Notre Dame joining the Big 10 ... for hockey

[Pakuni]

Not sure if it means anything for other sports, but it certainly creates a stronger relationship between the school and conference.

College Hockey News @chnews
CHN has learned that Notre Dame will leave Hockey East for the Big Ten starting in 2017-18

[Tugg Speedman]

Not sure if it means anything for other sports, but it certainly creates a stronger relationship between the school and conference.

College Hockey News @chnews
CHN has learned that Notre Dame will leave Hockey East for the Big Ten starting in 2017-18

This has been rumored for a while.  It makes sense as their is not that many schools that play college Hockey.

Similar to U of Denver playing Lacrosse in the Big East.  Again, a sport with limited teams necessitates this move.

Larger idea, why don't we see more sports only conferences?  A Football conference, basketball conference, non-revenue sports conference and so on?

[GGGG]

Hockey pretty much had sport specific conferences.  Until the Big Ten went off and did their thing for the sake of BTN programming. 

Which is probably why you don't see sport specific conferences any longer.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

ND was the geographic outlier in Hockey East. 

Sounds like the Big10 is going after either Arizona St. or UConn for the 8th slot.

[JWags85]

B10 hockey conference is currently AWFUL as well, and ND has been a pretty strong program as of late, so that couldn't hurt.

[GGGG]

B10 hockey conference is currently AWFUL as well, and ND has been a pretty strong program as of late, so that couldn't hurt.

And it shouldn't be.  Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are historic powers.  MSU has been good at times too.

[Pakuni]

And it shouldn't be.  Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are historic powers.  MSU has been good at times too.

Michigan is very good this year. Stocked with future NHLers.
Whatever happened to Wisconsin hockey, though?

[GGGG]

Michigan is very good this year. Stocked with future NHLers.
Whatever happened to Wisconsin hockey, though?

I don't think Eaves was ever a really good tactical coach.  He had great recruiting contacts though, and was always bringing talent to UW.  Enough to win a national championship in 2006 and runner up in 2010.  But it seems that a lot of that talent has dried up the last couple years. 

Pretty remarkable run.  The program has been in place for 50 years and Eaves was only their third head coach and the first one they had to fire.  But basketball success has sucked away a lot of the oxygen from the program.  It will be interesting to see if they can return.  (I also think they were better served played in the old Coliseum rather than the Kohl Center.)

[JWags85]

Michigan is very good this year. Stocked with future NHLers.
Whatever happened to Wisconsin hockey, though?

They are, but they are only going to be the only B10 team in the tourney.  Minnesota won the B10 regular season and that still wasn't enough cause they were pretty bad non-con.  PSU surprisingly has had the program come along quickly but are still only an average team.  OSU, UW, and MSU were all mediocre to bad.  MSU is 9 years removed from a National Championship but have only made the tourney twice since then.  And OSU, for all its resources and success in many sports, has almost always been a doormat.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

My locals Yale & Quinnipiac are both in.

[Badgerhater]

Minnesota hockey fans don't like B10 hockey.

http://www.startribune.com/big-ten-hockey-is-a-buzzkill-for-fans-in-minnesota/370397541/

[GGGG]

Minnesota hockey fans don't like B10 hockey.

http://www.startribune.com/big-ten-hockey-is-a-buzzkill-for-fans-in-minnesota/370397541/

I can see why.  It is not an exaggeration to say that in the early 1980s, the hardest ticket to get in Madison was to a Badger hockey game when North Dakota came to town.

[WarriorFan]

Now they need to join the BEAST for basketball and let football do whatever they want because they always have.   It would be a nice balance for Gonzaga joining.