<p>^^^^You think Tressel had a much higher approval when he was hired?</p>
<p>^^ No, he got the 'Tressel Who?" as well!! lol</p>
<p>Even made the 5:30 news here in L.A. (prolly due to the Aztec connection). Congrats to Hoke.</p>
<p>Sparkeye, that Dave/Les Interview video is pretty lame. I would have thrown some HAL 9000 references in there with the annoying computer voice…“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” :)</p>
<p>This computer chat video is funnier (though 6 months old): [YouTube</a> - iPhone4 vs HTC Evo](<a href=“iPhone4 vs HTC Evo - YouTube”>iPhone4 vs HTC Evo - YouTube)</p>
<p>^^ That’s very funny indeed!! </p>
<p>Incidentally, HTC is a known Taiwanese company! :p</p>
<p>I also enjoy this Clip though it’s not related to Big Ten…</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - US-Sino Currency Rap Battle](<a href=“US-Sino Currency Rap Battle - YouTube”>US-Sino Currency Rap Battle - YouTube)</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Hoke is the better hire than Miles (who is a horrible game day coach) for UM.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Must be b/c Teford is overpaid for the results he gets on the gridiron.</p>
<p>^ True…we’re worried about momentum going forward. He says faciliites hurt recruiting…they’re addressing the facilities now, so we’ll see how long that excuse will last.</p>
<p>^ But the thing is - getting highly rated recruiting classes hasn’t been a problem for Tedford (as much as one can rely on such ratings); if anything, it’s the fact that he gets pretty good recruiting classes which leads to the criticism of Tedford “doing less w/ more.”</p>
<p>^ i agree the talent is there. personally, i think Tedford is a nuts and bolts type of guy…more suited to position coach or coordintator. He seems to lack the emotion/passion factor that is needed for a successful football coach.</p>
<p>Cal under Tedford has been the ND of the Pac10; pretty good recruiting classes which underperform on the field.</p>
<p>Notre Dame a key player in potential college hockey realignment</p>
<p>March 24, 2011|By David McCoy (<a href="mailto:dmccoy@wsbt.com">dmccoy@wsbt.com</a>), Click here to follow David on Twitter | By David McCoy (<a href="mailto:dmccoy@wsbt.com">dmccoy@wsbt.com</a>), Click here to follow David on Twitter</p>
<p>SOUTH BEND – A Big Ten hockey conference could cause a seismic shift in the landscape of college hockey.</p>
<p>Whether or not that happens is – in at least one insider’s estimation – up to one school.</p>
<p>Notre Dame.</p>
<p>I do think the CCHA has a tougher road to hoe than us, WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said. And the lynch pin for them is Notre Dame, and what they decide to do. If they decide to stay in the CCHA, well all be OK. If they decide to go out east, or form a new conference, or even play in the WCHA as they did in the past, if that starts to happen, youll see the domino effect. Its really going to have a deep effect on everybody.</p>
<p>On Monday, Big Ten conference athletic directors announced their recommendation of a six-team men’s hockey league to begin play in 2013-14. The proposal will go before Big Ten presidents and chancellors for approval in June.</p>
<p>The move would mean the departure of two teams from the WCHA - Wisconsin and Minnesota - and three teams from Notre Dame’s conference, the CCHA - Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State - to join upstart Penn State.</p>
<p>That would drop the CCHA from 11 teams to eight, leading some to question the long-term viability of the league.</p>
<p>So could Notre Dame be looking for a new conference? The Irish would certainly be an attractive acquisition.</p>
<p>Tom Nevala, Notre Dame’s associate athletic director who oversees the Irish hockey program, and Irish coach Jeff Jackson both said they’ve fielded a number of calls since the Big Tens announcement, from people (mostly other coaches, Jackson said) asking that very question.</p>
<p>“We’re going to be quite popular for a while,” Nevala admitted with a chuckle. "It’s (questions like) 'what are you thinking, what are you going to do, what are your plans? They just want to know, what are you going to do?</p>
<p>Nevala anticipates the next several months to be a very interesting time for college hockey. He said the CCHA and its member schools will need to have a very serious discussion about whether the league can continue to be successful without Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State; or whether another option needs to be explored.</p>
<p>“I think the only option we couldn’t do is going independent,” Nevala said, due to the difficulty in scheduling 30-plus games without a conference.</p>
<p>“But right now we’re in the CCHA, we’re a proud member of the CCHA, we will be for the next couple years,” Jackson said, pointing out that the Big Ten wont start play until 2013-14. “And when push comes to shove and all the dust settles, I know that our athletic director and associate athletic director Tom Nevala are committed to making sure whatever we do is going to help fill this new 5,000 seat Compton Center.”</p>
<p>McLeod, along with the commissioners of Hockey East and Atlantic Hockey, said they have not had any contact with Notre Dame since the Big Tens announcement. ECAC commissioner Stephen Hagwell declined to say if he had. A message left for CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos was not returned.</p>
<p>Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna said his league wouldnt be opposed to exploring expansion opportunities.</p>
<p>“We’re always looking to improve our league,” Bertagna said. “In the past, we never have initiated action. The schools have always come to us. But we always want to see what we can be.”</p>
<p>Bertagna and Hagwell both said they anticipate conference realignment to be the dominant topic at college hockeys annual meetings at the end of April, meetings which Bertagna believes could start to add some clarity to the situation.</p>
<p>"With each opportunity to get together, we’ll find out if people have requests or ideas or plans for what they want to do, Bertagna said.</p>
<p>Atlantic Hockey commissioner Robert DeGregorio said he doesnt anticipate any changes to his conference.</p>
<p>“I’d be really surprised if somebody left,” he said. “And we have not talked about expansion at all. We have 12 teams now. I don’t envision us growing.”</p>
<p>Neither does the WCHA. McLeod said while the losses of Minnesota and Wisconsin will hurt, he pointed out that the WCHA Final Five Tournament had one of its highest-ever revenues earlier this month, despite the Badgers and Gophers both failing to qualify.</p>
<p>Right now, we would stay at 10, McLeod said. Thats where we want to be.</p>
<p>One idea thats been tossed around college hockey circles is the possibility of a merger between the WCHA and CCHA. But McLeod said it will probably never be anything more than that - an idea.</p>
<p>Thats a pretty difficult circumstance for us, McLeod said. Theres just a lot of cons in that scenario, at least from a WCHA point of view. We have thought about it. We have a couple of committees set up. But it really doesnt look like a promising circumstance for the WCHA.</p>
<p>Source: [Notre</a> Dame a key player in potential college hockey realignment - WSBT-TV](<a href=“http://articles.wsbt.com/2011-03-24/ccha_29186727]Notre”>http://articles.wsbt.com/2011-03-24/ccha_29186727)</p>
<p>The B10 should offer ND a hockey only membership. It would be great for both sides. ND used to play in the same league as all the B10 teams except OSU and had great rivalries.</p>
<p>^^Forget ND! If they don’t want to join the B10, scr*w 'em.</p>
<p>I prefer a businesslike approach. Makes too much sense for both sides.</p>
<p>^^I guess I let personal feelings overtake good sense. You do have a point barrons.</p>
<p>You guys have much more history with them. They won’t even play us in football. BA has tried many times.</p>
<p>“The B10 should offer ND a hockey only membership.”</p>
<p>+1. </p>
<p>…My gut still telling me that sooner or later, ND will succumb to Big Ten not only in hockey but as our 16th member once Rutgers, BC & Maryland join.</p>
<p>I don’t see BC or Maryland leaving the ACC. BTen could probably get Syracuse, Rutgers and Uconn.</p>
<p>“You guys have much more history with them. They won’t even play us in football. BA has tried many times.”</p>
<p>Can’t blame ND for not scheduling Wisky. They don’t want to add anther loss to their record most years.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Please, please, please.</p>