Upgrading the Hockey Program Makes More Sense Than Bringing Back Baseball

[drednot57]

Hockey recruiting would not be that much different than today. If you look at the hockey roster, we have players from most of the traditional hockey regions, i.e. Minnesota, Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Norway, Sweden, et al. In other words, Coach Al and his staff recruit nationally and internationally for their players, and if the program is promoted, their recruiting strategy probably won't change very much IMO.

If Coach Al has somehow "poisoned" the waters for program promotion, then we'll probably have to wait until he retires and Brian Wierson takes over as head coach. I've met Brian on a number of occasions and I do like the guy. Brian is very good with younger kids who attend the Cyclone hockey summer camp, and has very favorably impressed me as a coach and person. I don't know about his relationships with his players though. I only know him from personal experience which has been all positive so far.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Perhaps to gauge Iowa interest in the two sports, it would be better to compare the I-Cubs to the Chops. Don't the I-Cubs average over 7000 per game for a 70+ home game season?

I-cubs also play during peak baseball season, which would not be the case for an ISU team. I went up for a Twins game in May to see the new stadium and happened to hit that really cool weekend. Watching baseball in cold weather SUCKS.

 

[Tornado man]

Nebraska's high baseball attendance of a few years ago was because of their outstanding program under Dave Van Horn. Then, he left and went to coach at his alma mater, Arkansas, who I see are now #2 in attendance.
Meanwhile Nebraska has declined dramatically both in the quality of their baseball program and in fan support.

 

[jbhtexas]

I-cubs also play during peak baseball season, which would not be the case for an ISU team. I went up for a Twins game in May to see the new stadium and happened to hit that really cool weekend. Watching baseball in cold weather SUCKS.

True, but baseball at ISU would be played during the spring, in which there are no other "major" men's sports being played (no offense to golf and track folks). It would overlap MBB a little bit early on. Hockey would be played almost entirely during the same season as MBB and wrestling, and would overlap FB a bit.

 

[jbhtexas]

Nebraska's high baseball attendance of a few years ago was because of their outstanding program under Dave Van Horn. Then, he left and went to coach at his alma mater, Arkansas, who I see are now #2 in attendance.
Meanwhile Nebraska has declined dramatically both in the quality of their baseball program and in fan support.

Well, at ISU we can certainly attest to the downside of subpar coaching. People like to watch a winner...

 

[MNCyGuy]

True, but baseball at ISU would be played during the spring, in which there are not other "major" men's sports being played (no offense to golf and track folks). It would overlap MBB a little bit early on. Hockey would be played almost entirely during the same season as MBB and wrestling, and would overlap FB a bit.

I don't think you can overlook that by time it is warm enough to enjoy baseball the students are gone (maybe this is why the major collegiate spectator sports have these as their traditional seasons). Ames is a dead town in the summer, I think you'd HAVE to play in Des Moines to draw decent crowds.

 

[Tornado man]

Before we add more sports that will cost millions to start up, and drain money afterwards, we need to bring some of our other sports into the 21st century.
When I attend ISU softball games, I feel like I'm at a small-town high school game, except most of those diamonds are better than ours. We don't even have lights. Opposing players look around as if to say "what the hell is this?"
We don't have an outdoor track that can host meets. It's dilapidated and cracked. Our soccer field doesn't even have a dedicated parking lot. Tennis has nothing in the way of indoor courts on campus, not even a bubble. And no bleachers for the outdoor tennis courts for fans.
We have embarrassing needs for softball, track, and tennis to bring them up to conference standards. I'd like to see those get addressed before talking about hockey or baseball.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Before we add more sports that will cost millions to start up, and drain money afterwards, we need to bring some of our other sports into the 21st century.
When I attend ISU softball games, I feel like I'm at a small-town high school game, except most of those diamonds are better than ours. We don't even have lights. Opposing players look around as if to say "what the hell is this?"
We don't have an outdoor track that can host meets. It's dilapidated and cracked. Our soccer field doesn't even have a dedicated parking lot. Tennis has nothing in the way of indoor courts on campus, not even a bubble. And no bleachers for the outdoor tennis courts for fans.
We have embarrassing needs for softball, track, and tennis to bring them up to conference standards. I'd like to see those get addressed before talking about hockey or baseball.

At least with hockey or baseball you can make an argument that you MIGHT see some sort of return on the investment. Those three sports will always be money pits.

 

[drednot57]

Before we add more sports that will cost millions to start up, and drain money afterwards, we need to bring some of our other sports into the 21st century.
When I attend ISU softball games, I feel like I'm at a small-town high school game, except most of those diamonds are better than ours. We don't even have lights. Opposing players look around as if to say "what the hell is this?"
We don't have an outdoor track that can host meets. It's dilapidated and cracked. Our soccer field doesn't even have a dedicated parking lot. Tennis has nothing in the way of indoor courts on campus, not even a bubble. And no bleachers for the outdoor tennis courts for fans.
We have embarrassing needs for softball, track, and tennis to bring them up to conference standards. I'd like to see those get addressed before talking about hockey or baseball.

Me and probably JP couldn't agree more. I just was playing "what if" in regards to baseball and hockey, and which made more sense to bring back -- hockey was a varsity sport in the mid-seventies to early eighties when Title 9 hit. We need to upgrade the track facilities especially as track is one the major athletic traditions at ISU.

 

[SCNCY]

Me and probably JP couldn't agree more. I just was playing "what if" in regards to baseball and hockey, and which made more sense to bring back -- hockey was a varsity sport in the mid-seventies to early eighties when Title 9 hit. We need to upgrade the track facilities especially as track is one the major athletic traditions at ISU.

There are plans for a new track plus field events. They want to build a new track by towers for about 5 million dollars. When this will happen will depend on donations for the project. Phase two of the project would be to build a new softball diamond in the same area.

 

[jbhtexas]

At least with hockey or baseball you can make an argument that you MIGHT see some sort of return on the investment. Those three sports will always be money pits.

Nonetheless, those sports are required to be part of the Big 12 and NCAA.

For the near term, the only way I could see BB or hockey actually being added is if some donor stepped up and provided an endowment to build the necessary facilities and provide the operating budget for several years...

 

[Tornado man]

At least with hockey or baseball you can make an argument that you MIGHT see some sort of return on the investment. Those three sports will always be money pits.

I would like to see a list of exactly how many NCAA hockey programs make money. Same for baseball.
You have to win - I know that. Fans will not turn out otherwise. Example: No program in NCAA hockey has any more tradition than Michigan State, and they also have a great arena. Yet they have declined the last couple of years, and Munn Arena in East Lansing was half-full this year, even against Michigan.

 

[theshadow]

hockey was a varsity sport in the mid-seventies to early eighties when Title 9 hit.

Uhhhh.....what?

 

[Tornado man]

At least with hockey or baseball you can make an argument that you MIGHT see some sort of return on the investment. Those three sports will always be money pits.

I think with ISU having sub-par facilities in those three spring sports - softball, track, and tennis - other schools can legitimately question if we are committed to the Big 12.

 

[Senolcyc]

No reason to add either one.

 

[MNCyGuy]

I would like to see a list of exactly how many NCAA hockey programs make money. Same for baseball.
You have to win - I know that. Fans will not turn out otherwise. Example: No program in NCAA hockey has any more tradition than Michigan State, and they also have a great arena. Yet they have declined the last couple of years, and Munn Arena in East Lansing was half-full this year, even against Michigan.

I don't know if it would make money at Iowa State. It'd be far from a guarantee and you'd need a few succesful seasons. It has to be making money at places like Minnesota though. Track doesn't make money anywhere, although I do see the point that from a prestige standpoint it is important to try and get those facilities back up to par.

Honestly, I just think that if JP did trip over a pot of gold or something that College Hockey would be enough of a novelty in Iowa that you could build a fanbase fairly quickly. It would be something that no other school in the state had and that could be key in snagging some converts.

 

[drednot57]

Uhhhh.....what?

Yes indeedy, they actually played in the Big 8 conference and there are banners up in the ice arena to prove it. Mens ice hockey was one the first Title 9 casualites IIRC.

 

[MNCyGuy]

I think with ISU having sub-par facilities in those three spring sports - softball, track, and tennis - other schools can legitimately question if we are committed to the Big 12.

Yea, I see what you're saying with that now. I agree, with the budget situation as is, that would be the priority. In a magical fantasy land where someone is handing JP a big check and there are sundaes big enough to sled down, however, maybe we see things a bit differently.

 

[Broodwich]

This should just be a poll.

Hockey
Baseball

 

[theshadow]

Yes indeedy, they actually played in the Big 8 conference and there are banners up in the ice arena to prove it. Mens ice hockey was one the first Title 9 casualites IIRC.

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?