Since you can't play up anymore, will the women's team be classified as D-II (unless can you match your men's D-I playup with a women's D-I playup?)? It's immaterial for women as there is a combined D-I/II NC for ice hockey. Scholly's are still 18 no matter what division you're in, so that's not a disadvantage.
D-II's playing women's ice hockey: Franklin Pierce, St. Anselm, St. Michaels. Get 3 more and you have a viable competitive conference that gets an AQ into the tournament.
I thought the deal was that teams aren't allowed to be D-I in hockey and D-III in everything else. I don't believe there is a problem with being D-I in hockey and D-II in everything else, because that is still a scholarship program. For example, Lindenwood is D-I in women's hockey but will be D-II in most of its sports, and they are new to the NCAA as a department.
"... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling
The Women's Ice Hockey program will begin club play in 2013-14, with plans to compete at the NCAA Division I Level by 2016-17. Once an NCAA Division I program, Women's Ice Hockey will join the Hockey East Association.
I thought the deal was that teams aren't allowed to be D-I in hockey and D-III in everything else. I don't believe there is a problem with being D-I in hockey and D-II in everything else, because that is still a scholarship program. For example, Lindenwood is D-I in women's hockey but will be D-II in most of its sports, and they are new to the NCAA as a department.
Women have a combined D-I/II championship. Also, if your D-II sport does not sponsor a championship (D-II men's ice hockey), you're allowed to play in the D-I championship, but you're a D-II team. That would apply to any new D-II programs, not the current crop who declared their playup many moons ago. You CANNOT play for a lower championship (D-III).
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