I was reading the USA Hockey monthly newspaper this morning and
came accross an article on Womens' ECAC Hockey.   I know that Richard has
written on this topic extensively,  but I don't have girls so I haven't
focused much on the subject.
 
        What I found interesting was that my alma mater did not have a
Womens' team in the ECAC.   Since Clarkson is D-3 in all sports except
hockey,  how do they  --  and all other institutions in the same situation --
satisfy the federally mandated gender equity rules???   Don't D-3 rules
prohibit the award of athletic "scholarships"???   If that is the case,
it would seem to me that institutions in this situation will be forced
into establishing Womens' Hockey and awarding almost as many,  if not AS
many,  scholarships in hockey to women.   After all,  it is the only sport
in which they would not be constrained by the D-3 rules,  and yet they
will find themselves under pressure from the Feds before long.
 
        You may wonder how I got off onto this tangential line of thinking.
Well,  it seems that efforts to move UConn football to 1-A are alive and
very well with rumors of a CFL team and a new stadium flying around.   The
trustees have endorsed the move by 1999,  I think.   Part and parcel of
what appear to be hidden agendas is the gender equity issue.   To partially
satisfy the requirements,  they are proposing Women's Hockey at UConn and
a new rink (so I'm told).   And,  oh by the way,  UConn,  which is already
is D-1 in hockey,  would then be expected to play a true D-1 schedule:-):-)
The little matter of a rink would become the football "practice facility".
 
        My impression of all this is that there is no slipperier group
of people on earth than college boards of trustees.   But you gotta
like it when what they want  --  you also want.   More later.
 
        -- Dick Tuthill
 
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Ahhh . . . All is truly right with the world.   Tech 8, 9;  Saints 4, 2
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