>From:         "Brian Cavanaugh @ Koessler Athletics"
 
>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.
 
Am I the only the one who doesn't want a 16 team tourney?  I know the NCAA
has their "percentage" thing and that a 12 team tourney is pushing the
limits as it is and this is fine with me.  I don't think we want to have
to many teams, we'll end up like the hoop tourney.  [That tourney is a
joke in my book - 64 teams?!?  Come on, I think 32 was about right]  It
shouldn't be too easy to make the tourney, and a 16 team one makes it that
much easier.
 
I think some of the suggestions in the last several days about giving the
"non-bye" teams an extra day off before they play the second round is a
good thought.  Someone else also suggested a week off - that's great too.
 If we can resolve this problem, I think the answer is to go the OTHER way
- back to an 8 team tournament!
 
>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.
 
I hope these schools realize what a boon a D-1 program can have for their
institutions.  You're right - they don't have to be great - not all
conferences have to be on the same level to be in the "big" division.  How
many D-1 conferences are their in hoops?  Is Rider College any close to
the caliber of a Duke or a North Carolina?  But look at the exposure Rider
gets by playing D-1 ball.  I think a fifth convference, no matter what the
schools (although these schools, for the most part, are geographically
perfect for each other), would help the sport at the D-1 level infinitely.
 And who's to say, that with D-1 exposure in other sports and proper
funding that they can't become powers someday?
 
>   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.
 
Again, might the risk be worth the potential rewards?  Ask the people at
UMass-Lowell.  My school benefited TREMENDOUSLY and will continue to
benefit from moving from D-2 to D-1!!
 
[snip]
 
>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.
 
(See above) But not as much recognition as if they had a D1 program?
(Arizona isn't THAT far from Colorado, is it?)  I've heard that Penn State
wants to go NCAA but Joe Paterno won't let him.  (He's certainly not the
AD, but apparently still runs the athletic program)  I can't understand
why he wouldn't.....
 
>...random thoughts
 
>Brian Cavanaugh
>Head Coach
>Canisius College
 
How do the folks at Canisius feel about their hockey program?  Alums?
Student? Administation?  Does any feel a "need" to move up?
 
Keep working on it Brian.......  We've 44 teams now, but we ain't done
yet!!
 
Good luck,
 
   - Steve
 
 
 
 
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Steve Weisfeldt                                   Go Chiefs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
University of Lowell (now UMASS-Lowell)  1986, 1988
[log in to unmask]                          Roloson for Hobey!!!!!!
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