I talked with John Munson, our athletic director, about the possibility of
moving up to Division I a couple of years ago. That was in the midst of a
fabulous run by UWSP where it looked like we might even be able to compete
with the lower tier Div I schools with just a little help (yes, I know, not
very realistic, but "fan" is short for fanatic :-))
Answer: No possibility without some serious outside money (like a corporate
sponsor who would give generously). Too much money for the extra players, the
scholarships, the extra coach, etc., and too much money for a better ice rink.
To answer the question asked, yes, ice hockey is very expensive for a school
our size, but not completely out of reach since Div III programs spend a lot
less money on it than Div I. According to John, our program runs about 35-40K
compared with football at about 50K. The cost of equipment is a lot less
than football, too. About 2/3 of the cost is ice time. To move up to
Division I would be from 250 to 350K. From that I conclude that a Div III
program might be only as much as 10-20% of the cost of Div I, but for a small
school that's still a significant outlay of funds.
Tom Rowe Internet: [log in to unmask]
Department of Psychology ***********************************
U. of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Home of Division III National
Go Point! Champions '89, '90, '91, & '93
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