.
Few would argue that Western Michigan is a better hockey school than Northern Michigan, but the Broncos found their way into the NCHC.
It is possible that we have to take the "long view" of the sport. I don't know if it will happen in my lifetime, but it might be nice to see the day when more than 16 teams make the NCAA tournament.
The only way that happens is if college hockey expands.
Final Thoughts
The future is in flux. The addition of programs like Penn State and Arizona State to the D-I hockey ranks creates uncertainty and an environment of shifting alliances.
One thing is certain -- we have to be open to the growth of the sport (even if it is in a judicious and controlled manner).
As athletic department budgets become squeezed by changes such as "full cost of attendance scholarships," we have to consider that the sport could benefit from having well-funded universities sponsoring programs.
There's an old aphorism that states "a rising tide lifts all boats."
The reality is that we need additional programs in collegiate hockey. We need to do things to support and foster the growth.
That doesn't necessarily mean that the NCHC is the best fit for Arizona State, but it is a possibility worth considering.
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