The Notre Dame hockey program is a Division I independent hockey team The program began in 1968 when Lefty Smith came to South Bend from So. St. Paul Minnesota. Throughout the 70's the team competed in the WCHA. It was a fully funded program and competed reasonably well during that period. The highlight years were 72-73 and 76-77 when the team finished second in the WCHA. Those were the years when tickets were hard to come by and the Hoosiers in the area talked about hockey almost as much as they always speak about basketball and football. In 1981 the team joined the CCHA to cut down on travel expenses. It compete there until 1983 when the program was dropped to a club status. Three reasons for that decision 1) Attend- ance had dropped off considerably 2) N.D. football was not very good at the time which effected revenue to the athletic department (i.e. fewer T.V. games, bowl games etc. 3) Title IX was coming into its own which demanded mored dollars to their programs 4) the administra- tion simply did not know much, or care much about the hockey program. In 1987 the team experienced some success on the ice and at the box office (27-4-2) against a marginal schedule. It was enough, h however, to re-vitalize interest in the sport. Since that time the team has awarded 2.5, then 5, and now 8 scholarships. Next year the team will have a total of ten scholarships. Enough to make a b the team will have a total of ten scholarships. Enough to make a better team but not enough to compete against teams that had twenty scholarships. We play a mixed Division I and III schedule. For example, Minnesota, Fairbanks, Boston College, Lake Forest, Mercyhurst, Kent State, Ferris State, New Hampshire, Princeton, Army, Air Force, Wisconsin Stevens Point. There are some good things about to happen (we all hope) due to the recent NCAA rulings. With the reduction of games, we will be hard pressed to come up with a competitive schedule. On Monday, we will be discussing the pro's and con's of the CCHA. As I see it, there are many more Pro's than Con's. It would be a great league for us. Travel would be minimal, we could split weekend series home and away, great teams, national television on PASS. The list goes on and on. If we have a major television on PASS. The list goes on and on. If we have good newsbreakthrou to report I will follow up through this network. Until then, GO IRISH!!