Re: New Kid: Stevenson Starts Women's Program
I heard from a few people in the rinks that it had everything to do with travel. For most teams in the west it would require two nights of hotels, three days of meals, and three days with bus. It could cost schools 5K-7K just to play two games. If I was a voting AD, and our league already had an AQ, why would I vote to take on this expense. Do you think we would be having this conversation if Naz had decide to add women's hockey also?
I disagree completely with the assertion that for "most teams" it would require two nights hotel and three days of meals. With a night game the first night, every one of those schools with the exception of probably Platty and Potsdam could make the trip the day of the game. Even with a 6-ish hour trip, you can leave at a decent hour...say 8am...and make it to your destination by 2 in the afternoon. Plenty of time to sit down for a pregame meal, get the bus legs out, and skate at 7pm. You probably play at 2 or 3pm the second day, and you are out of the rink by 5 or 6 pm and home around midnight. Sure you'd rather have a 3 hour trip, but that is not an unreasonable schedule, especially considering it's only a trip you'd have to make EVERY OTHER season.
Rough travel times to Owings Mills, MD
Buff St: 6:15
Elmira: 4:15
Chatham: 4:00
Utica: 6:00
Cortland: 4:45
Oswego: 6:00
Platty: 8:15
RIT: 5:15
Neumann: 1:15
Potsdam: 8:00
And if it's true that it was the SUNYAC's and Utica that voted against this, then why is Buff State driving to Plymouth (an 8 hour trip) for 2 games and a single at Castleton? Sure it's 3 games instead of two...but 3 nights hotel, 4 days worth of meals...
Cortland drove 3:30 hours to play 2 games against a club team. They can't drive an extra hour and 15 mins every other year to play a varsity team?
Oswego is driving 4.5 hours to play a single non conference game against Amherst and later in the season is driving a little over 5 hours to play two non conference games against Sacred Heart...but 6 hours every other year for a couple of league games is too much?
Then when you factor in that there is already a team in the league that is a very large distance from virtually every other school...that is not committed to their program, does not provide it the resources to be successful, and has not played a varsity non-conference game in 2 years but you're letting them stick around at the expense of a team that actually wants to put a good product on the ice, I can see where it's a little frustrating.
Do what's best for the game and help grow the sport, especially if travel is the best excuse they can come up with...because at least to me, it doesnt look like their actions are supporting what their mouths are saying.
so...I wonder what any of that has to do with ECAC West accepting Stevenson this year? 