B1G Conf Members through history
23 Natl Titles and 64 Frozen Fours.
Michigan = 9 Titles and 24 Frozen Fours
Minnesota = 5 Titles and 21 Frozen Fours
Wisconsin = 6 Titles and 9 Frozen Fours
Michigan St = 3 Titles and 9 Frozen Fours
Ohio St = 0 Titles and 1 Frozen Four
Penn St = 0 Titles.
And with as well as OSU is playing this year, and with how quickly PSU has built up a winning program, even with just 6 teams, the B1G is a very formidable league.
There is an outside shot of 4 B1G teams out of 6 getting into the tourney this season.
But I do agree that another 2 teams would help a lot towards making it easier for 3 or 4 teams to regularly get into the tourney.
Was the WCHA of old kick arse? Totally. And I probably preferred it, but honestly, change was bound to happen and for the growth of college hockey, were almost required, and that growth could only really have happened with big money schools, like B1G schools, and since PSU started up, we've since got Arizona St started up now, but are schools with the funds to fully support hockey, and with what we see having happened as quickly as it has with PSU, other schools like Arizona St may be encouraged to follow suit.
But one problem that the formation of the B1G solved, is that there were seasons when really good WCHA teams got left out of the tourney because there were just too many good WCHA teams and they beat each other up.
So what the creation of the B1G conf did, along with the end of the CCHA and the creation of the NCHC, is it effectively spread out the wealth of the former WCHA into 3 different conferences, the B1G, the NCHC and the now weakened WCHA.
But I know that few chk fans care about that, they are pissed about the storied rivalries that no longer get played each and every season. I understand this. So the conference matchups may have suffered, but the end of season NCAA tournament fields should be stronger because of this.
And the only teams I can see that would work in the B1G conf, right now, would be Notre Dame unfortunately. I hate the idea of ND joining the B1G, but under the circumstances I guess it is the only option. After ND, I honestly think Arizona St might work the best? Unless a school like Illinois somehow comes up with the cash to give it a go, but I just don't see it happening.
So there are so many of you out there who hate the B1G and loved the old WCHA, well, that is the way of the world, things have to evolve and change over time, adapt or they won't survive in the long term, and I personally think that the B1G was the best thing that could have happened to college hockey, and I hope I'm not wrong because its something that we are stuck with now.