These conversations are always interesting ("what if").  But the big
reasons why this could never happen are football and hoop.  The teams
mentioned have varying calibers of programs in those sports, and some
have the type of aspirations for those programs that schools like
Merrimack have for their hockey program.  As well, this would be a
huge step back for UMass, UConn, URI and PC in basketball.  I don't
see how the other schools would be able to keep up.
 
But Ken said
 
>0. This conference exists primarily for Hockey, of course.
 
So let's look at creating a conference just for hockey.  Well, one
already exists - Hockey East!  9 of the 13 teams listed are in HE.
The other four are schools that would certainly be welcome in HE:
Vermont, URI, UConn, and Holy Cross.  With Vermont it would be a case
of leaving the ECAC - not likely IMO, but the HE state schools would
love to bring another New England state school into the fold.  However,
Vermont is sort of a state school that thinks it's a private :-), and
it seems happy with the ECAC.  (It's almost not even in New England. :-))
 
The other three would have to upgrade their programs - URI would need
to move to NC$$ varsity level.  I don't know anything about what kind
of interest there is for this, but there is the old Title IX hurdle.
So I don't see it happening in the near future.
 
Holy Cross, I think it is safe to say, does not have an interest in going
big-time.  They have been de-emphasizing sports for a while, although
technically they are still DivI.  The expense and perceived problems
that would result from going full-time DivI are not things the
administration wants to deal with.  A friend who plays there tells me
there is not any interest in upgrading.
 
That leaves UConn, which I think is still the best remaining chance
for a new addition to HE barring anyone switching conferences.  I
would not be surprised to see UConn as the 10th member within several
years.  Villanova is another possibility, partly because of the Big
East connections, but I have heard no rumblings from down there.  It
is only HE people who talk about Villanova as a possible new team.
 
When St John's (NY) had an NC$$ team, they would also have been an
ideal addition...to allow the league to expand into NYC.
 
BTW, Lowell and Merrimack could not upgrade their other programs
unless they changed the school's classification to DivI.  That has
been rumored at Lowell, but it isn't going to happen at Merrimack.
 
Merrimack is very satisfied being DivII with one high profile DivI
program.  However, significant changes are being made in the Merrimack
athletic programs...field hockey was just added as was lacrosse
(men's and women's), and chances appear very good that additional
sports in the next few years will include women's hockey, football,
and men's and women's track.  Part of the reason for the expansion is
Title IX; part is a desire to provide more sports for the students
(and also to help attract more students, although that's already
improving - enrollment this fall will have increased significantly
over last fall while most other area schools have had theirs drop).
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93
<<<<< Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors (station TBA for 94-95) >>>>>