Joe wrote:

"Frankly, the logical team in PA to go D1 is Penn State."

Wives Tale or Not?  Does anyone know if the Big 10 Charter states that if
Six or More Member schools field a Varsity team in that Sport they must form
a Big 10 Conference Affilliation?  If so, would that blow up the CCHA or
WCHA if PSU decided to go DI?  Could they form a mini-conference within the
two others?

Looking further at the Pittsburgh Schools, I would think you would need to
look at the percentage of Student Population for each to determine how out
of whack Title IX would fall with a Men's Division I program, unless you
added a DI Women's program as well.

For example, Pitt and PSU field DI Football with up to 85 scholarships that
need to weigh into the mix.  Carnegie Mellon plays in the Div III University
Athletic Association in all other sports and probably wouldnt want a DI
affiliation in Hockey alone (vs. LSSU for example).

Duquesne makes geographically the most sense with its proximity to the Civic
Arena.  However, it fields DI basketball teams in the A10 and DI-AA
(Scholarship) in Football.  Keep in Mind the campus shows a nearly 57% of
female students, so any new men's program would require an additional
women's team unless they wanted to touch the "sacred cow" of football.

The real reason I think they seek the DI ice hockey program remains to
follow the direct Public funding path the Steelers used to get Heinz Field
approved.  The State voted it down twice, yet got it finally approved in
part when the Pittsburgh team agreed to play its games at the stadium as
well.  I see the Pens trying to follow suit using the "Town and Gown"
approach of pulling in other scholastic tenants into a new arena to mollify
the numerous critics of using Public Funds to finance Professional Sports
Teams.

Just my $.02.


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe LaCour [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: D1 in Pittsburgh?


That's interesting.  But if the Penguins were in such dire financial straits
a few seasons back, what makes one think that there would be enough student
and community support for an NCAA Div 1 team??

A real test will be the level of support that the NAHL Pittsburgh Forge
receive this season.  If they pack the Island Sports Center, then I'd give
college hockey a fighting chance.

Some of the "named" local teams have somewhat successful ACHA teams.
Frankly, the logical team in PA to go D1 is Penn State.

Joe LaCour
Clarkson '77/78

----- Original Message -----
From: "ej" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:24 AM
Subject: D1 in Pittsburgh?


> "Tom Rooney, president of Team Lemieux LLC, said that the Penguins have
> approached four local colleges about fielding a Division I hockey program.
> Rooney would not divulge which schools have been contacted, but ruled out
> one that already has attained Division I hockey status."
>
> The one ruled out is Mercyhurst, mainly because of their distance from
> Pittsburgh.



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