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Picture hasn't cleared up yet, but WCHA network's in play

The idea of a channel devoted to the hockey conference was discussed at league meetings. Much remains to be considered.

By JUDD ZULGAD, Star Tribune

Last update: May 3, 2008 - 8:56 PM

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The WCHA is the latest college conference to explore getting into the television business.

Conference Commissioner Bruce McLeod confirmed "we are relatively early in the process but are investigating a WCHA television network." The venture was a topic of discussion at the league meetings last month in Marco Island, Fla.

The mention of such a channel is sure to draw comparisons to the Big Ten Network, which has yet to get significant cable distribution in Minnesota and has upset many fans of Gophers football and men's and women's basketball teams.

But McLeod said a WCHA channel would not be "a Big Ten thing," adding, "we are approaching it very differently." The league -- home to four Minnesota universities in men's hockey -- has had talks with several cable companies, including Comcast, Charter and Mediacom, the three largest operators in Minnesota. No discussions have taken place with DirecTV or Dish Network.

"We are not going to produce anything until we are sure about the carriage and what level the channel would be carried on," he said. Operators certainly would look to put the potential upstart on a sports tier, meaning anyone who wanted it could subscribe for a fee. The Big Ten Network's insistence on being placed on an expanded basic level has been a major sticking point with cable companies.

McLeod also said initial discussions haven't necessarily involved a 24-hour channel but rather one that carries men's and women's games and perhaps some other ancillary programming. "I've been a little surprised at how fast this has gone along and how strong the WCHA as a brand is in our footprint," he said. "This has been very well received."

While McLeod left the door open a crack for getting the channel off the ground in time for the 2008-09 season, such a move wouldn't significantly affect the Gophers. The University of Minnesota's contract with FSN North to show the majority of the Gophers games does not expire until Aug. 31, 2009.

And Tom Wistrcill, Gophers associate athletic director for external relations, indicated the hockey program might not leave FSN soon, writing in an e-mail Friday that he expects discussions on a contract extension to begin with FSN "in the next month."

At this point, the WCHA owns the TV rights to only two games per team per season, as well as the first round of the conference playoffs and the Final Five. What a WCHA network could do in the short term is provide coverage for programs that don't have lucrative contracts. The WCHA could potentially regionalize games to different areas.

There also is the long-term issue of how much hockey the Big Ten Network might eventually want when it comes to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Last season, the Big Ten Network aired four Gophers hockey games.

"Certainly we would like to expand beyond the two [regular-season] games we own per team, but at this point we are willing to work with those," McLeod said. "And whether this happens or not, hopefully we'll be part of the ongoing negotiations with the Big Ten Network."

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