At 2:34 PM -0500 12/23/96, Adam Wodon-Around the Rinks wrote:
> Good article by Ken ... very thorough.
 
Agreed.
 
> I'll say, however ... it's all well and good that the Union administration
> wants to keep the hockey players all the same as the other students, but
>if you
> make a decision to go Division I in a particular sport, you've got to be
> willing to pay the piper, you know what I mean?
 
It's a tough call.  On the one hand, it is great for the school just to be
associated with other DivI schools and get the publicity that comes with
having a DivI program.  On the other hand, as you say below, it can be
quite frustrating to people involved with the program to have their hands
tied relative to other schools.  It almost means you have to set your
sights lower than many other schools do.  You can hope for a shot at an
NCAA title someday, but realistically, you're looking more to be
competitive and do well within your own league and then take the success if
it comes.
 
> Unless the administration is willing to give some help to hockey players,
> similar to the Ivy Leagues (as the article mentions), I think Union coaches
> will be eternally frustrated.
 
This might be true, especially if you want to be able to have a shot at an
NCAA title as Union did when it was in DivIII.  But Union is probably in
the best situation it can be, in the ECAC where many other schools do not
offer scholarships.  You'd think it would be worse in one of the other
three conferences where they would be going up against schools that offer
18 scholarships.  Although, the success of the ECAC as a whole against HE
this season doesn't reflect that, and Union has played well against HE
teams.  It will be interesting to see if this continues in the following
seasons.
 
I see some similarity between Union and Merrimack.  Both are trying to be
competitive in DivI with restraints that the administration has put on
them.  Union's restraints are academic and scholarship-related; Merrimack's
restraints deal more with the infrastructure including the rink.
 
The big question is, is it all right to be in DivI and in a situation where
you will probably struggle just to be competitive from year to year, or is
it better to be in a lower division and win more?  Given the success that
both schools had in lower divisions, it is a tough call.  There is a lot to
be said for the fact that people will turn out to see a winning team no
matter who they play, as well as that wins make the atmosphere around the
team better no matter who they come against.
 
Alabama-Huntsville is an interesting case too.  UAH played as a DivI
Independent for several years and did not do too well.  They dropped back
down to DivII and have had much success there, including a DivII
championship last season.  People seem to be excited about the team and
they draw well at home, even though they're not playing the same caliber of
opponents that they played in DivI.
 
BTW, Merrimack President Richard Santagati has said that the school is
happy being in DivI and has denied rumors that the school is considering
dropping back down.  The school is also supposed to be evaluating its
overall relationship with the program, including whether they will build a
new rink or renovate the existing one.  At the same time, the school does
not have the funds to spend on hockey that many of its HE brethren have.
But I believe it is undeniable that something must be done in a number of
areas, such as the rink and marketing the program.
 
Looking at it objectively, in this regard, Merrimack fans may have a little
more reason for hope than Union fans do.  Union seems pretty set in its
ways to follow DivIII rules and thus the staff has to work within those
restraints.  But depending on what the school decides, Merrimack has to
potential to improve a number of areas and thus improve the program's
ability to compete.  Of course, if the school decides to stick with the
status quo, which I think is possible, you can then say that coaches at
both schools are in an identical situation.
 
> > Clarkson and RPI, where hockey is also the only Division I sport, can
> > still give scholarships because those schools were exempted through a
> > grandfather clause following an NCAA reclassification process in 1987.
>
> Not sure about this ... Why then is St. Lawrence just starting to give
> scholarships? They are only D-I in ice hockey.  I believe any school is
>allowed
> to give scholarships in one Division-I sport, like Hartwick in soccer.  I do
> know that Division-I schools were forced to stop playing Division III
>football,
> like St. John's, Dayton, Hofstra, etc...
 
That's correct...the NCAA rules allow you to have one sport play above the
school's classification.  You can then have that program follow the rules
for that division.  But, you don't have to.  Union has chosen not to follow
the DivI rules for hockey and stick with DivIII, even though they are
playing in a DivI conference.
 
I'm guessing the reference to Clarkson and RPI concerns the fact that they
are taking advantage of the rule which allows you to have one sport play
up.  But technically they aren't "grandfathered".  Any other DivII or III
school could similarly start up a full-fledged DivI hockey program given
that they don't have any other programs playing up.  Nebraska-Omaha looks
to be the newest example of this next year.
 
The NCAA also prevented schools from playing below their classification, as
you mentioned.  They can still meet the lower requirements and play whoever
they want, but they cannot be eligible for an NCAA championship in that
sport in that division.  Merrimack football is an example.  The school
could only be eligible for a championship in DivII, but they are not
awarding scholarships for football and are playing in a conference with
other schools that have similar rules.
 
---                                                                   ---
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