The commissioner of the CCHA said that he felt there would a lot more teams joining Div. 1, than most people thought, and that it was going to happen faster than expected. I posted something along those lines explaining who, how and why they would. And if half of these rumors, or signs of initial planning are true, than things seem headed towards the boom of teams the CCHA commish talked about. ____________________________________________________________ Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 13:36:49 -0600 From: Eric J Burton <[log in to unmask]> This is crazy why should we even consider this one, they don't even have a small college Division III Program, If there is a case they almost would have to Let NDSU go Division one they have said to have the money in place and if you know anything about the BISON it is probably true (they have a club team) they have a dome and programs that are successful. ____________________________________________________________ Me: Hmmmmmmm. What is the Florida Panthers record currently? The Colorado Rockies? The Carolina Panthers? What did the Toledo Storm do a year after being created? SUNY-Buffalo didn't even have a Football program not so long ago, and they are jumping to 1-A in a couple of years. Different levels, different sports, same lesson: it can be done. As I have said before, if these schools are serious, and have any common sense, they will do it right. They will spend the money to hire the personnel to get the job done. It is a matter of recruiting really. What is most likely to happen, is that a lot of talent not taken, or recruited by better schools will wind up there. That won't win a lot of games, but it is a start. I'm sure there are a lot of players in the Canadian university's that could be sold on coming down here. Granted that isn't saying a lot, but it is a start. Get the right coach, and anything is possible. ____________________________________________________________ Eric Burton: HOWEVER BY letting MSU and NDSU or an OMAHA NE you are going to weaken the league and the League Schedules and then your going to get games like the Dartmouth VS UND 8-2,or games like the U of M and NMU 10-0 and 7-0 and at what expense to the bigger schools making who are trying to placehigh in the seeding for the NCAA's or how about teams on the Bubble Like UND because they played a Darthmouth during nonleague play they are going to be punished and because of the unbalanced schedule and by virtue of not getting CC twice this year, they have to win the league championship, its that fair probably not. Now you are going to have team that may have to run up the scores like Football (PSU and FSU, UN come to mind first) to make the team look good in the Polls, then What do you do about the unbalance schedule....UNO should maybe worry about fielding a football team (which they haven't been very successful at so far) before it starts thinking about DIVISION 1 hockey. _____________________________________________________________ Me: I don't think that they would get in to the WCHA right off the bat. But Air Force might like to play them as independents. Other Div. 1 teams in the big leagues might rather have an American school travel to play them for those early practice games. (that would help the small schools recruit with marquee games like that) And as for the seeding problems, we are seeing that begin to change as well. Common sense will make people look at the overall schedule and decide. If a team loads up on weak independent teams, like one member of the CCHA does in Football, that will show up. Besides, despite playing a Div. 1-AA team, are you going to argue that Nebraska isn't the best team? Anyway, maybe UNO should think of dropping Football and working on Hockey? :) I think your concerns have very real merit, but I also think that they are understood by those deciding to allow a team into a league, Division, or those starting the program. These people may be using the WCHA as an example, or situation they would like to build towards, it sounds better than talking of going straight to independent status. The biggest question really, is weather there is enough talent in the Juniors and elsewhere, and are there enough possible coaches to find it, in order to support an ever growing number of teams? Nathan W.L. Boyle HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.