Erik has hit upon the main issue here:  whether the CHA has enough teams
to justify its autobid.  The corresponding problem here though is
whether college hockey has enough teams to justify a 16-team tournament.
I've always been in favor of CHA and AH having their autobids because
IMHO it's good for hockey.  But if the CHA falls by the wayside, then
the NC$$ may scale back the 16-team tourney.  And that's bad for hockey.

The 16-team tournament is great.  There are no byes, the selection
process is relatively transparent, and the games are exciting.  Most
years I can get to at least one regional, and some years I can drive to
six games in three days.  I'd hate to see it go away.  But if the CHA
dies, or if the NC$$ says six teams or else (and I'll believe more
universities like Syracuse will go varsity when I see it), then we may
have to resort to the horrible 12-team format.

Do CHA teams suck compared to everyone else?  Using Nathan's logic, I'd
say they do.  I would bet that a lot of premier D-3 teams would give
anyone in that conference a run for their money.  But is that what Rick
Comley is saying?  If so, then he should be careful what he wishes for,
because he might just be spending a lot of time in front of a television
set.  And the last I checked he was supposed to be an advocate for
college hockey.

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Fax 617-928-4581
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-----Original Message-----
From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Erik Biever
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 1:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Comley: AH-CHA Play-In Game Needed


I suspect Coach Comley thinks the CHA is now too small to justify its
autobid. 
  If you accept that proposition, a play-in game with the Atlantic
hockey 
champion (or, perhaps, the #16 seed) could make sense.  There is
precedent:  in 
1979 and 1980, the CCHA champion faced the WCHA second place team in a
play-in 
game.  Comley's Northern Michigan team reached the Phinal Phour that way
in 
1980 with a win over Minnesota in Williams Arena.

- Erik

>>From a recent USCHO article, quote from Michigan State coach Rick
> Comley:
> 
> "What I would like to see is a play-in game [between the CHA and 
> Atlantic Hockey]. The CHA should not have an automatic bid under any 
> circumstance whatsoever. They should have a play-in opportunity."