Big Ten Won't be a Big Hit for College Hockey

There has been talk in the recent years about the Big Ten starting a conference in College Hockey. Now with the news about Penn State planning to formally announce the launch of a new men's hockey program the talk is starting to heat up behind doors and in the public. If Penn State does announce the start of a new program, that would mean six of the now 12 Big Ten teams would have college hockey as a varsity sport. The minimum teams needed in a conference to get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.


There are many questions to be asked and to be answered before Penn State laces up the skates for their first season. Which conference do they join? WCHA? CCHA? Will teams like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan leave their respected conferences to create this new Big Ten Conference in college hockey?


Here are some reasons why it would be a bad idea for the Big Ten to create a conference.


1. Breaking up great conferences like the WCHA (Minnesota & Wisconsin) and CCHA (Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State)

2. They would only having six teams in the new conference. Yes one of them is guaranteed an auto bid and most of the teams in the conference are good enough to get an at large bid, but they won't help themselves out in the Pairwise after everything shakes down. Continually beating up on one another throughout the season will have an effect on their records when it comes time to pick teams to make the NCAA tournament.

3. If teams like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan leave their respected conferences, do you think the WCHA and the CCHA are going to want to schedule non-conference games with teams from the Big Ten? There will be some feelings of betrayal for money. Which is ultimately the main reason for this. The Big Ten Network will be shelling out lots of zeros to get the TV rights. So why would other conferences and schools want to schedule non-conference games with these teams?

4. This would make three average conferences and not two top tier conferences. Hockey East would then be crowned as college hockey's best conference. Not saying that's a bad thing for college hockey, but as a fan of the WCHA, it's a bad thing.

5. With the WCHA and college hockey battling the Canadian Hockey League for recruits the loss of Wisconsin and Minnesota to the WCHA would lower the level of play in the WCHA and give less reasons for recruits to choose the WCHA and college hockey over the Canadian Hockey League.

Don't confuse this with being anti Penn State adding hockey to their varsity sports; it's not that at all. This just gives a solid argument against the Big Ten creating a conference in college hockey. It's great that Penn State is adding hockey, they have a large enrollment, a great name, and the tradition academically. Their club team has also been successful for a while now and that will help them make the transition.

 When Penn State adds college hockey they should join the CCHA, not only because geographically it makes sense, but also it would give them an even number of teams at 12. I don't think the WCHA will make a push to add Penn State because they don't want an odd number of teams. They are also probably at their max of teams with the recent addition of UNO and BSU.

Hopefully college hockey thinks about all the ramifications that could happen if the Big Ten creates a conference.

Marcus Taplin Producer