Having followed the ongoing debate about Prop 31 and the Machiavellian
maneuvering (alledged) of the college hockey fraternity I can't resist an
opportunity to bash the NC$$-although it's basically benign.  Several facts
are a priori in this discussion:
1. College presidents hold all the marbles.  As long as college presidents
think the NC$$ is serving their needs, their university will remain a member.
The ramblings of attention-greedy hockey coaches is irrelevant unless they
can catch the ear of the Big Guy.
2. "Scholar athletes" are, as Greg has noted, essentially paid employees ofthe
university.  There is little basic difference between an "athletic scholarship"
at a Big Ten university and a "need scholarship" at an Ivy League institution.
The only difference is the level of investment for each university's sports
program.
3. College hockey is a different sport than most.  Unlike almost all other
NC$$ sports, hockey is not (necessarily) dominated by the Big Schools.  Other
than Johns Hopkins in lacrosse, and maybe a few Southern baseball schools,
there is no other major college sport where small schools have as great an
opportunity to succeed.  While the Big Schools certainly field very competitive
teams, their size does not permit them to dominate.  One only has to look at
the past years' champions--the Northern Michigans, Harvards and Lake Superior
States--to see the proof.
 
With this is mind, I present that College Hockey is inherently different than
other NC$$ sports.  In light of the pluralistic nature of the fraternity,
college hockey has the unique ability to govern itself.  Since the NC$$
1)doesn't understand a sport like hockey and 2)doesn't really care about a
small, regional sport like hockey whatever the NC$$ comes up with will be
against hockey's best interest.
 
My superb :*)logic aside, somehow the college presidents need to be educated
that hockey belongs outside the NC$$ in its own federation.  Hockey does not
threaten their enlightened self-interest; in fact they have a greater
opportunity to shape the rules to their liking in a new organization than the
current NC$$.   The dearth of Really Big athletic programs provides a check
and balance system which should serve their idealism and budgets well.  The
greatest obstacle which must be overcome is simply getting them interested.
 
How do you get the presidents interested?  I don't know, I'm just anotherface
in a Very Large Organization.  Maybe the coaches know!
                    _
            "NYS   // Hockey"
        Go 'Gate  //   Brian Morris
          Go RPI //      Albany, NY
          ______// [log in to unmask]
         (______/