Big Ten Hockey: There Are Some Benefits from the New Conference

College hockey is changing.  There has been significant conference realignment and it looks like there will be more.  

The most notable change in the college hockey landscape was the formation of the Big Ten.  A BCS conference will have a presence in college hockey starting in 2013.

The Big Ten will include Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Penn State.

Most college hockey fans (including myself) were outraged with the formation of the conference.  I, being a student at the University of Wisconsin, love having Minnesota-Duluth, Denver, and North Dakota come to the Kohl Center a couple times per year.  I'm going to miss that (although efforts are being made to try to maintain rivalry games).

However, there will be some positives to the formation of the Big Ten conference as well.  First, the formation of the Big Ten will increase the national audience, as Big Ten conference games will be televised on the Big Ten Network.  Hockey fans will be able to see their team from anywhere in the country, an option that has rarely been possible.  Televised hockey could also expand the audience to create new college hockey fans.

Second, the conference will feature Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, which are (in my opinion) three of the five best college hockey programs of all-time.  Wisconsin and Minnesota are already intense rivals, and I have no doubt that Wisconsin and Minnesota will become fierce rivals with the Wolverines.  These games feature some of the best college hockey played all year.  

Furthermore, these elite games will be available on the Big Ten Network.  College hockey will be pitting its premier programs against each other.  Although it won't be every weekend, it's definitely a positive for hockey fans.

While the formation of the Big Ten may diminish the rivalries of old, it is going to offer college hockey an opportunity to expand to newer audiences and possibility gain larger exposure.  It will be interesting to see how it plays out.  For college hockey's sake, I hope it is a huge success.