Baseball’s New Turf gets the Fountain Cat
- Thread starter WillardYears
- Start date
I would like to see Pitt baseball do well but honestly as a cold-weather team in a warm weather league, we really dont ever stand much of a chance. Honestly, Pitt should probably have a men's hockey team instead. With the immense amount of local talent, they'd probably have a pretty good team eventually. Pitt/PSU and Pitt/ND games would be big. Pitt/RMU could be something. And the ACC could start a hockey league for more ACCN programming
Pitt
ND
BC
Syracuse (they should get a team)
Maybe 2 more schools could be persuaded to start up programs.
Pitt
ND
BC
Syracuse (they should get a team)
Maybe 2 more schools could be persuaded to start up programs.
Funny you bring this us, I was just looking back at the thread about the NHL’s college feasibility study that Pitt was linked to, trying to see what became of it.
From the little knowledge I have about cawlidge hawkey, that’d be a good, albeit small, league with Notre Dame and Boston College as the two heavyweights. You also have a built-in rivalry game with Robert Morris and can schedule the B1G schools and Big East/Hockey East schools (Providence, UConn, etc.)
I could see maybe Louisville and NC State or maybe GT start hockey programs since they have buildings already. Well GT's would be the Hawks' arena.
The Yum Center doesn't have ice so would need renovation. In addition those schools would still need a practice facilities in addition to the arenas. Multiple use arena like that would make scheduling practice time a nightmare. So they would need to build smaller rinks. All three would be terrible venues as they are simply too big. Even the top programs can't fill arenas that big and it makes for a terrible atmosphere.
BC would never Hockey East with built in rivals BU, Northeastern , New Hampshire , Providence, UMass an hour away. Except for Maine there is no big travel in the league at all.
If ACC ever got a hockey league, they would simply tell BC they must be in it. To think BC could tell the ACC no is laughable.
I doubt they'd ever get hockey, but if they did BC would have to be in it.
As for Louisville, I didn't realize the KFC Yum Center didnt have ice. Isnt there a minor league team down there that does?
- I could see Clemson having a successful program. There's a nice arena 30 minutes away in Greenville. Basketball isnt popular there and with the demographics there, I could see Clemson hockey building a decent fanbase.
Again, the arena in Greenville is almost certainly too big for a fledgling D1 hockey program without any history. Even Minnesota and North Dakota's arenas have just over 10,000 seats. Greenville's arena seats more than 13,000 for hockey.
The arenas that are worth building for hockey are only about 5-8,000 seats - and the economics just aren't there if you aren't Penn State and have your $120M, 6,000 seat arena built for you with no out of pocket costs.
It’s all hypothetical anyway. Maybe a couple teams could add it much like gymnastics. PITT and N.C. state compete with Fordham, New Hampshire and 1 or 2 other non ACC schools in some gymnastic league
Pitt is in the EAGL (East Atlantic Gymnastics League) with North Carolina, North Carolina State, New Hampshire, George Washington and Towson.
The ACC was planning on sponsoring gymnastics when Pitt joined, but then when Maryland bailed and they went back to only three schools with teams they decided not to.
We talked about adding hockey but couldn’t find a way to pay for it.
I haven’t heard anything about anyone else in the conference even exploring the possibility so there’s no ACC hockey coming.
I haven’t heard anything about anyone else in the conference even exploring the possibility so there’s no ACC hockey coming.
PITT could do it as an independent. Would have to play mostly Ohio and Michigan schools. Lot of travel to play New England power houses
We hit up some people for a big donation to get hockey off the ground but couldn’t make it happen.
Also it would absolutely kill BC recruiting. From playing in arguably the best league in the country to a start up with games 500 to 1000 miles from chestnut hill would have no appeal at all.
We cant get one of the largest tv provider in the country to broadcast ACC football AND basketball
And you want to start a league that nobody watches on TV in the first place.
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The largest television provider in the country is DirecTV, and they were one of the first companies to sign on.
Its never going to happen but if it did, there would be no consideration given to BC. They'd have to be in it. If it hurts their recruiting, oh well.
ACC would only have to have 4 teams I think to start a league.
They could add the rest as 'affiliated' members like B12 wrestling maybe.
Not sure what kind of exposure or revenue Hockey East has or if an 'ACC' league would be an upgrade.
They could add the rest as 'affiliated' members like B12 wrestling maybe.
Not sure what kind of exposure or revenue Hockey East has or if an 'ACC' league would be an upgrade.
I would think Pitt would add men’s lacrosse before they would add hockey. Less capital investment and more congruent with the ACC.
Comment about single A baseball sent prematurely. ACC couldn’t possibly compete with hockey east. Entrenched power houses who are represented in frozen 4 most every year.
