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UAH Hockey might be screwed
Posted on 7/4/19 at 3:17 am
Posted on 7/4/19 at 3:17 am
Warning this will be a long but I'll try to get the point across at the beginning. Essienatially Alabama-Huntsville competes in D1 Men's Hockey(D2 for all other sports) and is the only team in their region to do so. In fact outside of the Northeast and Midwest, only Air Force, Arizona State, Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Anchorage, and Alabamas Huntsville field teams. There's only around 60ish D1 teams.
So Alabama Huntsville currently competes in the WCHA. They got into this with conference realignment in the early 2010's but I'll get to that later. They compete with 7 schools from Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio and the Alaska schools I mentioned earlier. Odd fit right? Well they think so too. Those 7 schools announced last week that in 2 years they are going to form their own conference separating themselves from the Alaska schools and Alabama Huntsville. But wait the plot thickens, the Alaska schools appear to be poised to end their hockey programs due to budget concerns regardless. So that just leaves UAH as the odd man out.
So what can they do? Well Division 2 Hockey doesn't exist so they would have to drop down to Division 3 if they dropped down which wouldn't be practical. They could continue with their club program and just disband their program which maybe what ends up happening. Or maybe in the next 2 years if they can get enough club teams to get into D1 Hockey, they could form their own conference, get Arizona State involved(who's currently independent) and keep it going.
I'm interested in discussing this situation, and I'm sure none of y'all had any clue about this nor maybe even knew Alabama Huntsville had Division 1 Hockey. So what do y'all think
So Alabama Huntsville currently competes in the WCHA. They got into this with conference realignment in the early 2010's but I'll get to that later. They compete with 7 schools from Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio and the Alaska schools I mentioned earlier. Odd fit right? Well they think so too. Those 7 schools announced last week that in 2 years they are going to form their own conference separating themselves from the Alaska schools and Alabama Huntsville. But wait the plot thickens, the Alaska schools appear to be poised to end their hockey programs due to budget concerns regardless. So that just leaves UAH as the odd man out.
So what can they do? Well Division 2 Hockey doesn't exist so they would have to drop down to Division 3 if they dropped down which wouldn't be practical. They could continue with their club program and just disband their program which maybe what ends up happening. Or maybe in the next 2 years if they can get enough club teams to get into D1 Hockey, they could form their own conference, get Arizona State involved(who's currently independent) and keep it going.
I'm interested in discussing this situation, and I'm sure none of y'all had any clue about this nor maybe even knew Alabama Huntsville had Division 1 Hockey. So what do y'all think
9
Posted on 7/4/19 at 4:39 am to The Winner
quote:
Essienatially
Posted on 7/4/19 at 4:40 am to The Winner
hate to say it, but not enough people care about hockey in Alabama to do much about it.
Posted on 7/4/19 at 6:47 am to The Winner
They were almost shut down years ago. It's just too expensive for them until more teams in the south start programs.
Posted on 7/4/19 at 7:20 am to The Winner
I'm sure there are many in SEC country that would love to have collegiate hockey programs at their schools, myself included. Unfortunately tho, there's this thing called Title 9.
Hockey and Wrestling aren't profitable or popular enough to warrant starting other revenue negative sports programs.
RIP UAH Hockey, bitches ruin everything.
Hockey and Wrestling aren't profitable or popular enough to warrant starting other revenue negative sports programs.
RIP UAH Hockey, bitches ruin everything.
Posted on 7/4/19 at 8:26 am to Vols&Shaft83
quote:
Hockey and Wrestling aren't profitable or popular enough to warrant starting other revenue negative sports programs.
The SEC has several club hockey teams. The ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) has close to 400 teams competing in three different divisions. Hell, Arkansas has a team in Division 1 (we suck) and Division 3 (with our fellow turds from the SEC).
There is even an SECHC with quite a few of the SEC teams and some old friends like Clemson and Georgia Tech in it.
I am not sure you can get a scholarship playing Ice Hockey down here, but since the ACHA is not part of the NCAA (though they follow the NCAA Division III rules for eligibility and what not) you don't have to add a matching women's sport.
In all fairness, there are plenty of women's college club teams who don't fall under the NCAA either so it tends to balance out.
Posted on 7/4/19 at 9:18 am to vuvuzela
quote:
hate to say it, but not enough people care about hockey in Alabama to do much about it.
Huntsville likes hockey
Havoc has won back to back championships
UAH games aren’t as fun though because they can’t hit anybody in college
Posted on 7/4/19 at 11:59 am to The Winner
I knew they had D1 hockey but never really followed it, other than to say i think they are or were pretty good.
Didn't they win or compete for some sorta championship?
Didn't they win or compete for some sorta championship?
Posted on 7/4/19 at 8:33 pm to Pandy Fackler
They won 2 when they were in Division 2. But they haven't won any since they moved up to Division 1. They had won their old conference CHA a few times but haven't won their new conference.
I think the #1 thing hurting UAH right now is the glory days are in the past and they aren't winning like they used to.
I really do think they need to go on a 1980 USA Hockey type run otherwise I agree with everyone here that their D1 Hockey days look bleak.
I think the #1 thing hurting UAH right now is the glory days are in the past and they aren't winning like they used to.
I really do think they need to go on a 1980 USA Hockey type run otherwise I agree with everyone here that their D1 Hockey days look bleak.
Posted on 7/5/19 at 5:01 pm to vuvuzela
quote:
hate to say it, but not enough people care about hockey in Alabama to do much about it.
Hockey blew up in Texas and Southern California
Jr and minor league teams have done very well in Texas the last couple decades -- the Netflix era has cut into all live sports, including these leagues.
The problem here is UAH is just not the type of school to have D1 hockey, it makes no sense at all.
Posted on 7/5/19 at 5:04 pm to The Winner
quote:
I think the #1 thing hurting UAH right now is the glory days are in the past and they aren't winning like they used to
The number one thing hurting UAH is that it's UAH.
Schools like this shouldn't be competing in D1 sports, much less ice hockey in Birmingham with no nearby schools to play.
A school like Bemidji State can pull it off in Minnesota because of inherent interest and nearby schools to play to keep costs lower.
Arizona State just went D1 in hockey and that's the type of school that can pull this off in a non hockey market.
Posted on 7/5/19 at 5:06 pm to Weagle25
quote:
Havoc has won back to back championships
The SPHL is a pretty big joke in the hockey world.
Most guys are more embarrassed to play in it than continue their career after college to say they play 'pro'
Posted on 7/5/19 at 5:08 pm to Arksulli
quote:
The ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) has close to 400 teams competing in three different divisions. Hell, Arkansas has a team in Division 1 (we suck) and Division 3 (with our fellow turds from the SEC).
D1 ACHA is very bad hockey.
Posted on 7/5/19 at 5:16 pm to Vols&Shaft83
quote:
I'm sure there are many in SEC country that would love to have collegiate hockey programs at their schools, myself included. Unfortunately tho, there's this thing called Title 9.
Hockey would be a revenue sport at every major university that had a team.
Illinois is in the heart of BIG country, which has it's own D1 league.
It has Chicago, which is one of three major hotbeds in the US for amateur hockey players.
They have always done well with attendance as a club team.
And they've had a hell of a time trying to go D1 because of the title 9 issues.
They'd do it in a heartbeat if it was easy.
Posted on 7/5/19 at 7:09 pm to The Winner
quote:
So what can they do? Well Division 2 Hockey doesn't exist so they would have to drop down to Division 3 if they dropped down which wouldn't be practical. They could continue with their club program and just disband their program which maybe what ends up happening. Or maybe in the next 2 years if they can get enough club teams to get into D1 Hockey, they could form their own conference, get Arizona State involved(who's currently independent) and keep it going.
D3 is only prominent in MN, WI and the Northeast -- so yeah, it wouldn't be practical.
Some D3 is actually pretty darn good considering the stigma to that title.
I'd bet on top 10 D3 schools over D1 schools like UAH. I think UAH actually played (and lost) to some of the more prominent D3 programs years ago.
UAH should just forget it and move on without hockey -- really a bad idea from the beginning.
Posted on 7/5/19 at 10:07 pm to The Winner
<----i'm a conrad thompson guy
Posted on 7/5/19 at 11:08 pm to Hidden Tiger
UAH will survive someway somehow. Too storied of a hockey program. Their club heyday was amazing.
I do agree with weagle though, they aren't allowed to play " old time hockey " anymore.
I go waaaay back to the 1970's when they would plant the flag in your arse.
Yep...I remember.
I do agree with weagle though, they aren't allowed to play " old time hockey " anymore.
I go waaaay back to the 1970's when they would plant the flag in your arse.
Yep...I remember.
Posted on 7/6/19 at 11:05 am to Hidden Tiger
quote:
Schools like this shouldn't be competing in D1 sports, much less ice hockey in Birmingham with no nearby schools to play.
Apparently you don’t even know what UAH stands for
Posted on 7/6/19 at 2:54 pm to The Winner
I grew up in Huntsville and spent many nights at the VBC watching UAH play so this would be sad to see it come to an end.
But at the same time, it’s not practical for them to compete in D1 hockey due to their location and the inability to pull talent into the program.
Since they’ve joined the WCHA they’ve gone an abysmal 46-155-18. Honestly, it’s been a long time coming and it’s like they’re delaying the inevitable
But at the same time, it’s not practical for them to compete in D1 hockey due to their location and the inability to pull talent into the program.
Since they’ve joined the WCHA they’ve gone an abysmal 46-155-18. Honestly, it’s been a long time coming and it’s like they’re delaying the inevitable
Posted on 7/6/19 at 5:13 pm to footswitch
quote:
UAH will survive someway somehow. Too storied of a hockey program. Their club heyday was amazing.
I do agree with weagle though, they aren't allowed to play " old time hockey " anymore.
I go waaaay back to the 1970's when they would plant the flag in your arse.
Yep...I remember.
When UAH folds as a D1 program it'll turn to club.
And there has never been fighting or real rough play in college hockey, even in the 70s.
College hockey actually eliminated the two-line pass way back then for a more open style of play.
So no, a shift to less brutal play has nothing to do with UAH suffering.
If you want to see a circus go to a Havoc game.
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