Upgrading the Hockey Program Makes More Sense Than Bringing Back Baseball

cyclonesurveyor

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Jan 26, 2009
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That's because they had their own T. Boone Pickens. Just Google Ralph Engelstad.

if i remember the story correctly, didn't he have the fighting souix head engraved in huge pieces of stone all over the walls and floors of the hockey arena? supposedly at the time, the university hadn't received permission from the Souix tribe for the school mascot, and ND would have to select a new mascot?
 

legi

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Oct 31, 2008
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if i remember the story correctly, didn't he have the fighting souix head engraved in huge pieces of stone all over the walls and floors of the hockey arena? supposedly at the time, the university hadn't received permission from the Souix tribe for the school mascot, and ND would have to select a new mascot?

He pretty much threatened to stop the funding if the "Fighting Sioux" name was to be changed, and then he put the logo all over the arena so it would cost an arm and a leg to have it removed. I think he was of the opinion that if he was gonna pay $100M for the place, he will do whatever the **** he wants. And he got his way.
 

drednot57

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Apr 26, 2010
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If the Big Eight actually sponsored Division I varsity men's hockey, then shouldn't a conference member have made the NCAA tournament at least once?
There were only 5 to 6 teams invited to a one game series at that time. ISU was never an invitee.
 

drednot57

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From what I can tell, for the past 40 years, ISU hockey has been a member of CSCHL/AHCA, and never NCAA. Also, I can't find any record of the Big 8 sponsoring NCAA hockey.
So why is there a banner hanging in the Ames/ISU ice arena proclaiming the Cyclone hockey team two time Big 8 champs? I believe in 1977 and 1979. Was there an ACHA association named the Big 8? I kind of doubt it. The time period indicated on the banner is way too early. I believe there was a brief time of three or four years that the men's hockey team played in the Big 8 Conference which would indicate it had varsity status at the time. Except for that brief interruption, the Cyclone men's hockey team has always played in the CSCHL/ACHA. As I indicated before, the hockey team's all too brief time at varsity status was due to the effects of Title IX. The hockey program was one of the first, if not the first Title IX casualty at ISU.
 
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Stumpy

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So why is there a banner hanging in the Ames/ISU ice arena proclaiming the Cyclone hockey team two time Big 8 champs? Was there an ACHA association named the Big 8? I kind of doubt it.

The Big 8 titles came in 1974, 1977, and 1979 while Iowa State was a member of the CSCHL. As this was in the first decade of the program, my guess is this was a tournament with other non-varsity Big 8 squads (perhaps Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska). I am 100% positive the team has never been formally affiliated with the NCAA.
 

jdoggivjc

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Sep 27, 2006
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He pretty much threatened to stop the funding if the "Fighting Sioux" name was to be changed, and then he put the logo all over the arena so it would cost an arm and a leg to have it removed. I think he was of the opinion that if he was gonna pay $100M for the place, he will do whatever the **** he wants. And he got his way.

Good for him - at least someone was willing to stand up to the PC BS that is "oh woe is us - we're offending the Indians." They're not offended about some team using their name, they're offended that they're not getting a cut of the money. Perhaps if I whined loud enough that Notre Dame using the Fighting Irish was offensive to my heritage...
 

jbhtexas

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Oct 20, 2006
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So why is there a banner hanging in the Ames/ISU ice arena proclaiming the Cyclone hockey team two time Big 8 champs? I believe in 1977 and 1979. Was there an ACHA association named the Big 8? I kind of doubt it. The time period indicated on the banner is way too early. I believe there was a brief time of three or four years that the men's hockey team played in the Big 8 Conference which would indicate it had varsity status at the time. Except for that brief interruption, the Cyclone men's hockey team has always played in the CSCHL/ACHA. As I indicated before, the hockey team's all too brief time at varsity status was due to the effects of Title IX. The hockey program was one of the first, if not the first Title IX casualty at ISU.

According to this link,

Central States Collegiate Hockey League - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ISU was a member of the CSCHL when those Big 8 titles were won. Also according to that link, ISU has been a member of CSCHL since its inception, except for 1982. As Stumpy said, there was probably an informal association of Big 8 schools that played hockey. I can find no record of ISU playing NCAA Div I hockey, nor can I find anything indicating that the Big 8 sponsored NCAA hockey. Furthermore, I have found nothing indicating that hockey was dropped at ISU due to title IX constraints. If you have documentation showing any of these items, please post it.

Finally, Coach Murdoch's bio below indicates nothing about ISU playing NCAA hockey.

Iowa State Cyclone Hockey - Coaches
 

sportsfandave

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Oct 14, 2009
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If were trying to recriut Texas for football, shouldn't we add baseball back
to get these highschool; players. If there ever will be a tv network more
opportunities for tv time.
 

weR138

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Feb 20, 2008
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Good for him - at least someone was willing to stand up to the PC BS that is "oh woe is us - we're offending the Indians." They're not offended about some team using their name, they're offended that they're not getting a cut of the money. Perhaps if I whined loud enough that Notre Dame using the Fighting Irish was offensive to my heritage...[/QUOTE]

I like it. I'm starting a campaign against the Minnesota Vikings. I take offense to the depiction of scandinavian people as violent. I could be silenced with say, one million dollars...?
 

weR138

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Feb 20, 2008
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Yes? I'm not even sure if any of that was a coherent sentence. What the hell does having baseball have to do with football recruiting?

Yes, I was able to decipher it.

Baseball is huge in Texas so I think he means we could attract two sport athletes. Also, a Big XII Network would have to fill programming in the summer, baseball season, and without a baseball team that is exposure we wouldn't get.
 

junckerl

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Feb 18, 2009
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6373_123355318317_121262733317_2412719_5259470_n.jpg
 

Swanson10

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Jun 12, 2008
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if i remember the story correctly, didn't he have the fighting souix head engraved in huge pieces of stone all over the walls and floors of the hockey arena? supposedly at the time, the university hadn't received permission from the Souix tribe for the school mascot, and ND would have to select a new mascot?


If I am not mistaken. He also set a boat load of money set aside saying "If the school ever changes their mascot. Bring the arena down."
 

ISUSwimmer

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Sep 9, 2010
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Hockey will never be played in Hilton again. The equipment umber the floor for cooling is too old and has not been up kept. I actually have an option that would be better than bringing baseball back or having hockey be a sport. It is a sport that we have a great facility for. The facility has hosted the NCAA Championships and was actually built for that. Bring back mens swimming. My understanding isnthat it will happen. JP is a former age group swimmer and bringing back mens swimming is on the top of his list. This would be a very cheap option. They would bring it back and instead ofnhaving two coaches like before they would have one coach like track and cross country. Not sure when but it will happen long before baseball or ANYTHING involving hockey.
 

MNCyGuy

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Jan 14, 2009
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Hockey will never be played in Hilton again. The equipment umber the floor for cooling is too old and has not been up kept. I actually have an option that would be better than bringing baseball back or having hockey be a sport. It is a sport that we have a great facility for. The facility has hosted the NCAA Championships and was actually built for that. Bring back mens swimming. My understanding isnthat it will happen. JP is a former age group swimmer and bringing back mens swimming is on the top of his list. This would be a very cheap option. They would bring it back and instead ofnhaving two coaches like before they would have one coach like track and cross country. Not sure when but it will happen long before baseball or ANYTHING involving hockey.

I am a former high school swimmer and have a lot of respect for the sport, but really, bringing it back would accomplish nothing for ISU. 99.99% of the population only give a rats *** about 1 or 2 swimmers every four years. Hockey or baseball, while probably not being money makers, would bring exposure to Iowa State. Hell, is swimming even big enough in Iowa high school's to justify it on the grounds of giving opportunities to in-state athletes? Unless a swim fan booster is in JP's office with a big check that's contingent on bringing back men's swimming, I wouldn't hold my breathe.
 

cygrads

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Jul 27, 2007
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This whole conversation is moot - ISU can't afford to start or bring back any sport. Every red cent needs to go to improving what we have and nothing more.