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Possible future Division III conference alignment

P

PrezdeJohnson09

Proud supporter of Osmirwich hockey
So we're still a couple of teams from making this framework a possibility but here's an idea of where we might be headed soon.

ECAC East
Norwich
UNE
Castleton
UMass-Boston
NEC
St. Michael’s
Southern Maine
Saint Anselm
Holy Cross

ECAC Northeast
Daniel Webster
Nichols
Salve Regina
Plymouth State
Johnson & Wales
Franklin Pierce

ECAC West
Stevenson
Neumann
Chatham
Elmira
William Smith
Utica
Manhattanville

SUNYAC
Canton
Buffalo State
Plattsburgh
Potsdam
Oswego
Cortland

As you can see, unless Saint Anselm and Saint Michael's drop down to Division III, the ECAC East would still need another D-III team in order to be eligible for the automatic bid.

The SUNYAC has six teams if Canton joins the SUNY, but they would also still need another team like a Brockport, Geneseo or Fredonia to jump up to varsity status.

The ECAC Northeast would still need two more teams for the automatic bid.

It's possible that three ECAC leagues could form right now with all of them having an autobid, even with the Holy Cross, Saint Michael's and Saint Anselm not counting, but it would take radical reform that probably isn't even on the radar currently.
 
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Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

OMG....SUNYAC is like a D4 conference!! Let's hope that doesnt happen any time soon!
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

Too Many Autobids.
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

WIrinkrat said:
You did miss something.

http://www.salemstatevikings.com/news/2014/1/27/WIC_0127142721.aspx
Click to expand...

About time the Commonwealth of Massachusetts got its act in gear and finally added hockey at a second state school. Unfortunately, this means it will take another millennium until UMass gets a varsity team.

Also, St. A's is not moving to D1 to fill UConn's spot in the Atlantic, with the new administration saying they actually want to drop all sports into DIII.
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

Hux said:
About time the Commonwealth of Massachusetts got its act in gear and finally added hockey at a second state school. Unfortunately, this means it will take another millennium until UMass gets a varsity team.

Also, St. A's is not moving to D1 to fill UConn's spot in the Atlantic, with the new administration saying they actually want to drop all sports into DIII.
Click to expand...

Correct which in my opinion would be great moves for both Saint Anselm and St. Michael's. I think they both have the opportunities to be SOLID Division III institutions in a multitude of sports.
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

Since Endicott will have their own rink and seem to like to have competitive athletic squads, I would think the men's team will slot into the ECAC-E. The simple(!) solution would be to slide Skidmore into the -W (autobid!) and replace them with Endicott. The new travel pairings could be:
USM - UNE
STA - END
UMB - BAB
NOR - CSC
STM - NEC
 
joecct said:
Since Endicott will have their own rink and seem to like to have competitive athletic squads, I would think the men's team will slot into the ECAC-E. The simple(!) solution would be to slide Skidmore into the -W (autobid!) and replace them with Endicott. The new travel pairings could be:
USM - UNE
STA - END
UMB - BAB
NOR - CSC
STM - NEC
Click to expand...

If only it was so easy...I've been told Skidmore has been asked to move to the ECAC West on the men's side and they have refused.
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

Prez- need to add Morrisville to the SUNYAC- they posted their hire last month.
 
PrezdeJohnson09 said:
If only it was so easy...I've been told Skidmore has been asked to move to the ECAC West on the men's side and they have refused.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear- the ECAC doesn't "place" teams in the conferences. It would be Skidmores decision on where they want to go. Consequently- they wouldn't have "refused". I am sure they have been approached by several people within the West.

When new teams joint the ECAC they aren't placed in a league by the ECAC. Each new institution applies to the conference of their desire.
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

Captain Obvious said:
Just to be clear- the ECAC doesn't "place" teams in the conferences. It would be Skidmores decision on where they want to go. Consequently- they wouldn't have "refused". I am sure they have been approached by several people within the West.

When new teams joint the ECAC they aren't placed in a league by the ECAC. Each new institution applies to the conference of their desire.
Click to expand...

I'm aware of this...I guess I didn't communicate that clearly in my post. The ECAC administration has no control really over the league members, they just provide a central governing body for the most part. It's up to the league institutions as you allude to on where they want to go.

When I say asked to move, I mean by West institutions and by "ECAC Administration" but since the ECAC administration can't force them to do anything, it doesn't hold any water.
 
Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

I'd say we're pretty close to having this all sorted out, the ECAC Northeast is just one team short of the needed number for the auto-bid. Should Saint Anselm or Saint Michael's drop to D-III status, Endicott could maybe slide over to the ECAC Northeast and you'd now have five autobids in the East with the NESCAC.

* = Non-Division III member so do not count for NCAA purposes.

ECAC East
Norwich
UNE
Castleton
UMass-Boston
NEC
Endicott
St. Michael’s*
Southern Maine
Saint Anselm*
Holy Cross*

ECAC Northeast
Daniel Webster
Salem State
Nichols
Salve Regina
Plymouth State
Johnson & Wales
Franklin Pierce*

ECAC West
Stevenson
Neumann
Chatham
Elmira
William Smith
Utica
Manhattanville

SUNYAC
Canton
Buffalo State
Plattsburgh
Potsdam
Oswego
Cortland
Morrisville

Also something else to keep an eye on is by 2015-16 we will be up to 57 D-III women's hockey teams which could have possible NCAA Tournament field expansion implications. 57 divided by the NCAA's 6.5 access ratio is 8.769. The NCAA has shown in the past the willingness to round up and grant additional teams into the tournament so it's possible that the 2015-16 NCAA Tournament could have 9 teams, up from the current 8.

Now the other interesting caveat is that in the East, there will be four automatic bids in the East and two in the West. We'll have one Pool B bid if the ECAC Northeast can't find a seventh team with the ECAC Northeast and WIAC competing for that bid and then two more Pool C bids available. If the ECAC Northeast does have a seventh team, the Pool B bid goes away and we will just have two Pool C bids out there for the taking.
 
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Re: Possible future Division III conference alignment

Just found out Becker College is adding varsity women's hockey as well for 2015-16.

Slide another in for the ECAC Northeast.

You now have the framework for five East conferences that all have at least 7 teams and are thus eligible for an auto bid starting in the 2015-16 season.
 
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