CathyH reported.. >The schedule will not be publicized until it is set in stone. This will probably sound like what I wrote last year in this forum (because I'm still sure this is a poor policy)... A schedule is *never* cast instone. It is always subject to change. This policy caused the season-ticket packages last year to be mailed without a schedule: here, buy the package, but we're not going to tell you when the games will be nor how many there will be. :-( There are probably 2 ways of viewing this. First, never publish a schedule until everything is completely settled. This means the U never has to retract (administrators like that). This means that changes never have to be explained (administrators like that). This means that no one makes a plan due to the "tentative schedule" and has to change it when the tentative schedule is changed (administrators like fewer complainers). This means that scheduling decisions will be independent from whatever bad might happen because the public knew of the tentative plans (administrators like that). Some negotiations for games might best be done privately and secretly until concluded. No tentative schedule means that figuring out which games might fall into this category might take some time and an error could be embarrassing (administrators need all the time they can find and like to avoid being embarrassed). Waiting until Fall to publish "the schedule" will allow the media to report on the schedule when the general public needs a nudge to start thinking about hockey games, not in the Spring when there is no hockey (unless you count NHL playoffs). On the other hand, making a tentative schedule available (publishing has such fancy connotations) is good for the fans (paying customers). Heh, I promise to stop complaining (in this forum) for a month if a schedule, tentative or otherwise, arrives with my season tickets package. Let's say that Maine schedules the maximum of 34 regular season games (plus Blue-White and playoffs). Let's say that 10% of those 40 games are changed: 4 games change (change/add/delete). That means that 90% of our tentative plans work out. Not a bad deal. What did it cost? (see above). An excellent tradeoff, IMHO. Maybe I've left something out? Maybe some school somewhere was sued because they changed their "tentative schedule"? Maybe administrators think more season ticket holders will renew if they don't know a tentative schedule? Maybe we shouldn't know who is scheduled to come to the JCPenney Classic this Fall? Maybe I shouldn't be given the chance to figure Thanksgiving and Christmas/NewYear's games into my upcoming holiday travel plans? Maybe no schedule should be published at all. Let the media announce the upcoming weekend's games (home or away & opponent). This makes the media seem important (they like that, maybe they'll even become Maine fans ... a little). Releasing a tentative schedule *helps* me be a Maine Hockey fan. I can only assume it would do the same for others. As Dan implied, Hockey-L is covered with tentative schedules this time of year. A substantial portion of the Maine tentative schedule *can* be figured out now. Think Anaheim! Wayne T. Smith [log in to unmask] Old Town Landing Co-owner of the College Hockey lists - Hockey-L/Info-Hockey-L/Hockey3