I can't speak to the supply side of the talent equation, but I think
'influx' could very well be the word people are looking for to describe the
teams talking about going D1.  So far in this discussion, we've heard about
Alabama-Huntsville, Mankato State, Bemidji State and North Dakota State.
That's a 10% expansion of D1 right there.  In the past, people have talked
about the D1 independents such as UConn trying to upgrade.  Even if a
number of them turn out to be pipe dreams, this could be a significant
increase.  I don't think that the premier programs are going to lose out in
the recruiting wars; I think that it will be tough on those trying to get
started and some of the less successful current teams.
  I fully accept that conferences are not going to be balanced in terms of
parity.  Look at how long the Big 10 has lugged around that useless
Northwestern football team.  (Like they'll ever beat anyone.)  There is a
point where there are simply too many bottom feeders.  Perhaps the CCHA is
better top to bottom this year, but it has taken a long, long time.
  I'm not at all opposed to expansion.  I'd like to see more teams as well.
But I don't think that the sport is served by simply enlarging the current
conferences.  Lord knows, the conferences in other sports aren't being
enlarged for the good of the sport.  Money has been an issue, as well as
the fallout from the fact that the Southwest Conference completely
disintegrated a few years back and they decided to pull the plug on the
whole thing.  In fact, the demise of the SWC ought to be looked at very
carefully by those proposing to expand hockey conferences; the imbalance
between the schools was one of the things that caused it to fall apart.
(The ECAC-HE split might also be examined.)
  I don't think that a strictly regional basis for conference affiliation
is necessary, either, though it should be kept in mind.  I think Hockey
East and the ECAC have shown that it is possible for conferences to exist
with overlapping areas.
  The Big 10 is unlikely to become a hockey conference.  It's not just a
matter of not enough schools participating; many of the Big 10 teams have
very strong rivalries with teams outside the Big 10.  I enjoy sharing a
conference with Duluth and North Dakota.  I like the Showcase as a format
for the Big 10 schools getting together.  (Maybe we should figure out a way
to invite Ohio State.)
  In total, I realy think that the situation becomes a mess if you keep
trying to add more teams to the currently existing conferences.  Someone
pointed out that there are 305 D1 basketball schools and 33 conferences.
Accounting for independents, that's about 9 schools per conference.  Hockey
seems headed significantly higher than that.
 
J. Michael Jackson
 
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