THE FOLLOWING IS A PROPOSAL FROM THE NCAA, TO BE DISCUSSED SOON:
That effecitve with the 1992 championship the bracket be established
as single-elimination with two regional tournaments determing the four semifinal
ists.
a. Two, six team, single-elimination regional tournaments would
be conducted at predetermined sites the Friday and Saturday prior to the semifin
als and final.  The two regional winners will advance to the
semifinals.
b. The single-elimination and final would continue to be played
the first weekend (Thurs. and Sat.) in April or last weekend
in March, if March has five Saturdays.
c. Automatic qualification would be granted to deserving
conferences with the remaining teams selected at-large.
d. The independent team selected for the tournament will comete
in a play-in against the 12th ranked team at the regional site
representing the 12th ranked team unless: 2) if an independent team is ranked 1-
12 then a play-in will not be conducted; or b) if the best
independent record is below .500, the the committee is not required to select an
 independent representative.
e. Teams would be seeded in each region and cross bracketed for
regional competition as follows:
Friday No. 1 East bye          No. 1 West bye
No. 2 East bye                 No. 2 West bye
No. 3 West vs. No. 6 East      No. 3 East vs. No. 6 West
No. 4 West vs. No. 5 East      No. 4 East vs. No. 5 West
Saturday
No. 1 East vs. winner No. 4 West/No. 5 East
No. 2 East vs. winner No. 3 West/No. 6 East
No. 1 West vs. winner No. 4 East/No. 5 West
No. 2 West vs. winner No. 3 East/No. 6 West
Should the number of teams selected from the regions be unequal, the
lower seeded team(s) in the region with the higher number of teams selected will
 be shifted to the other region to equalize regional seeding.
f. Two predetermined regional sites will be designated to represent one of the f
our playing conferences, and the two top-ranked teams from each
region will be assigned to the respective site representing
their region.
Note: It has become increasingly apparent that the current 12 team
formate is not serving the sport well.  The committee believes the
following rational supports a formate change:
1. The proposed format  would be conducted in two weeks whereas
currently a team may be required to travel three consecutive
weeks.
2. The maximum number of games a team would play is four. Currently
a team selected for the championship could play six games and as
many as eight.
3. If the 12-team single-elimination bracket would have been used
in 1990, the following sample is provided using Boston College as
the East regional site, and the University of Wisconsin as the
West regional sitte:
West
1. Michigan State (CCHA #1)
2. Wisconsin (WCHA #1)
3. Lake Superior
4. Minnesota
5. North Dakota
6. Bowling Green
East
1. Boston College (HE#1)
2. Colgate (ECAC #1)
3. Maine
4. Boston University
5. Clarkson
6. Michigan
7. Alaska,Anchorage
Thursday : Michigan vs. Alaska
Friday :
Michigan State  bye    Boston College bye
Wisconsin bye          Colgate bye
Maine vs. Bowling Green  Lake Superior vs. Michigan/Alaska
Boston University vs. North Dakota   Minnesota vs. Clarkson
Saturday
Mich. St. vs. BU/No.Dakota     BC vs.Minn/Clarkson
Wisconsin vs. Maine/B.Green   Colgate vs. LS/Michigan/Alaska
All of the above is to be discussed with athletic directors and
coaches with recommendations forwarded to the NCAA Executive
Committee for approval in May 1991.