RPI is D-1 in hockey, D-3 in basketball and everything else. The hoop
team had it's best season in a long time this year (so I've read; my
only trip to Troy was for RPI-Union on ice), but I'd bet that student
interest for basketball wasn't 5% that of hockey, even though the
Engineers on ice underachieved and had their worst season in years. I
think it's safe to say that this (relative interest) holds true for
the other schools where hockey is the only D-1 sport (Clarkson, SLU,
UMass Amhearst... OK, maybe not UMass Amhearst). Money? Basketball
is free; hockey is at least $4 a pop unless you and seven friends
camped out for the first month of school (what? You've never heard of
Hockey Line?)
The other school I have knowledge of is UMaine. My fiance graduated
from there last May, so I attended several games of each sport, paying
full price, while she got in free. Basketball cost $6, hockey $12.
Crowds at Men's basketball are 1/4 those of hockey, while Women's
basketball draws as much of a crowd for weekend games as hockey (due
to Maine HS hoop legend Cindy Blodgett, and two consecutive North
Atlantic Conference championships). I think hockey will always be #1
at Maine, but I would guess that such a situation is not prevalent at
the schools with D-1 programs in both. How do people from U Mich, U
Minn, Mich St., the Ivies (particularly Princeton right now), etc.
feel our sport rates at your school?
Matt
RPI '94 (Dare I say Go Cats Go?)
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