The UAF proposal has some merit, but some other things have to be addressed as well, namely the NC$$'s continued shafting of the two Alaska schools. To keep allowing visiting schools to play in AK and not have the games count in their schedules is absolutely ridiculous, and the entire college hockey community should be outraged that this practice continues. RE Mancini's plan for a "Unified U.P:" It'd never fly. Lake State has been a mainstay in the CCHA ever since Ron Mason brought the team out of the NAIA. There is too much tradition keeping the Lakers with the "C." (Although I'm sure some Bucky Backers would like to get their hands on LSSU, and vice-versa). On UAF in general: Ever since joining the CCHA as affiliate members, the 'Nooks have had problems dealing with the smaller schools in the conference. Ferris State almost lost hockey altogether a few years ago, and if FSU was forced to go to Alaska to play, the outcry in Big Rapids would be tremendous, no matter who footed the bill. [The CCHA is weird...aside from the big-money schools (UM, MSU), you have these Div.I buffer schools (BG, WMU, Kent, Miami), then the smaller schools in which hockey may be the only strong Div. I sport (FSU, LSSU, UIC) and then two big- name schools in which hockey is an afterthought (NDame, OSU). With this difference in funds, it'd seem hard to get a strong consensus from the AD's.] A friend of mine is the SID at UAF, going there from Michigan. Apparently UAF is notoriously tight-fisted: The school wants to be respected as a Div. I program, but is unwilling to make serious investments in the team. In any case, the proposal seems sound, especially the idea of fewer league games. I think the CCHA should drop some contests as well. longing for the days of the HE-WCHA affiliation, GS