Luiz Valente wrote:
>I think that RPI and the other non-Ivies in the ECAC should be allowed
>to play the NC$$ maximum number of 32 games if they so desire.
 
Actually, when Greg posted that 32 was the max, he was off by 2 - it
is 34 (Section 17.10.5.1-(a)), with a number of exceptions allowed.
This was cut by 4 from 38 a couple of years ago.
 
>I hope, however, that most schools will not take this option.
>In my opinion, 32 games are too many.
 
I can understand why some of the Brown parents would feel the schedule
is already too long.  Part of the reason, I feel, for the Ivies
feeling crowded is that they start much later than everyone else.
What is the reasoning behind this - a shorter season?  Perhaps they
could start on the same date as everyone else but mandate an extra
week off over and above what other DivI teams are held to.
 
I have always felt that the non-Ivies should be able to play up to the
limit.  But, they choose to be in a conference which does not allow
them to do so, and no one keeps them there.  So it is their decision.
 
Just IMO, I have to doubt that allowing RPI two more games is the only
concession the ECAC is making or plans to make to try to keep RPI (and
the other non-Ivies) in the conference, if this is indeed their intent.
As well, I doubt that the desire for 2 (or 4) more games is what has
had RPI seriously considering HE.  There is certainly more going on
behind the scenes.
 
BTW, "rumor" had it RPI was planning to make a decision by April 30...or
soon thereafter.  I really don't know which way they will go.  I have
heard some people close to the situation say they will leave, and some
say they will stay.
 
>As far as the Ivies go,
>I'd like to see a maximum of 27 regular season games plus 1 pre-season
>exhibition game.
 
I thought this was already allowed - last season, all 6 Ivies played an
exhibition plus 27 games they counted in their regular season records:
 
Brown 27 + New Brunswick
Cornell 27 + Western Ontario
Dartmouth 27 + Concordia
Harvard 27 + New Brunswick
*Princeton 27 + @ Middlebury
Yale 27 + McGill
 
*-Princeton opened up at McGill, which they counted in their record.
Then they played at Middlebury and recorded that as an EX.  What
confuses me is this: the Middlebury game had to count towards their
limit.  And since Princeton also went to Europe in December, they
could not take the exemption for a foreign tour for playing at McGill,
so that game had to count too.  That gives them 28 countable games.
 
That makes me think the ECAC/Ivy rules are different from the NC$$
rules.  If Princeton had scheduled *34* reg season games including at
McGill, and also scheduled an EX at Middlebury as well as their trip
to Europe, they would have been in violation of 17.10.5.1.  I am
guessing that the ECAC/Ivy League allows the Ivies 27 games + one
EX, and it does not care where the EX is played or who it is against.
---                                                                 ---
Mike Machnik                                          [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                  *HMM* 11/13/93