Gee, two postings by me in one day -- I must have nothing to do. I also
have no facts specifically targeted to Bates, but club status has a
major "advantage" over NCAA DIII for a school: money. Club teams for the
most part pay their own way, often including renting ice time from the
school. The school does not pay for referees, travel, equipment,
coaches, etc. The players do out of their own monies. Some small,
private schools could have difficulty justifying hundreds of thousands
of dollars going to an extra-curricular activity.
 
Womens hockey is not shackled by a title nine the way mens hockey would
be, so they could raise a womens club team to varsity status without
doing the same to a mens team. The other way around is virtually
impossible. So, without any obvious political barriers to raising the
womens' club team, I think the issue of money must come to the fore.
Without a president or other school administrator willing to carry the
flag, their cause is dead. However, given that they are willing to have
the club team compete in a league might signal a willingness to consider
upgrading the club to varsity at a later (soon) date.
 
Nathan Eric Hampton
 
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