Andrew Rapoff asked: >Anyway, has anyone heard anything about expanding the tourney field, >or is this just absolutely dead in light of the number of division I >programs (is it shrinking ala Kent State?), Title IX, costs...? We had a discussion about this last spring when I wondered about the possibility after the CC debacle. The answer is no, they can't expand the tournament field. The NC$$ has a mathematical formula regarding how many teams are allowed into championship tournaments. Mike explained it all to us but I've forgotten how they do it. Technically, according to this formula hockey shouldn't even have 12 teams, but get to keep the current number due to a grandfathering clause. The number of programs that would need to be added is not realistically attainable. So, we're stuck with 16 and could conceivably lose some if the NC$$ wants to get stupid about it. Not that the NC$$ would EVER do anything stupid. (Please feel free to read the appropriate amount of sarcasm into that last statement) >+ Andrew Rapoff [log in to unmask] + --Steve Moerland MSU '92, UK '95