Will Big Ten Expansion Finally Bring College Hockey To The Left Coast?
With the Big Ten (B1G 10) conference announcing the addition of four schools in 2024 including Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA the question for college hockey fans is this: will conference expansion be the nudge needed to finally bring college hockey to the left coast?
Over the past couple years, the success of B1G 10 hockey has finally started to quiet the whining and pining for “the old WCHA.” The past couple years the B1G 10 has consistently sat atop the power rankings with Michigan and Minnesota both making appearances in the 2022 and 2023 Frozen Four. Hockey rubes seeing the news about the expansion of the B1G 10 know that all four of the schools added to the power five hockey conference currently have ACHA Club hockey programs that play at the division one level.
As a college hockey fan, I personally believe that the addition of major universities already known for strong athletics that also have club hockey programs will only make the NCAA more competitive and help to grow the game in non-traditional hockey markets. When you think about the hockey experience in Oregon vs Minnesota, the viewpoints on the sport are very different with the age that people get into athletics. And while Oregon may not be the State of Hockey, no one can argue that former Oregon Ducks quarterback, Justin Herbert, has some of the best hockey hair we’ve seen that isn’t on the ice. Not to mention, the folks in Beavertown (Nike) would certainly make pure magic out of some Ducks hockey uniforms.
With the success that Oregon, Washington, USC, UCLA have had in basketball, football and baseball—one has to assume they could grow strong hockey programs as well. The B1G 10 Conference could be key to making this happen.
Skeptics will point to the travel schedule, but like football the B1G 10 could align hockey divisions to put all four of these schools into the B1G 10 West for geographical purposes. One has to think if the scales tip and hockey is added at these schools, that it won’t be long until full rinks are watching a fierce on-ice rivalry between the likes of USC and UCLA.
Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA have all earned major respect at the club level in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) for hockey.
Out of the new four schools it would appear the Oregon Ducks could be first to soar against the likes of the Gophers and Wolverines in the near future. The Ducks club team has had a ton of success recently, playing to sold out crowds while winning back-to-back PAC 8 championships before being elevated to the D1 club level in the ACHA. A recent Sports Illustrated article titled, “The Mighty Ducks—The Rise of Oregon Hockey” included a prediction that had college hockey fans turning their heads, “Upcoming elevation to ACHA D1 have the Ducks gaining momentum towards a D1 spot.”
The addition of college hockey on the left coast would only add excitement across the country with fans already familiar with the four schools competing in the Pac-12 and beyond in football, basketball and baseball. Division 1 Men’s ice hockey would put the icing on the cake and create more exposure for these schools beyond their recent success at the club level in the ACHA.
The Oregon Ducks student body recently tweeted “Oregon is a hockey school.” While they have a long way to go, you have to admire the confidence and belief. It reminds me of the University of Minnesota creating a graphic t-shirts with Arizona native Logan Cooley and “Hockey School” printed on the front after consecutive Frozen Four appearances.
Only time will tell if we’re seeing the beginning of a monumental expansion of college hockey toward the Pacific. But it appears the student bodies are already craving the addition of hockey programs to life their brands on the National stage through years to come.
And while the Ducks, Huskies, Bruins and Trojans won’t be traveling to Mariucci Arena in 2024, I for one hope it’s an idea that isn’t too far down the road.
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