Personally, I like the idea of a hockey NIT, but I don't think it will
ever come to that -
The hockey tournament is a money-maker for the NCAA, I believe. Even
though it's small potatoes compared to football and basketball, hockey
still draws well. I thought I read one time that hockey was either
the number 3 moneymaker among NCAA sports, or maybe it was that the
hockey tournament was the third most lucrative post-season affair
after basketball and football.
I think the NCAA rules are probably aimed at sports whose tournaments
have lost money over the years - does anyone know if the lacrosse tourney
makes any money, for instance?