Today I had a conversation with Dennis Poppe Director of Championships at the NCAA. He was unaware of the blackout issues that arose over the weekend. It was the NCAA decision to enforce the 200 mile rule. It should not have extended beyond 200 miles. He has asked me to write up my concerns over the current policys in place. If anyone has any comments with what happened with the blackouts, please email them to me and I will try to encorperate them into the response that he has asked me to send back to him. He did seem surpised to hear of the nation wide blackout policy and felt that the hockey committee needed to hear from a groups like ours to improve the product in the future. One additional note, I asked him about a 16 team tourney. He said that it is a serious issue that he is well aware of. He believes for the success of the sport a rounded event is much better, be it 8 or 16 teams. He wants to do away with the buy. It is his hope that with the split of powers in the NCAA at this time it may happen, and that if it was his choice, or a money issue, he would do it in a minute. HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.