With two losses to Michigan State, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team finalized its spot at the bottom of the Big Ten for the second straight season. The job security of head coach Mike Eaves is in question and the attendance in the Kohl Center has taken a noticeable spiral downward.

While those issues would normally be seen as the focus for such a storied program, recent comments by athletic director Barry Alvarez about the team are grabbing more of the headlines.

Alvarez said in a budget discussion two Fridays ago the hockey team “will not make or break us.” Several members around the Athletic Board construed the comment as an attack on the team and an indicator the men’s hockey is now taking a back seat to other sports.

Alvarez quickly stemmed the tide of those rumors through a letter he immediately released to students, faculty and staff outlining what he truly meant to say.

The letter, while vague, explains why Alvarez used the phrasing he did and how he was referencing only the budget for the team, not the success or goals of the program.

“We are committed to reestablishing Wisconsin men’s hockey as one of the elite programs in the country,” Alvarez said in the letter. “I know and respect the great tradition that has been established by the student-athletes who have come through the program and the tremendous support we receive from a very loyal fan base.”

Whether genuine or not, men’s hockey has never truly been a main focus for Alvarez at Wisconsin. In 2006, the year after he stepped down as head football coach and became the school’s full-time athletic director, men’s hockey won its sixth NCAA championship. Since that time, the team has only been to one Frozen Four and won the Big Ten twice.

Last season’s total of four wins marked the worst season in school history. This year’s team has topped that feat by only two games with as few as three series left to play.

Now, with the head coaching position for basketball highly contested after Bo Ryan’s retirement, Alvarez has bigger fish to fry than a hockey team that is underperforming.

In a quick response to the alarming lack of success by men’s hockey, Alvarez neglected to send Eaves his annual contract extension. Rather, Alvarez sent Eaves a letter, explaining how the absence of the extension stemmed from his inability to compete over the last few years.

This opens the conversation to whether he will retain the spot into next season.

“It’s a shame the guys in that locker room aren’t being awarded for their effort with wins,” Eaves said. “I feel bad for our kids and I know they’re disappointed. The only adjustment I would make at this point would be to start putting the puck in the back of the net. We are still doing some really good things.”

Attendance is another main concern for the team, and could very well explain the comments from Alvarez. Season ticket sales have dropped 52 percent since the Alvarez era began and 23 percent since the Kohl Center era began back in 1998.

While those inside the athletic department are hesitant to admit the poor results of the team are affecting ticket sales, it’s becoming more and more apparent that they are. The series against Northern Michigan this season held two games that both ranked in the top six smallest crowds to ever gather in the Kohl Center. Annual ticket sales have plummeted from more than $1 million to less than $40,000 in only five years.

Student tickets are often exchanged now for $5 or even free depending on the game, and from last year alone, season ticket sales for Friday games have dropped by almost a fourth.

With the growing popularity of men’s basketball, Alvarez has really struggled to keep interest in men’s hockey high. Wisconsin still ranks second in the NCAA for highest attendance each year, but falls outside of the top 20 in percentage of space utilized.

Whether Eaves remains as the coach or the team loses this season out, neither Alvarez nor anyone else can deny Eaves’ ability to recruit, and the promising young talent that is already on the team. The last series of the regular season at rival Minnesota could be a big indicator as to the future for Wisconsin men’s hockey.

The Badger faithful and Alvarez are looking towards the future, but that future still remains uncertain. Alvarez’s comments are alarming, but not indicative of any action to come.