A couple of points/corrections to Ken Johnson's recent post.
 
It is not simply a matter of RPI's administration not wanting to compete against
schools of supposedly lower academic caliber.  What RPI's president ht
 
 
 
 
 
has elected to follow is a system where the schools's hockey team must resemble
the academic composition of the entire student body, the so-caled academic
index.  When RPI was involved in its HE mating dance, then ECAC Commissioner
Laine Kennedy made an interesting statement: RPI's recruiting problem was of
its own doing.  The ECAC doesn't apply a uniform academic index to each of its
constituent schools, rather the academic index for each campus is devised by
that same university.  In RPI's case, the Engineers actually abide by a more
rigorous academic index than that used by most other ECAC members.  In fact at
that time, Byron Pipes made the statement that RPI might well further strengthen
its index, even if it further impeded their recruiting efforts.
 
Second, RPI's decision to remain in ECAC wasn't based solely on its reluctance
to compete against "less academically rigorous" schools.  Strong tradition ties
to the ECAC definitely played a part.  Also I suspect there was a recognition
that many alumni and fans preferred being a bigger fish in the alledgedly
smaller ECAC pond, than to be a perennial runner-up in the alledgedly big bad
Hockey East.  Supporters of the decision will undoubtedly point to the success
of this year's team as proof of the rightness of the decision.  Frankly it would
have been virtually impossible for RPI to have secured an NCAA bid had it
opted in for Hockey East.
 
Regarding Buddy Powers--he didn't bolt the Engineers simply because they
retained the academic index and remained in the ECAC.  Perhaps it would have
been a major motivation for his eventual departure, but Buddy was certainly
more interested in growing professionally.  Buddy obviously coveted the BC
opening, at least historically one of the plum jobs in college hockey.  The
subsequent opening of the Bowling Green job proved irresistable.  Buddy
publically acknowledged that coach Bowling Green had been his dream, given his
many personaly connections to the schools and the area.  I think it is safe to
say that Buddy would have departed RPI for Bowling Green even if RPI had elected
to migrate over to HE.
 
Regardless, the arguments that the ECAC pays the price competition-wise because
it is superior acadmically are really irrelevant.  The current edge that HE
exhibits is likely to be highly correlated to the historical ebb and flow of
both comferences.  BC and BU were powerhouses when they were in the ECAC; it
 
BU, and probably BC one day, continues to be strong in HE.  Clarkson was always
strong in the ECAC, with the HE schools, and now without.  If the ECAC is
suffering any disadvantage recruiting-wise currently, it is more likely that
it is a product of the increased number of schools jockeying for a finite, if
not shrinking pool of hockey prospects.  Big time programs like Maine, LSSU,
and in the near future UMass (Amherst) didn't exist when the ECAC was in its
hay day.  It's simply tougher to land the stars nowadays, no matter what league
you play in.  The advantage lies with the big-time programs, like BU, Maine,
LSSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, who can attract the most talented players.
The academic caliber of your league's constituent schools, simply, IMHO, doesn't
play that big a role in your recruiting success.
 
Nevertheless, it sure would have been nice to have that Kariya kid playing for
the Engineers next year...
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