Should Big Ten Hockey Explore Affiliate Members?

In the Big Ten's third year in existence it it becoming clear that conference expansion is on the minds of many. At only six teams the Big Ten is the smallest conference in division one hockey. Furthermore, the Big Ten has never had more than two teams in the NCAA tournament.

Because it will take time before multiple Big Ten institutions elevate to D1 hockey, the conference may be exploring potential affiliate members. Having a school as a single sport member is not groundbreaking step for the conference, just see John Hopkins in lacrosse. If the Big Ten were to pursue this option, who would get the call? Who makes the most sense in terms of geography and academics?

Here is my list for NCAA hockey schools I would like to see become an affiliate members of the Big Ten conference for hockey.

Miami University

The Redhawks were a staple of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for years. Today, they are a constant contender in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Still, they are the located in an awkward position in a predominantly western conference. Located in Oxford, Ohio the university has the identity of a Midwestern school. On top of that, Miami is considered a "Public Ivy" institution. This fact is also key as all other schools in the Big Ten share a slimier distinction.

Adding Miami as an affiliate member makes the the most sense. In terms of geography Miami is right in the Big Ten footprint and already has a natural rivalry with Ohio State. If the Big Ten were to send an invitation to the Miami, the conference could potentially add a strong hockey team which would add to the depth of the conference.

University of Notre Dame

This is the school that makes the most sense, but is also the least likely to happen. Notre Dame has a long history of hockey as well as a fierce rivalry with Michigan State and Michigan. Unfortunately, those great rivalry have fallen to the wayside as Notre Dame shifted to the Hockey East conference after the dissolution of the CCHA.

Like Miami University, Notre Dame is well within the Big Ten's footprint and has a standing rivalry with several Big Ten teams. In addition Notre Dame has a prestigious academic reputation. Unfortunately there has been bad blood between the Big Ten and the Fighting Irish ever since expansion talks broke down in the early 2010's.

It would be nice to imagine a scenario where the Big Ten held out an olive branch to Notre Dame and the Irish accepted. It would rectify a serious wrong that occurred as a result of the Big Ten's conception as a hockey conference and the old rivalries would be alive once again. Perhaps one day, that might happen.

Arizona State University

The newcomer to division 1 college hockey, Arizona State may be a choice for the Big Ten if they are looking for an affiliate member. As of this article, Arizona State isn't part of a conference yet. While some people expect them to join the western-concentric NCHC, it isn't a stretch to consider them for membership in the Big Ten.

This makes sense because, like the Big Ten, Arizona State is a power five school. This means that they are part of one of the Power Five conferences (Pac-12 in ASU's case). It is entirely possible for ASU to join the Big Ten at east until a possible Pac-12 hockey conference is established.  Considering the rising popularity of hockey out west, this too isn't as outlandish as it sounds.

Of course there are a few issues to address, primarily travel. A team like Penn State would have to travel two time-zones to play a the Sun Devils. Such travel is not only time consuming but also expensive. Still, who wouldn't want to go to Arizona in December or January?