I talked with John Munson, our athletic director, about the possibility of
moving up to Division I a couple of years ago.  That was in the midst of a
fabulous run by UWSP where it looked like we might even be able to compete
with the lower tier Div I schools with just a little help (yes, I know, not
very realistic, but "fan" is short for fanatic :-))
 
Answer:  No possibility without some serious outside money (like a corporate
sponsor who would give generously).  Too much money for the extra players, the
scholarships, the extra coach, etc., and too much money for a better ice rink.
 
To answer the question asked, yes, ice hockey is very expensive for a school
our size, but not completely out of reach since Div III programs spend a lot
less money on it than Div I.  According to John, our program runs about 35-40K
compared with football at about 50K.  The cost of equipment is a lot less
than football, too.  About 2/3 of the cost is ice time.  To move up to
Division I would be from 250 to 350K.  From that I conclude that a Div III
program might be only as much as 10-20% of the cost of Div I, but for a small
school that's still a significant outlay of funds.
 
Tom Rowe                                 Internet:  [log in to unmask]
 
Department of Psychology                 ***********************************
U. of Wisconsin - Stevens Point          Home of Division III National
     Go Point!                           Champions '89, '90, '91, & '93