My feeling is that within the ECAC the ivies have been doing well
lately. But nationally, not really, only Cornell having any kind of
success in the post season. What this means is that you play 22 league
games against teams that mostly arent quite up to the level of the WCHA,
CCHA and HE (and, if things keep going downhill, probably you could
include Atlantic Hockey and the CHA in a few years.)

In general, I believe better competition raises the level of your team,
in any sport. That is why a lot of college teams from mid-level
basketball leagues play early season games vs. high level leagues. As an
example, consider that my mediocre Cal Poly squeakball team is playing
USC this weekend, they of the Pac-10, and Cal Poly will get creamed, but
will probably learn a lot more than playing yet another Cal Baptist team
and winning in a rout.

Clearly playing in HE night after night means playing at a notch or two
higher level, and eventually teams in HE have a big advantage (like 3 or
4 NCAA slots each year, versus 1, maybe 2?, for the ECAC).  So if teams
are looking to upgrade their national image and the ECAC continues to
slide in that arena, playing in HE at least has that advantage.

Having said this, I doubt any significant movement will occur, even for
Vermont.

On a side note: Does anyone know if this Vermont move to HE was one of
the deciding factors for Sneddon taking the job there?

Tony Buffa
RPI '64

=========

Arik Marks wrote:

>So I'm wondering why all the advocacy for the non-ivies to break away from
>the league. Arthur said that the Ivies run the league and that others should
>leave if they don't like it.  A fair point.  But the non-Ivies get more
>games to play and can offer scholarships.  So where's the handicap?  This
>should give a big advantage to the non-ivies.
>
>The Ivies aren't watering down the league though.  Lately the non-ivies have
>not been good.
>
>-Last year's final league records had the ivies in the top 5 spots.
>-YTD the ivies have the top 6 by points, and 1,2,3 and T5 by winning
>percentage.
>-The only ranked teams currently from the ECAC are three Ivies.
>-Between 1993-2003 there were two IvY frozen four teams and two non-Ivy (CU
>'03, SLU '00, UVM '96, Harvard '94) I'd call this a draw on this stat.
>
>
>So if the league is mired in mediocrity, maybe it is due to the non-Ivies
>not getting it done.
>
>