Well...
   Regarding Jim Teresco's comment:
>Some of the concerns that have been expressed are that the program may >get
out of control. They do not want to start accepting students only >because
they play hockey. Many feel that the only way to be competeitive >at the
Division I level would be a letting the hockey players slide >academically.
How does everyone at Div I schools feel about this?
 
   Take a look at Dartmouth's record.  Imagine what it is like to go to games
for year after year and watch the team struggle (I mean STRUGGLE!).  This is
the result of the admissions policy here.  Hockey players are not given any
"special" consideration for admission, they must take regular courses, and
must do well.  Annually, we have 1 or 2 players who might have difficulty with
their studies, but in general they keep up quite well.
   Back in 1979 and 1980 we had good teams, making it to the NCAA final 4 in
each of those years.  After that, there was some change in admissions policies
(I do not know exactly what the changes were), but since then it has been very
hard to put together a good team.  (Former) coach Mason, would always have 4-5
prospective students who would have Dartmouth as their first choice but who
would not get accepted here.  They would inevitably end up at another ECAC
school where they would help the team and would survive academically.
   What is right?  As a faculty member, I never thought I'd feel that
standards should be "bent" for admitting athletes, but that is exactly how I
have come to feel.  Although an academic education should be top priority at
any College or University, there are other important aspects as well,
including sports.  Student athletes contribute the their schools in important
ways that non-athletes do not.
   Once a student athlete is admitted, he or she should be expected to take a
course load that any other student could take (including non-standard
"majors") and be expected to perform well.  If that premise is understood,
then any coach would be foolish to recruit a player that might be great for
the team, but would flunk out.
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