The commissioner of the CCHA said that he felt there would a lot more
teams joining Div. 1, than most people thought, and that it was going to
happen faster than expected.  I posted something along those lines
explaining who, how and why they would.  And if half of these rumors, or
signs of initial planning are true, than things seem headed towards the
boom of teams the CCHA commish talked about.
 
 ____________________________________________________________
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 13:36:49 -0600
From: Eric J Burton <[log in to unmask]>
 
This is crazy why should we even consider this one, they don't
even have a small college Division III Program,  If there is a case they
almost would have to Let NDSU go Division one they have said to have the
money in place and if you know anything about the BISON it is probably
true (they have a club team) they have a dome and programs that are
successful.
____________________________________________________________
Me:
Hmmmmmmm.   What is the Florida Panthers record currently?  The Colorado
Rockies?  The Carolina Panthers?  What did the Toledo Storm do a year
after being created? SUNY-Buffalo didn't even have a Football program not
so long ago, and they are jumping to 1-A in a couple of years.  Different
levels, different sports, same lesson: it can be done.  As I have said
before, if these schools are serious, and have any common sense, they
will do it right.  They will spend the money to hire the personnel to get
the job done.  It is a matter of recruiting really.  What is most likely
to happen, is that a lot of talent not taken, or recruited by better
schools will wind up there.  That won't win  a lot of games, but it is a
start.  I'm sure there are a lot of players in the Canadian university's
that could be sold on coming down here.  Granted that isn't saying a lot,
but it is a start.  Get the right coach, and anything is possible.
____________________________________________________________
Eric Burton:
        HOWEVER BY letting MSU and NDSU or an OMAHA NE you are going to
weaken the league and the League Schedules and then your going to get
games like the Dartmouth VS UND 8-2,or games like the U of M and NMU 10-0
and 7-0 and at what expense to the bigger schools making who are trying
to placehigh in the seeding for the NCAA's or how about teams on the
Bubble Like UND because they played a Darthmouth during nonleague play
they are going to be punished and because of the unbalanced schedule and
by virtue of
not getting CC twice this year, they have to win the league championship,
its that fair probably not.  Now you are going to have team that may have
to run up the scores like Football (PSU and FSU, UN come to mind first)
to make the team look good in the Polls, then What do you do about the
unbalance schedule....UNO should maybe worry about fielding a football
team (which they haven't been very successful at so far) before it starts
thinking about DIVISION 1 hockey.
 
_____________________________________________________________
Me:
I don't think that they would get in to the WCHA right off the bat.  But
Air Force might like to play them as independents.  Other Div. 1 teams in
the big leagues might rather have an American school travel to play them
for those early practice games.  (that would help the small schools
recruit with marquee games like that)  And as for the seeding problems,
we are seeing that begin to change as well.  Common sense will make
people look at the overall schedule and decide.  If a team loads up on
weak independent teams, like one member of the CCHA does in Football,
that will show up.  Besides, despite playing a Div. 1-AA team, are you
going to argue that Nebraska isn't the best team?  Anyway, maybe UNO
should think of dropping Football and working on Hockey?  :)
 
I think your concerns have very real merit, but I also think that they
are understood by those deciding to allow a team into a league, Division,
or those starting the program.  These people may be using the WCHA as an
example, or situation they would like to build towards, it sounds better
than talking of going straight to independent status.  The biggest
question really, is weather there is enough talent in the Juniors and
elsewhere, and are there enough possible coaches to find it, in order to
support an ever growing number of teams?
 
Nathan W.L. Boyle
 
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