In the college football universe, the Pacific-12 conference dissolved leading to an additional four teams joining the Big Ten. How could the concept of mega-conferences and NIL madness affect college hockey? Pat Micheletti has the inside.
NCAA Division 1 Football is undergoing a colossal change in its landscape. The Big Ten is becoming the Big 14, adding UCLA, USC, the University of Oregon, and the University of Washington following the Pacific-12’s demolition.
Many believe it could lead to more conferences dissolving and the unity of two major dominating forces in the college football topography; the Big Ten and the SEC.
Pat Michelletti currently works as a broadcaster and Big Ten Network on-air personality. Having played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1982-1986, Michelletti is the second all-time goal-scoring leader in the school's history. He is also one of nine Michelettis, his brother Joe is a broadcaster for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.
With schools such as UCLA and USC joining the football conference, could college hockey experience a similar future?
Micheletti expressed how important it is to grow the game through the expansion process, “I'm all about growing the game and I think a lot of people in hockey are all about growing the game so if that's going to launch Division 1 hockey in places that we haven't been before then yes I’m all for it. I would like to see places like Texas have a team potentially down the road” He continued, “It certainly could be a launching pad for it, I think it would be really great to see along the lines of growth of the game.”
College football is lucrative, the essence of sport in America began with college athletics. Schools created athletic programs to create a marketable appeal called school spirit, “Ultimately it comes down to financing. ASU had the backing and stayed independent and they got the support from the school and now they are in the running in the NCHC. It takes one guy to support the idea just to get things going. Yeah I think something else that I had an interest in”
Arizona State notably defeated Minnesota 6-5 in overtime on home ice on November 26th, 2022.
The former Golden Gopher also talked about how NIL is affecting the college sports world “Overall my NIL thoughts, I think it’s important to have compensation for the student-athletes in where we are at with college athletics. Do I like the fact that it may come down to a bidding war between schools and how much a person is getting paid, or how you’re getting paid, that's what scares me a little bit. It’s impossible to be on the same level but I want to see all D1 schools have a fair chance at getting players and recruiting.”
The fear of the Big Ten adding four teams is the domino effect. It could potentially lead to dynasty-like programs. Micheletti was vocal in his opposition, “I don’t want to see only 5-6 teams controlling college hockey. I don’t think it’s good for the game. You like to see great players night in and night out in the Big Ten. But, I want it fair. Teams that are hurting financially should be able to compete.”
In terms of recruiting deals, Micheletti shed light on the impact Big Ten recruiters are having with name image likeness, “It's happening right now. I can tell you that. Teams are ponying up money and so are the NIL distributors. High, high-end players are deciding which school to go to based on the financial packages that they are going to get. I’ve heard ungodly numbers. It is starting to creep into college hockey.”
When asked about how the NCAA may have the leverage to acquire talent leaning toward the CHL, Michelletti was unsure of the trajectory, “For the CHL I don’t know if that's common, I don’t know.” The NHL has seen players like Trevor Zegras, K’Andre Miller, Cole Caulfield, and other recent star-caliber players take the college hockey route rather than the USNDPT or the CHL.
He followed by stating the strength of the Big Ten’s recruiting power, “The Big Ten is the most powerful conference in college hockey. I base it on this, they are getting the majority of the number one draft picks and the high-end player that’s available to be recruited. As we saw Quinnipiac beat Michigan and Minnesota. That has nothing to do with winning a National Championship. In terms of recruiting it’s the power conference. A lot more has to go into winning a championship than just recruiting alone.”
Recruiting has evolved, but the status of established schools prevails over the pretty penny of growing institutions, “As far as recruiting is now, and Rand Pecknold would tell you this, if Logan Cooley and Fantilli get an offer from any school versus Minnesota or Michigan, they are coming to those schools. That doesn’t mean a team can’t win the National Championship. Their first choice will be a power school. That's the reality.”
The NHL follows the NBA’s manifest destiny. Division 1 ice hockey may follow in university football’s pioneering, which would grow the game of hockey in America.
The longer you wait to get on board with the world of super conferences and NIL money, the murkier the waters will get. Strap in for the carnival ride.