Alaska-Anchorage kills its hockey team
- Thread starter MeHateHe
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JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
mk80
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- Jul 30, 2012
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Both the UAA and UAF programs have been on thin ice for a handful of years now. I expected both to drop their programs with the reformation of the CCHA happening after this season, and them being on the outside looking in. With all the hits to budgets that states are seeing from Covid, I'm sure that accelerated any timelines for cutting programs. I'd imagine UAF can't be far behind with this announcement now.
It's a shame seeing schools lose their programs for both the fans, and the athletes.
It's a shame seeing schools lose their programs for both the fans, and the athletes.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
Technically, they're not wrong. They would have moved forward with an independent team if they had the financial resources. Of course, it would have required a budget of Germany's GDP to do so.
Once the split was announced, it was sadly, a matter of time. RIP Seawolves
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
And if frogs had wings ... they still couldn't play hockey worth a puck.
I was always shocked that two Alaskan schools competed in Division I hockey.
Never made sense geographically, financially, or relative to the quality of the universities.
Never made sense geographically, financially, or relative to the quality of the universities.
Hollywood3
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At one time I could have seen the NHL trying to salvage university hockey in Alabama, Alaska, and other unique areas. This is not the season for it.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Hollywood3
Bison/Jet/Moose Fan
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The NCAA has several donors and sponsors can do joint marketing programs.And just how would they do that under prevailing NCAA rules?
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
And just how would they do that under prevailing NCAA rules?
NHL teams can't help out directly. They can sponsor certain programs like the feasibility studies, but that is the limit.
But NHL teams can help out indirectly. But they can help out indirectly. But in terms of actually donating the money to start a program, it will have to be private and not sponsored. The Pegula's donating the +$100 million to start the Penn State program is the best example. It wasn't the Buffalo Sabres themselves to give Penn State the money, but it was the ownership group private giving the money. There are several high-ranking members of the Wirtz Corporation and Blackhawks corporate-sponsorship group who are Illini alumni. Supposedly this group is who the University of Illinois AD was targeting in the fundraising effort.
mk80
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- Jul 30, 2012
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Kind of related here is the current reaction to the announcement by the UA-Fairbanks athletic department
Commitment to Alaska Nanooks Programs - University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics
Commitment to Alaska Nanooks Programs - University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics
AUS Fan
Registered User
Let's hope they can do it. I don't know that much about the UA System, except that there is a "Head Office" and 2 branches of the University. If someone could shed some light on how both schools function financially it would be appreciated by me....
The NHL is interested in supporting grassroots hockey, not NCAA programs.
Think about it this way: the NHL wants more people playing hockey because that increases their fan base.
The rate of return on grassroots programs is going to be much higher than NCAA programs because spending on grassroots programs goes directly to generating more players, whereas spending on NCAA programs would rely on an indirect effect (assumption is that people watch NCAA hockey and then decide they want to play hockey).
American state universities are funded very similarly to Canadian universities, with the main difference just being that they receive less public funding per capita than Canadian universities. Otherwise, the systems are surprisingly similar.
That's why I'm not remotely surprised that Alaska is cutting its hockey programs in tough financial Times.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
I never said anything about their interest in supporting what kinds of programs or their reasons behind it. All I commented on was what they are legally capable of doing and the history of action within the parameters.
AUS Fan
Registered User
mk80
Registered User
- Jul 30, 2012
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I think their program will sadly be cut too. Alaska Fairbanks now just lost their only close opponent, and still has the same problems that both schools had before.
No conference = no readily available opponents
Terrible geography = insane travel budget
Pandemic-related issues = no revenue for the foreseeable future
Sadly, the writing is on the wall.
I never said that you did.
Not all replies are disagreements. Sometimes people reply to expand on a comment.
The general thread was about whether the NHL would have any interest in supporting NCAA programs. You cited one example of NHL owners giving a private donation to Penn State. I expanded on your observation by stating that the NHL has no interest in engaging with NCAA programs, and I explained why.
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
A creative ploy to save the UAF hockey program from the next skate to drop?
USCHO.com: Entire Alaska hockey team, coach Largen in quarantine, isolation after half-dozen players test positive for COVID-19
USCHO.com: Entire Alaska hockey team, coach Largen in quarantine, isolation after half-dozen players test positive for COVID-19
JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
No local news to be found on this previously reported rally. The University's Board of Regents are scheduled to meet September 10th & 11th.
