At 11:52 PM -0500 1/15/97, Wayne Smith wrote:
> IMHO, for Maine to defer the exemptions penalty to next year would be
> pure folly, unless a definitive response could be had from the
> appropriate arm of the NCAA.
 
And that's the key.  Proceeding as if the assumption is true (that the HE
tourney and NCAA tourney each equal one exempted game) could turn out to
cause a real problem for Maine.  It seems to me to be safer to act as if
each game counts separately, until such time as a definite response from
the NCAA is received to clear up this issue.
 
If each game is considered one exempted game, then this year Maine would be
one game over the 34 game limit.  Next year Maine could play as many as 9
postseason games as Deron outlined, meaning that if a decision was given
after this season and before next season, Maine could then only play 25
regular season games in 1997-98.  That means lots of lost dollars in
revenue as well as fewer games to get your team ready for postseason play.
 
Let's say the appeal is denied.  Then on this issue, one of three things
can happen.  1) Maine finds out that its assumption re: exempted games is
correct; 2) Maine finds out it is incorrect; 3) no decision is rendered
yet.  In 3), which might be the likeliest scenario, I'd think it would be
an awfully big risk for Maine to choose not to forfeit one game this season
and go on to "roll the dice" next year.
 
But even if Maine does forfeit a game, it will open a new can of worms.
Not an easy situation all the way around.
 
I guess the best thing would have been to schedule only 34 games this year
and forego the exemptions now, but it is too late for that.  It is also too
late for Maine to cancel and forfeit a nonconference game; only Hockey East
games remain.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                [log in to unmask]               *HMM* 11/13/93
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