J. Michael Jackson wrote: >I'd like to think that I'm not provincial, but I think that there is = such a >thing as conferences getting too large, and a worry about imbalance in = the >levels of play within a conference. I think the latter can be seen = within >the CCHA; there are about four teams that never seem to be able to get = it >together and be competitive. That's too many for an exciting league. = My >fear is that if a number of schools all try to make the jump to = Division I >at the same time and join the major conferences, we're going to be left >with more of the same problem. I don't think that the talent is going = to >spread very well into a bunch of new programs. > My preferred solution is to start up new conferences, with the >acknowledged idea that not all of the conferences are going to be of = equal >strength ... As newcomers to the CCHA this year in Fairbanks, I both agree and = disagree. I think the CCHA top to bottom is more competitive than it = has been. If I remember correctly, Ohio State hammered Bowling Green = last weekend and Notre Dame beat LSSU earlier in the season (ND was = substantially better when they played here this season than they ever = were before). We even took the Lakers to the last minute or two down = there before losing. And Miami would probably be the first team to = admit that the fall from near the top to the bottom can happen very = quickly (they'll probably be back closer before the end of the season). = There will probably always be a couple dominant teams--or at least teams = that are consistently at or near the top year after year--in each league = and a couple at the bottom, but if they can play competitively and pull = a surprise off now and then, we're not going to lack for excitement in = college hockey. And look at Massachusetts-Amherst! I agree however that there is a problem with conferences getting too = large. With the CCHA up at 11 teams and with us way up here, it is more = than a little difficult to come up with any kind of balanced schedule. = Three games is kind of a strange number to work with in our conference, = but I'm sorry we can't see more WCHA teams playing interconference games = when they play each other 4 times and are locked into 32 game conference = schedules. We probably do need another Division I conference, but how = are we going to divide everybody up and do we want to? Realignment of = some sort may have to occur before we can expand very much. I know when = you're in an established conference that's going to be difficult. Maybe = it's new teams like UAA and UAF that need to take the lead on making a = move toward starting another conference. The problem is we tried to do = that before and it just didn't work out and we were left by ourselves. = Other established teams would have to come with us and by that time = we'll have strong rivalries going with the rest of the existing = conference. Now as to the dilution of talent, that's something I obviously don't = know anything about. Would anyone who's been watching college hockey = for 10+ years care to comment on whether that is true or not. I was = shocked to see how many, and I mean a huge number, of kids are playing = hockey here in Fairbanks. Judging by that, and if it is true anywhere = else, we are going to see an influx of hockey talent in the coming years = that may well allow expansion of Division I hockey at the same level. = When I was a kid growing up here 25-30 years ago, almost no one played = hockey at all. We didn't even have a high school team until my senior = year in high school in 1974 and that was a club team. I mean this was = in Alaska! Mark Sonnier is right. I for one am thankful that Alabama-Huntsville = and so many Division I programs helped us out. We owe a debt of = gratitude to all of you. If you come up here and watch hockey, you can = see it's helping kids here realize that they can do more than just dream = about playing sports at that level like I had to. Now they know they = really have a shot at that and anything else they want whether it's = "outside" or here at home. Eric Carlson U of A '78 [log in to unmask] HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.