This isn't exactly going to be a groundbreaking observation, but it's true: rivalries are the backbone of college sports.
We spend four years (or more) of our lives at one institution. Other, stupider people spend four years (or more) of their lives at an inferior institution we consider our enemy. The battle lines are drawn: We are the good guys, they are our foes, opposed to all that is righteous in the world.
Obviously, here at Wisconsin the main rival in every sport is Minnesota, but of course the Gophers aren't the Badgers' only rivals. Let's not forget about the animosity football fans feel toward Ohio State or Michigan, the intra-state battle between Wisconsin and Marquette basketball or the storied hockey rivalries between the Badgers and North Dakota or Denver.
In the past week, however, those hockey rivalries have been put in jeopardy.
When Penn State announced it would join Division I hockey in the 2012-'13 season it was unquestionably a positive for the sport. One of the biggest names in college athletics would join the game's top ranks, bringing with it a dedicated (and potentially lucrative) fan base. And with Penn State's plans came the rumors of a Big Ten hockey conference to include the Nittany Lions, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Official word from the Big Ten is that they need to discuss a lot more before they will move toward a hockey conference. But based on what we've seen in the past few days from members of this Athletic Department, Big Ten hockey is looking like a reality.
Athletic Director Barry Alvarez told the Wisconsin State Journal he thinks the program will move toward the Big Ten and out of the WCHA. When I talked to him Tuesday, men's hockey head coach Mike Eaves said there have been plenty of indications that Big Ten hockey will become a reality.
All of this is good, in theory. Wisconsin and other Big Ten schools will be able to make more money from TV contracts on the Big Ten Network, which can also give the game better media exposure and potentially bring in more fans.
But a Big Ten conference could cost the Badgers some of their biggest rivalries, namely the ones they have with equally historic teams in the WCHA.
The atmosphere in a hockey game against North Dakota or Denver is unreal. It's hard to imagine the Kohl Center getting louder than it was when the Badgers beat the Pioneers last spring, or matching the excitement in the building before those sold out games against the Sioux back in 2008.
Eaves said Wisconsin will try to schedule games against their old WCHA rivals if they make the move to the Big Ten, but there will not be any guarantee of playing all the historic teams Badger hockey fans are used to seeing. That is reassuring—after all, Wisconsin and Marquette are non-conference basketball rivals that meet every year. So hopefully we can count on Wisconsin seeing North Dakota or Denver in the fall or in some non-conference Christmas-time action each year.
But the atmosphere that made those games against the Pioneers and Sioux won't be the same if the teams meet once a year in early-season, non-conference games. Those spring series when both teams are in the hunt for the WCHA title—those amazing March games that can determine who wins the MacNaughton Cup —will be gone.
Plus, Wisconsin will miss out on great games against other WCHA teams like St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth that have emerged as recent challengers to conference's historic top tier. The Badgers' most obvious rival, Minnesota, would move with Wisconsin to the Big Ten, preserving perhaps college hockey's greatest rivalry. Still, the loss of other WCHA rivals would be a serious blow the rest of the year.
From a fan's perspective, the Badgers should stay in the WCHA if only for the sake of those fantastic rivalries.
But the lure of the major conference—and major conference money—might be too strong. Given a choice between TV broadcasts on Wisconsin Public Television and a more lucrative deal with the Big Ten Network, it's clear which direction the athletic department would probably go in.
In general, Big Ten hockey will probably be a good thing for the game as a whole, giving the sport regular exposure on a larger network. For fans who value some of the sport's best rivalries, however, it could be a real disappointment.
Is Big Ten hockey a good idea? E-mail Nico at savidgewilki@dailycardinal.com.
