Couple more items on this topic and then I'll shut up.
 
1.      Got a note from the NCHA SID who said that they never lost their
automatic D-3 bid.   When Bemidji joined (or went D-2),  if they won the
NCHA tournament,  then the conference lost their automatic bid for that
year.   In 1996,  a rule was passed eliminating Bemidji from the tournament
to prevent that from happening.   That would explain a note I received from
someone at Wisconsin Superior in the 1994/1995 season complaining about
Bemidji's effect on the automatic D-3 bid.
 
2.      Niagara has got to be D-1 as they are D-1 in all other sports.   Anyway,
 they are members of the MAAC in all other sports,  and the MAAC is a D-1
conference.
 
3.      Obviously the ECAC West did not have an automatic D-3 bid in recent
years since there weren't enough D-3 teams in the conference.   The ECAC
East would have been a horror show if they had an automatic,  what with all
the D-1 and D-2 teams and all the NESCAC's who are permitted only one
tournament and thus must occasionally gamble (e.g. Williams twice).
 
4.      Now,  UNO last year.   Good question.   D-2 in all other sports,  right
(I've forgotten)?   Despite the fact that they started the program from
scratch and scheduled mostly,  or all,  D-1 teams,  they were probably
still technically D-2 since they had not completed their probation.   But
what does the phrase "considered D-1 or D-2" really mean to a team in
transition?   It's almost a matter of semantics.   They probably had to
immediately jump through all the D-1 hoops regarding coaching
certification,  compliance,  number of games,  start dates of
practice/season,  etc. [see coach Cavanaugh's post a few weeks ago].   I
suppose the only really meaningful test is if they were permitted to give
out 18 rides or were limited to only 13.   I am sure some of you folks from
UNO can answer that.   If they gave out 18 rides,  or if they could have
given out that many but didn't because they chose not to do so,  it really
doesn't make much,  if any,  difference what division they were technically
in.
 
        -- Dick Tuthill
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.