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From: | |
Reply To: | Brian Cavanaugh @ Koessler Athletics |
Date: | Wed, 30 Mar 1994 14:10:11 -0500 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
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Some thoughts on a slow day - during Easter break....
1. Re: 16team NCAA tourney - this subject was touched on several
weeks ago. The fact is that there is NOT ENOUGH hockey schools
who sponsor the sport at a D-I level for the NCAA to increase
the tourney to 16 - this was mentioned. In fact (NC$$ guidelines)
at present do not call for hockey to have a 12 team tourney -
according to their "championship guidelines". keep in mind
only 44 schools play the minimum 20 games in D-I level. Holding
on to the 12 team tourney has been the major project.
2. New league - I have been trying for years to get schools to
agree to form a new league of teams presently playing a
II/III schedule. These are schools that are NCAA I (because
their athletic dept. is D-I due to b-ball) and do not have
the resources ($$$$$$) to have their hockey programs play
in one of the current conferences. They are Holy Cross,
UConn, Canisius, Iona, Villanova, Fairfield, Army - and
before they dropped hockey St. Bonaventure and St. John's.
Yes these are not hockey "powers" and are not a threat to
some of the big boys. That's not the point. The rationale
to create a new group of these schools would be to increase
visible numbers in the sport of hockey at the college level.
Its a numbers game.
College basketball has 300 in womens and mens !!!
I could write volumes regarding this subject.
For this new league to become a reality some schools would have
to give up some of their traditional opponents and divest
themselves into new territories - risky business. Also,
travel monies would need to be increased but we are not
talking about raising a 50,000 budget to 500,000.00.
3. TV coverage - media : and you think Boston is tough.
here in buffalo the priorities are
1. nfl - bills
2. nfl - bills
3. nfl - bills
4. talk shows - bills
5. nhl - sabres
6. college basketball
7. pro indoor soccer
8. pro indoor lacrosse
9. high school sports
10. bowling
if we all had the coverage of plattsburgh or elmira - WOW.
but what else is there to do in horseheads - sorry.
4. Red Berenson coached Buffalo sabres before jumping back
to college - did'nt he.
5. CLUB hockey - its great - big schools don't need to spend
big money - they win - and they get recognition.
the average college hockey fan does'nt know that
Penn St. is club - but they know they were almost
undefeated two years ago. Hey Arizona puts 5,000
in there rink to see a game.
...random thoughts
Brian Cavanaugh
Head Coach
Canisius College
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