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Framingham State Adds Varsity Team for Fall 2024

S

Scott_TG

Well-known member
Framingham State of the MASCAC has announced they will add women's hockey for Fall 2024 and that they have hired Robert Lavin, currently the boys' varsity coach of Worcester Academy prep school to be their inaugural head coach.

Lavin was the Framingham State men's head coach from 2001-2003. Other collegiate roles include his alma mater Kent State, Nichols and Salve Regina.

I believe this gives the MASCAC enough schools to execute their plan for MASCAC Women's Hockey with its own automatic bid to the tourney.

MASCAC:

Worcester State
Salem State
Framingham State
Anna Maria
Rivier
MCLA

We are also close to Little East Women's hockey:

Castleton University
Plymouth State University
UMass Boston
University of Southern Maine
Keene State

All the LEC needs is a new member or one of their 4 members without WIH to join. UMass-Dartmouth is the only one of the four with a men's team

https://www.fsurams.com/general/2023-24/releases/20231016fy6crh
 
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As we barrel towards this eventuality in women's and men's hockey, are there currently any NCAA sports with no at-large bids?
 
spwood said:
As we barrel towards this eventuality in women's and men's hockey, are there currently any NCAA sports with no at-large bids?
Click to expand...

Not that I know of. Football is the closest with just four at-large bids in a 32-team tournament, and it could be less in two years based on various conference realignments. (Based on participant numbers, it should be a 36-team tournament, but expansion gets complicated with football.)
 
So DIII will have 78 teams next fall, if we count on MSOE launching despite what happened this year. By the 6.5 access ratio that is enough for the 12th bid.


This is what it looks like for Fall 2024:

CCC
Curry
Endicott
Nichols
Salve Regina
Suffolk
UNE
WNEU

Independent
Hilbert

MAC
Alvernia
Arcadia
Hood
King's
LVC
Neuman
Stevenson
Wilkes

MASCAC
Anna Maria
Framingham State
MCLA
Rivier
Salem State
Worcester State

MIAC
Augsburg
Bethel
Concordia (MN)
CSB
CSS
GAC
Hamline
St. Catherine
St. Mary's
St. Olaf

NCHA
Adrian
Aurora
Concordia (WI)
Lake Forest
Lawrence
Marian
MSOE
SNC
Trine
University of Dubuque

NEHC [Sorted the LEC teams separately]
Albertus Magnus
Elmira
JWU
NEC
Norwich
William Smith
Castleton
Keene State
Plymouth State
Southern Maine
UMB

NESCAC
Amherst
Bowdoin
Colby
Connecticut College
Hamilton
Middlebury
Trinity
Wesleyan
Williams

SUNYAC
SUNY Buffalo State
SUNY Canton
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Morrisville
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Plattsburgh
SUNY Potsdam

UCHC
Chatham
Manhattanville
Nazareth
Utica

WIAC
Northland
UW-Eau Claire
UW-River Falls
UW-Stevens Point
UW-Superior

The UCHC is entitled to a two-year grace period so they don't lose their auto-bid until the 2026 tourney if they don't get new members.

Pool A - 9
Pool C - 3


If we get a sixth team in the WIAC or a sixth LEC team for them to break away: Pool A - 10, Pool C - 2.
If we have both the LEC breaking away and the WIAC with their own autobid we could have 0 Pool C bids as the NEHC would be entitled to a grace period for two seasons.

If the WIAC stays at 5 and we see the UCHC and NEHC fall below the auto bid we could see the return of Pool B which would be reserved for the WIAC, NEHC and UCHC and only one at-large.

If my math is wrong or I'm missing a team or a move, please let me know.
 
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Scott_TG said:
So DIII will have 78 teams next fall, if we count on MSOE launching despite what happened this year. By the 6.5 access ratio that is enough for the 12th bid.


This is what it looks like for Fall 2024:

CCC
Curry
Endicott
Nichols
Salve Regina
Suffolk
UNE
WNEU

Independent
Hilbert

MAC
Alvernia
Arcadia
Hood
King's
LVC
Neuman
Stevenson
Wilkes

MASCAC
Anna Maria
Framingham State
MCLA
Rivier
Salem State
Worcester State

MIAC
Augsburg
Bethel
Concordia (MN)
CSB
CSS
GAC
Hamline
St. Catherine
St. Mary's
St. Olaf

NCHA
Adrian
Aurora
Concordia (WI)
Lake Forest
Lawrence
Marian
MSOE
SNC
Trine
University of Dubuque

NEHC [Sorted the LEC teams separately]
Albertus Magnus
Elmira
JWU
NEC
Norwich
William Smith
Castleton
Keene State
Plymouth State
Southern Maine
UMB

NESCAC
Amherst
Bowdoin
Colby
Connecticut College
Hamilton
Middlebury
Trinity
Wesleyan
Williams

SUNYAC
SUNY Buffalo State
SUNY Canton
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Morrisville
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Plattsburgh
SUNY Potsdam

UCHC
Chatham
Manhattanville
Nazareth
Utica

WIAC
Northland
UW-Eau Claire
UW-River Falls
UW-Stevens Point
UW-Superior

The UCHC is entitled to a two-year grace period so they don't lose their auto-bid until the 2026 tourney if they don't get new members.

Pool A - 9
Pool C - 3


If we get a sixth team in the WIAC or a sixth LEC team for them to break away: Pool A - 10, Pool C - 2.
If we have both the LEC breaking away and the WIAC with their own autobid we could have 0 Pool C bids as the NEHC would be entitled to a grace period for two seasons.

If the WIAC stays at 5 and we see the UCHC and NEHC fall below the auto bid we could see the return of Pool B which would be reserved for the WIAC, NEHC and UCHC and only one at-large.

If my math is wrong or I'm missing a team or a move, please let me know.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't the NEHC still have enough for an auto-bid even if the LEC forms its own hockey league?

Albertus, Elmira, Salve, Norwich, William Smith, NEC. Isn't six enough?

EDIT: Also forgot that Salve will be "rejoining" NEHC next season too, as JWU will join CCC.
 
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SHockey98 said:
Wouldn't the NEHC still have enough for an auto-bid even if the LEC forms its own hockey league?

Albertus, Elmira, Salve, Norwich, William Smith, NEC. Isn't six enough?

EDIT: Also forgot that Salve will be "rejoining" NEHC next season too, as JWU will join CCC.
Click to expand...

I may have mislead Scott. When we were discussing the math off this site, I definitely forgot about Salve and Albertus joining.
 
Apologies for missing the Salve/JWU move.

I still have the 2025 Tournament as 9 Pool A bids and 3 Pool Cs if no others join. I used the Pool As from the 2023 tourney and the final PWR Rankings on the NCAA website (USCHO has cleared theirs) to mock up what the tourney could look like (PWR ranks listed are the 2023 finals): [TABLE="border: 1, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 0"]
[TR]
[TD]Conference[/TD]
[TD]Bid[/TD]
[TD]Team[/TD]
[TD]PWR[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CCC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Suffolk[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MAC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Alvernia[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MASCAC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Worcester State[/TD]
[TD]41[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MIAC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Gustavus[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NCHA[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Adrian[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NEHC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Norwich[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NESCAC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Amherst[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SUNYAC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Plattsburgh[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]UCHC[/TD]
[TD]Pool A[/TD]
[TD]Nazareth[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]At Large[/TD]
[TD]Pool C[/TD]
[TD]Hamilton[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]At Large[/TD]
[TD]Pool C[/TD]
[TD]UW-River Falls[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]At Large[/TD]
[TD]Pool C[/TD]
[TD]Middlebury[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Using the PWR, the teams missing out due to the new Pool A bids for the MAC and MASCAC would have been Colby (who did make it 2023 and Eau Claire who didn't).

Fall 2027 would be when the UCHC would lose their Pool A if they don't find a 6th team, though one is sitting out there as Hilbert in western NY will be the only independent for Fall 2024 at this rate.

As stated above, the LEC is one member from having enough to break away from the NEHC and the WIAC is one member away from a Pool A of their own. If both happen there would 1 Pool C left until there are 85 programs which is when the access ratio puts the tourney at 13 teams.
 
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The MASCAC has made it official that they will compete as a women's hockey conference starting next fall. Members will be:

Anna Maria
Framingham State (new next fall)
MCLA (new this year)
Rivier
Salem State
Worcester State

I think Salem State and Worcester State would be the current favorites in this new conference.

By my understanding for 2024-25 we would have a 12-team tournament (Keene State and Framingham State put DIII at 78 teams which puts it to 12 berths per the access ratio):

Pool A (9 Bids):
CCC Winner
MAC Winner
MASCAC Winner
MIAC Winner
NCHA Winner
NEHC Winner
NESCAC Winner
SUNYAC Winner
UCHC Winner (Grace Period)

Pool B (1 Bid):

WIAC Schools
Hilbert (Independent)

Pool C (2 Bids): Teams with the highest PWR that didn't get a Pool A or B bid.

My understanding is that if Hilbert joins a conference for 2024-25, there won't be enough teams left for a Pool B bid. So if the UCHC or SUNYAC can absorb them it would create one more Pool C bid. Functionally River Falls is consistently in Pool C territory anyway so the Pool B vs an extra Pool C is kind of moot.
 
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Kind of an interesting note from the press release.

”During the first year of play, Salem State University will play non-conference games against the five MASCAC Women's Ice Hockey members. In 2025-26, Salem State University will leave their conference and join the five MASCAC Institutions. The MASCAC will then begin their two-year wait for the NCAA Automatic Qualifier into the tournament which will be awarded in 2027-2028.”

First off, I heard Salem State tried to get a waiver out of the NEHC early, but it got sensed, as expected. Second, I had never heard of a 2-year wait to get an AQ into the tournament. Is this legit? If so, would the MAC have to wait for this as well?
 
Just consulted someone offline, and the best guess is:

MASCAC has to wait because Anna Maria is a new member, so they don't meet the core membership requirement right away.

The MAC meets the core membership principle (Hood has been with the MAC) so they get Pool A right away.

The MASCAC teams will be Pool B eligible but I doubt River Falls and Eau Claire will be up at night worrying about the PWR of those schools.


So this is what the tourney will look like until the MASCAC gets Pool A (unless the LEC launches as well, or other realignment occurs):

Pool A (8 Bids):
CCC Winner
MAC Winner
MIAC Winner
NCHA Winner
NEHC Winner
NESCAC Winner
SUNYAC Winner
UCHC Winner (Grace Period)

Pool B, 1 bid to the team with the highest PWR among:

MASCAC Schools
WIAC Schools
Hilbert (Independent)

Pool C, 3 bids to the teams that didn't get a Pool A or Pool B bid with the highest PWR.

Under these conditions, the tournament would have had the exact same field as it did plus Alvernia...
 
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