When it was announced that a Penn State men's hockey program would begin play for the 2012-'13 season, it was assumed that the establishment of a Big Ten men's hockey conference wouldn't be far behind. The addition of the Nittany Lions gives the Big Ten the six-team minimum required to hold a conference championship in Division I men's hockey.
On Monday that vision took another big leap forward, with the athletic directors of the six Big Ten schools that sponsor men's hockey— Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State—announcing their intention to recommend to the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors the institution of men's hockey as an official conference sport beginning in the 2013-'14 academic year.
The presidents and chancellors have to approve the sponsorship of men's hockey when they get that recommendation forwarded to them in June.
A conference tournament will begin in the spring of 2014, with the winner gaining the conferences' automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
The creation of a Big Ten hockey conference means that Wisconsin and Minnesota will leave the WCHA, while Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will move out of the CCHA.
One of the main complaints from fans regarding a Big Ten hockey conference is the loss of traditional rivalries with teams in the WCHA and CCHA. The Big Ten did say that it would continue to strive to maintain a strong non-conference schedule for its six member teams, presumably through a relationship with both the WCHA and CCHA.
Under the guidelines for the new conference, each Big Ten team will play 20 conference games a season, 10 at home and 10 on the road. This means they will play each Big Ten school four times over the course of a season. Most D-I hockey teams play around 36 games in a season, leaving about 16 possible non-conference games with WCHA or CCHA foes in a season, which should ensure the preservation of classic rivalries.
WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod told insidecollegehockey.com over the weekend that he is working with Minnesota and Wisconsin on non-conference scheduling agreements that will keep WCHA rivalries intact for years to come.
Another motive behind the formation of the Big Ten hockey conference is that it will get a TV deal with the cash cow that is the Big Ten Network, something the conference hopes will bring added exposure to the sport on the national level, a bonus that the six member schools hope will lure top recruits to their programs.
