Jason and All,
 
The reality is the schools are in a business to make money - not provide an
education (or care aboout) students. To answer Jason's question about "what
happens to the players": they transfer elsewhere to play or stay put to finish
their degrees.
 
The front page of today's Chicago Tribune Sports section reads "Hockey appears
finished at UIC, No link to Collins situation, source says". There were a few
key points mentioned among all the administrative babble: 1. the attendence
this past year was roughly the same (2900 b-ball to 2500 hockey) and 2. the
hockey program LOST $600,000 this year alone! I have been going over this in my
head - where did the losses come from and the only possible places I can think
of is the "new state of the art" practice facility built within the last 6
years or recruiting trips. The article quotes the Vice Chancellor of Student
Affairs Stan Delaney on these stats and mentioned that the hockey budget will
provide $400,000 to the basketball budget. Additionally, an anonymous source
was quoted as saying that "hockey was gone, independently." However, as a
former student employee in a high administrative office on that campus - and
let me be absolutely clear on this - NOTHING at that level of administration
happens by coincidence.
 
In closing, I urge all college hockey fans to watch this situation VERY
closely. The money you put down for a ticket is money that speaks VOLUMES to
administrations whose only interest is financial. SUPPORT YOUR PROGRAMS!!! As I
stated yesterday, our program may not have been great, but the loss of this (or
any) program is a loss to ALL programs!! And if you see a guy dressed up in
hockey gear behind Jimmy Collins for first couple UIC basketball games next
year, rest assured that will be me. And I wish I could be in a locker-room with
the buttheads making or contributing to this decision.
 
I'm in mourning; forgive me if I forgot to mention something. If you'd like
more details, please contact me.
 
Ashamed for my school,
++ Paul A. Troy, UIC `92
 
--
Paul A. Troy           [log in to unmask]            847/435-6547
 
** As of 1/20/96, the area code has changed from 708 to 847.      O-
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- Beckett and Calavicci in `96 - Putting right what once went wrong.
- Collins killed UIC Hockey!    UIC Hockey: 1980-1996. RIP. :(
- Coming in second only means that you will be the first loser.
- Today's weather:  hard top on (until March 29!).  :(  MCA: #50778
 
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