Simon Fraser University Looking to Add D1 Hockey

[Rocko604]

Simon Fraser University, located in Burnaby, BC right next to Vancouver, looking to add a D1 hockey program.

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2016/0...of-landing-an-ncaa-mens-div-1-hockey-program/

BURNABY — Theresa Hanson is only four months into her tenure as the new athletic director at Simon Frsser University, yet she has already begun to lay the groundwork for what could be one of the most substantial start-ups in the 51-year history of Clan athletics.

Hanson told The Province on Thursday that SFU is putting togther a plan aimed at bringing an NCAA Div. 1 men’s hockey program to the school.

To that end, Simon Fraser has contracted the services of a U.S.-based consultant well-versed in NCAA matters to provide a business model that will better enable the university to make its final decision...

...Depending on that decision, potential conference affilations and other timing issues, the Clan could be on the ice as soon as the 2018-19 season, said Hanson.

Two major hurtles:

1. An arena to play in. Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby currently hosts their club team and seats 2000 but would need some upgrades. But is that sustainable? There's the Pacific Coliseum, but with the city of Vancouver looking to get rid of the Giants by bending them over on a lease agreement, would they welcome a different hockey team? Ironically, the type of arena that would be best suited for a team like this is on the CIS UBC campus, the 7000 seat Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

2. The market. Naturally everyone is going to point at the Canucks and Giants, but it goes beyond that. This city and region DOES NOT support college sports. We don't have the tradition of supporting university teams. There might be a honeymoon period where the interest is high for a bit but it will fade. No alumni from UBC I know would ever go cheer or support anything to do with SFU.

Now having said that I look forward to their study, which will include the market and sporting landscape in the region, and see what they conclude.

After thinking about it for a little bit, my best case scenario is them playing in the WCHA at the aforementioned Bill Copeland Arena with select out of conference games (your top NCHC, B1G schools) being played at Rogers Arena or Pacific Coliseum.

Click to read more...

 

[scRIbe]

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2016/0...of-landing-an-ncaa-mens-div-1-hockey-program/



Two major hurtles:

1. An arena to play in. Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby currently hosts their club team and seats 2000 but would need some upgrades. But is that sustainable? There's the Pacific Coliseum, but with the city of Vancouver looking to get rid of the Giants by bending them over on a lease agreement, would they welcome a different hockey team? Ironically, the type of arena that would be best suited for a team like this is on the CIS UBC campus, the 7000 seat Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

2. The market. Naturally everyone is going to point at the Canucks and Giants, but it goes beyond that. This city and region DOES NOT support college sports. We don't have the tradition of supporting university teams. There might be a honeymoon period where the interest is high for a bit but it will fade. No alumni from UBC I know would ever go cheer or support anything to do with SFU.

Now having said that I look forward to their study, which will include the market and sporting landscape in the region, and see what they conclude.

After thinking about it for a little bit, my best case scenario is them playing in the WCHA at the aforementioned Bill Copeland Arena with select out of conference games (your top NCHC, B1G schools) being played at Rogers Arena or Pacific Coliseum.

I wonder how many people read the title of this thread and at first thought "SFU" meant "South Florida University." Would be mildly understandable since we're barely a week past the Frozen Four.

 

[Rocko604]

I wonder how many people read the title of this thread and at first thought "SFU" meant "South Florida University." Would be mildly understandable since we're barely a week past the Frozen Four.

Good point. Can't edit the thread title, though.

 

[SemireliableSource]

Except for the fact that South Florida University doesn't exist.

 

[MiamiHockey]

I wonder how many people read the title of this thread and at first thought "SFU" meant "South Florida University." Would be mildly understandable since we're barely a week past the Frozen Four.

Anybody who has taken the time to peruse the NCAA/CIS thread of HFBoards knows enough about University / College sports to know that South Florida University doesn't exist.

If this were a headline on ESPN, on the other hand ...

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Updated the topic title to make clear which SFU.

And this could be interesting if it comes to fruition. If they can even remotely retain a portion of the Canadian NCAA-bound players, they might be able to develop into a powerhouse in quick fashion. And who knows, maybe this could be the exception to the norm to get masse attention in the area for a collegiate sport, as the NCAA is essentially a non-factor beyond maybe March Madness in Canada.

That being said, a lot of hurdles to overcome first.

 

[Rocko604]

Updated the topic title to make clear which SFU.

And this could be interesting if it comes to fruition. If they can even remotely retain a portion of the Canadian NCAA-bound players, they might be able to develop into a powerhouse in quick fashion. And who knows, maybe this could be the exception to the norm to get masse attention in the area for a collegiate sport, as the NCAA is essentially a non-factor beyond maybe March Madness in Canada.

That being said, a lot of hurdles to overcome first.

Having the BCHL in the palm of their hand would make it a very unique situation. The BCHL sends the most players to the NCAA than any other Canadian Jr A league. While they would still have to recruit against the other schools, they'll immediately be in a prime position to snag quite a few of them.

Like you said though, lot of hurdles to get by.

 

[uncleben]

Idk Canadian schools could partake in NCAA...
Are there any currently?

I can't say I know all of the Canadian Universities, or all of the NCAA schools, so if this isn't that rare, I apologize, haha

 

[MiamiHockey]

Updated the topic title to make clear which SFU.

And this could be interesting if it comes to fruition. If they can even remotely retain a portion of the Canadian NCAA-bound players, they might be able to develop into a powerhouse in quick fashion. And who knows, maybe this could be the exception to the norm to get masse attention in the area for a collegiate sport, as the NCAA is essentially a non-factor beyond maybe March Madness in Canada.

That being said, a lot of hurdles to overcome first.

The BCHL produces more NCAA players than any other Jr A. league in Canada, and it's not really close. SFU would have little difficulty recruiting out of the BCHL, offering local players the opportunity to play NCAA Div. 1 in their own backyard. I don't think it's a stretch to say it would be competitive in short order.

Although College hockey is not a big deal in BC, the BCHL does get a lot of fan support. It's not hard to imagine that an SFU team loaded with players from BC would get good crowds at their games.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Idk Canadian schools could partake in NCAA...
Are there any currently?

I can't say I know all of the Canadian Universities, or all of the NCAA schools, so if this isn't that rare, I apologize, haha

Just Simon Fraser, which is part of the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They're the exception, not the rule.

And it would be interesting. Heck, they might not even need to offer scholarships due to the lower cost of higher ed north of the border.

 

[RED ARMY EAST]

Unb

Just a thought,
UNB is located 3 hours from the University of Maine campus at Orono, they play on average 4 games vs NCAA Div 1 competition every year. Since 2009, BC, Union,Providence and Maine have all played exhibition games in Fredericton. I know of no other CIS team to host Div 1 schools in that timeframe.
It would be interesting to see them play in the Hockey East conference, but at the same time, there hasn't been any mention of it. Cost wise, travel expenses would be a huge difference in compared to playing in the AUS.

 

[BigMac1212]

I wonder how many people read the title of this thread and at first thought "SFU" meant "South Florida University." Would be mildly understandable since we're barely a week past the Frozen Four.

South Florida is actually "USF."

I don't know if I like a Canadian university being in DI hockey. I'm not racist or a xenophobe, but is America ready for a real Canadian treat for their top tier university hockey?

 

[Rocko604]

Just a thought,
UNB is located 3 hours from the University of Maine campus at Orono, they play on average 4 games vs NCAA Div 1 competition every year. Since 2009, BC, Union,Providence and Maine have all played exhibition games in Fredericton. I know of no other CIS team to host Div 1 schools in that timeframe.
It would be interesting to see them play in the Hockey East conference, but at the same time, there hasn't been any mention of it. Cost wise, travel expenses would be a huge difference in compared to playing in the AUS.

UNB would be a great fit based on their support in CIS, but keep in mind you'd have to recruit from a completely different pool of players, as all your success comes from CHL grads.

 

[AUS Fan]

"It would be interesting to see them (UNB)play in the Hockey East conference, but at the same time, there hasn't been any mention of it. Cost wise, travel expenses would be a huge difference in compared to playing in the AUS. "

Not one player on the current UNB team is eligible to play NCAA. You would need an entirely new team of Tier II players, not CHL. The costs of operating in the NCAA would be larger than currently in the AUS.

I can't see it happening.

 

[Love]

As an SFU student I would love this.

 

[uncleben]

Just Simon Fraser, which is part of the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They're the exception, not the rule.

And it would be interesting. Heck, they might not even need to offer scholarships due to the lower cost of higher ed north of the border.

Thanks!!

Is there a reason they get to be the exception?

 

[Rob]

UNB would be a great fit based on their support in CIS, but keep in mind you'd have to recruit from a completely different pool of players, as all your success comes from CHL grads.

Plus we would also needs bigger rink.

It would be interesting but I am happy in the CIS

 

[Bob Stauffer]

Sfu?

My experience as a former SID working in the Canada West was that no Institution had a higher opinion of themselves....with nothing to back it up then SFU.
They always talked a big game and NEVER backed it up.
Their much ballyhooed football program, went 3 seasons without winning a game in the Canada West, and finished with a 16-47-2 record in the CIS.
Some of their people involved in their program were out-right dismissive of hockey at the time...IMO this was partially because of UBC's hockey program having a poor reputation in the lower mainland...for the last several decades.
It was all Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Wrestling for SFU.
When it comes to SFU or for that matter UBC, when it comes to hockey...I am from the "show me state"!

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Thanks!!

Is there a reason they get to be the exception?

They just wanted to be in, all there really is to it.

I don't believe that there's anything preventing any Canadian school from trying to join the NCAA, aside from higher costs associated with many programs and obviously the debate on scholarships if they try to join Division I (which even SFU isn't).

 

[Rocko604]

My experience as a former SID working in the Canada West was that no Institution had a higher opinion of themselves....with nothing to back it up then SFU.
They always talked a big game and NEVER backed it up.
Their much ballyhooed football program, went 3 seasons without winning a game in the Canada West, and finished with a 16-47-2 record in the CIS.
Some of their people involved in their program were out-right dismissive of hockey at the time...IMO this was partially because of UBC's hockey program having a poor reputation in the lower mainland...for the last several decades.
It was all Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Wrestling for SFU.
When it comes to SFU or for that matter UBC, when it comes to hockey...I am from the "show me state"!

SFU has a great wrestling program. Their men's soccer team is a Div II National Championship contender. Before moving to the NCAA, their women's basketball team was a CIS dynasty, and their softball team were NAIA national champions in 03, 05 and 10. Their men's swim team won 7 NAIA national titles in 8 years.

Their only embarrassments are football and men's basketball.

Yes, CIS hockey is not supported out here, which is a shame, it's great hockey, but NCAA hockey comes with a much higher profile. And as already mentioned, SFU is in ferry/driving distance of every BCHL team which sends the most Canadians to the NCAA.

 

[Inkling]

I wonder if the other universities would be that welcoming of SFU? There's the Alaska schools, but otherwise they are not really close to any other D1 schools. Air travel into Canada is expensive compared to the U.S. SFU doesn't really bring any profile with it and not sure if they'd be a big draw anywhere else. It might be considered a growth market, but it also might be a crowded market that is happy to ignore university hockey.

 

[Hollywood3]

My experience as a former SID working in the Canada West was that no Institution had a higher opinion of themselves....with nothing to back it up then SFU.
They always talked a big game and NEVER backed it up.
Their much ballyhooed football program, went 3 seasons without winning a game in the Canada West, and finished with a 16-47-2 record in the CIS.
Some of their people involved in their program were out-right dismissive of hockey at the time...IMO this was partially because of UBC's hockey program having a poor reputation in the lower mainland...for the last several decades.
It was all Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Wrestling for SFU.
When it comes to SFU or for that matter UBC, when it comes to hockey...I am from the "show me state"!

This mirrors my observation of SFU. There are two aspects to this. One is attendance and the other is competitiveness.

Their football program was the worst in Canada West in both attendance and winning percentage.

They never had a CIS hockey team. They are currently in the BCIHL If they were to go to the NCAA, or move back to the CIS, I am sure they would obtain a higher level of recruits.

The problem is their program would lose tons of cash. They would have to start as an independent team. I doubt they would get many games against the CIS, nor against the BCIHL teams they would have abandoned. Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, and North Dakota would be their closest rivals.

As for their performance in general, they have succeeded at sports not taken seriously by many universities.

 

[jason2020]

I wonder if the other universities would be that welcoming of SFU? There's the Alaska schools, but otherwise they are not really close to any other D1 schools. Air travel into Canada is expensive compared to the U.S. SFU doesn't really bring any profile with it and not sure if they'd be a big draw anywhere else. It might be considered a growth market, but it also might be a crowded market that is happy to ignore university hockey.

Take Carleton many have said they should go to Ncaa they would be welcomed by Americans teams there are some rumors there even being pushed by certain teams to atleast look at it but it would cripple the Oua mens basketball league as many think if they were to go others would follow.

 

[Inkling]

Take Carleton many have said they should go to Ncaa they would be welcomed by Americans teams there are some rumors there even being pushed by certain teams to atleast look at it but it would cripple the Oua mens basketball league as many think if they were to go others would follow.

I remember Dave Smart being interviewed on TSN1200 and he said he's had offers but didn't like the rules that NCAA coaches have to operate under so he's never seriously considered taking the jobs. I don't remember the specifics but I think it had something to do with not being able to practice with the students except between certain dates in the year. It might have been others as well, it was a while ago. It didn't sound like he'd be too enamoured about Carleton going there as long as he still had influence.

 

[AllthingsHCKY]

I can see SFU let in as an experiment into the league, but not allowed to play in the championships and regular seasons games against the other teams would be considered as exhibition games and not counted towards standings. The American's are very proud of their college programs and I find it very hard to believe they need or want a Canadian University in they're program