Here is what I found out this morning on the phone with Laing Kennedy,
Cornell's Atheltic Director.
1)  The NCAA membership selection committee has proposed some rule
changes for Hockey.  In the same proposal (not different as many people
have said) they propose to reduce the number of games to 34, (Ivy Rule
is 26.  ECAC 30) and to change the rules for coaching.  These issues
will be voted on separately.  (Not really sure what kind of procedures
they follow to do that.)  The coaching rules will decrease the maximum
number of coaches allowed.  (He did not say to what.  I think Cornell
has 2)  It will also decrease the number of coaches that can be out
recruiting at any given time.  There is a scholarship issue too, but we
did not speak of it.  He maintains that none of these changes will
effect Cornell's program.  He believes that it will pass.  (All of it's
pieces I guess.)
2)  There is also a proposal for uniform division status.  (Really.)
There is not a 'grandfather' clause.  The way a non-division I school
gets into Division I (for the transition time) is that they come to the
panel of Division I schools for whatever sport (Hockey) and petition to
be allowed to play out of their Division.  He said there should not be a
problem with this since there are 17 Div III schools with Div I hockey.
In the future this cross-divison sports will not be allowed.  He
believes this will pass.
3)  Finally I asked about the Tournament rule.  It is true that all the
monies from the BasketBall and Hockey Tournaments go into a fund which
is distributed amoung all Division I schools only.  However the bonus
from this rule is that the 'travel per diem for the party' increases.
In the future a playoff bound hockey team will be able to take their
band with them.  Sounds like an ok deal to me.
4)  I take responsiblity for any errors in here.  I am more than happy
to debate any points I may have wrong.  Generally, Laing Kennedy seemed
very helpful.
GO RED!
 
Andrew D. Williams
Cornell University Law School                 Educational Technologies
Computing Lab Supervisor                              Ithaca, New York
BitNet: gjuy@cornella          InterNet: [log in to unmask]
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