RPI is D-1 in hockey, D-3 in basketball and everything else.  The hoop
     team had it's best season in a long time this year (so I've read; my
     only trip to Troy was for RPI-Union on ice), but I'd bet that student
     interest for basketball wasn't 5% that of hockey, even though the
     Engineers on ice underachieved and had their worst season in years.  I
     think it's safe to say that this (relative interest) holds true for
     the other schools where hockey is the only D-1 sport (Clarkson, SLU,
     UMass Amhearst... OK, maybe not UMass Amhearst).  Money?  Basketball
     is free; hockey is at least $4 a pop unless you and seven friends
     camped out for the first month of school (what?  You've never heard of
     Hockey Line?)
 
     The other school I have knowledge of is UMaine.  My fiance graduated
     from there last May, so I attended several games of each sport, paying
     full price, while she got in free.  Basketball cost $6, hockey $12.
     Crowds at Men's basketball are 1/4 those of hockey, while Women's
     basketball draws as much of a crowd for weekend games as hockey (due
     to Maine HS hoop legend Cindy Blodgett, and two consecutive North
     Atlantic Conference championships).  I think hockey will always be #1
     at Maine, but I would guess that such a situation is not prevalent at
     the schools with D-1 programs in both.  How do people from U Mich, U
     Minn, Mich St., the Ivies (particularly Princeton right now), etc.
     feel our sport rates at your school?
 
     Matt
     RPI '94  (Dare I say Go Cats Go?)
 
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