Some thoughts on a slow day - during Easter break....
 
1. Re: 16team NCAA tourney - this subject was touched on several
   weeks ago.  The fact is that there is NOT ENOUGH hockey schools
   who sponsor the sport at a D-I level for the NCAA to increase
   the tourney to 16 - this was mentioned.  In fact (NC$$ guidelines)
   at present do not call for hockey to have a 12 team tourney -
   according to their "championship guidelines".  keep in mind
   only 44 schools play the minimum 20 games in D-I level.  Holding
   on to the 12 team tourney has been the major project.
 
2. New league - I have been trying for years to get schools to
   agree to form a new league of teams presently playing a
   II/III schedule.  These are schools that are NCAA I (because
   their athletic dept. is D-I due to b-ball) and do not have
   the resources ($$$$$$) to have their hockey programs play
   in one of the current conferences. They are Holy Cross,
   UConn, Canisius, Iona, Villanova, Fairfield, Army - and
   before they dropped hockey St. Bonaventure and St. John's.
 
   Yes these are not hockey "powers" and are not a threat to
   some of the big boys.  That's not the point.  The rationale
   to create a new group of these schools would be to increase
   visible numbers in the sport of hockey at the college level.
   Its a numbers game.
   College basketball has 300 in womens and mens !!!
   I could write volumes regarding this subject.
 
   For this new league to become a reality some schools would have
   to give up some of their traditional opponents and divest
   themselves into new territories - risky business.  Also,
   travel monies would need to be increased but we are not
   talking about raising a 50,000 budget to 500,000.00.
 
3. TV coverage - media :  and you think Boston is tough.
   here in buffalo the priorities are
   1. nfl - bills
   2. nfl - bills
   3. nfl - bills
   4. talk shows - bills
   5. nhl - sabres
   6. college basketball
   7. pro indoor soccer
   8. pro indoor lacrosse
   9. high school sports
   10. bowling
 
   if we all had the coverage of plattsburgh or elmira - WOW.
   but what else is there to do in horseheads - sorry.
 
4. Red Berenson coached Buffalo sabres before jumping back
   to college - did'nt he.
 
5. CLUB hockey - its great - big schools don't need to spend
   big money - they win - and they get recognition.
   the average college hockey fan does'nt know that
   Penn St. is club - but they know they were almost
   undefeated two years ago. Hey Arizona puts 5,000
   in there rink to see a game.
 
...random thoughts
 
Brian Cavanaugh
Head Coach
Canisius College