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Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

cooperalls

Registered User
Rumor out there is that realignment is coming to D3 Women's conferences next year to pair with Men's conference counterparts. This could effect the Colonial Hockey Conference the most but the creation of two new conferences could be in the works.

It was speculated that the SUNYAC now has 7 programs that can field a conference and send someone to the National Championship if Plattsburgh wants to wait it out although they most likely would still receive an at large bid. The SUNYAC would consist of Canton, Morrisville, Buffalo State, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Cortland, and Oswego.

More speculation is that with the addition of women's hockey to Suffolk University the Commonwealth Coast Conference are very close to adding a women's side which would feature Endicott, Nichols, Salve Regina, UNE, Suffolk, JWU, and Becker.

This would leave the ECAC West losing some members but also gaining some and after LVC, and Kings get going it would look like this:

Manhattanville, Elmira, Neumann, Utica, William Smith, Kings, LVC, Chatham, and Stevenson.

That leaves the NEHC and after all of these changes it leaves DWC and Salem State alone in the Colonial and some teams out of the NEHC so the NEHC becomes Castleton State, Norwich, UMass Boston, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, New England College, DWC, and Salem State to go along with the scheduling partners of Holy Cross, St. Michaels, Saint Ansem's, and Franklin Pierce. Maybe Post as well.
 
It was speculated that the SUNYAC now has 7 programs that can field a conference and send someone to the National Championship if Plattsburgh wants to wait it out although they most likely would still receive an at large bid. The SUNYAC would consist of Canton, Morrisville, Buffalo State, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Cortland, and Oswego.

I'm not saying this is impossible, but there are two problems with this:

1. SUNY Canton is not a SUNYAC program yet. To my knowledge they haven't even applied for it yet. Because SUNY and SUNYAC are two separate entities, one cannot simply assume that they will the conference at this stage.

2. SUNY Morrisville is also not a SUNYAC program. They are an affiliate in Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Field Hockey only, and it is commonly believed that their presence is only tolerated because Field Hockey needs them to have enough members for an AQ.
 
I'm not saying this is impossible, but there are two problems with this:

1. SUNY Canton is not a SUNYAC program yet. To my knowledge they haven't even applied for it yet. Because SUNY and SUNYAC are two separate entities, one cannot simply assume that they will the conference at this stage.

2. SUNY Morrisville is also not a SUNYAC program. They are an affiliate in Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Field Hockey only, and it is commonly believed that their presence is only tolerated because Field Hockey needs them to have enough members for an AQ.

You are correct, they would be an associate member in that one sport. Canton just needs to get thru the spring to be eligible for puny ac bylaws.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

Any truth to speculation that Holy Cross men's team moves to Hockey East (replacing Notre Dame) and the women's team moves toward becoming D1? New multi million dollar athletic complex currently under construction on campus is adding fuel to those rumors.
 
Any truth to speculation that Holy Cross men's team moves to Hockey East (replacing Notre Dame) and the women's team moves toward becoming D1? New multi million dollar athletic complex currently under construction on campus is adding fuel to those rumors.

No. Unless things have changed, rink is not part of AC upgrade and rink is not in line with Hockey East requirements.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

Any truth to speculation that Holy Cross men's team moves to Hockey East (replacing Notre Dame) and the women's team moves toward becoming D1? New multi million dollar athletic complex currently under construction on campus is adding fuel to those rumors.

I think Quinnipiac is the No. 1 school on Hockey East's list to pick up.
 
Any truth to speculation that Holy Cross men's team moves to Hockey East (replacing Notre Dame) and the women's team moves toward becoming D1? New multi million dollar athletic complex currently under construction on campus is adding fuel to those rumors.

Unless hockey east creates a condition that sets a timeline for holy cross to move their women's team up to D1, from talking with college hockey media members, it remains speculation at this point.
 
Seen that comment many times and places. Why would Q move? What benefit?

Quinnipiac has outgrown ECAC in my opinion. Hockey East is the next step up and they want to even out the number of teams for scheduling purposes. I think Quinnipiac would like to "align" itself with those schools in Hockey East. Better teams you play and league you play in, better recruits you have exposure to get and also an alternative option maybe for some guys who don't get into BU and BC but can go play against those schools three times every year for "payback" for not wanting them.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

Unless hockey east creates a condition that sets a timeline for holy cross to move their women's team up to D1, from talking with college hockey media members, it remains speculation at this point.

Isn't it more likely that the DII schools set up their own conference in the next few years? With Post adding a program this year do they have enough numbers to start their conference and move away from NEHC?
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

If they join the ECAC West that's another hit to Plattsburgh's SOS while they go through the normal growing pains. But as long as there's enough girls out there playing ice hockey who want to play at the NCAA level, the more teams the merrier.

I think that this is going a different way. The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) executive director was at the announcement and noted that a bunch of member schools have added women's hockey in the past couple of years. The MAC includes the following schools that are playing or have announced they will play women's hockey:

- Lebanon Valley College (announced)
- Stevenson University (playing)
- Wilkes University (announced)
- Manhattanville College (playing)
- Kings College (announced)

Looks to me like the MAC is getting ready to start their own women's ice hockey division 3 league shortly.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

I think that this is going a different way. The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) executive director was at the announcement and noted that a bunch of member schools have added women's hockey in the past couple of years. The MAC includes the following schools that are playing or have announced they will play women's hockey:

- Lebanon Valley College (announced)
- Stevenson University (playing)
- Wilkes University (announced)
- Manhattanville College (playing)
- Kings College (announced)

Looks to me like the MAC is getting ready to start their own women's ice hockey division 3 league shortly.

I think the MAC is looking strongly at men's and women's hockey.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

I think the MAC is looking strongly at men's and women's hockey.

With what other schools? They're short of enough for an automatic bid. Is there any benefit to having a conference without an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament?
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

If the WIAC stays around at 4-5, there's enough for a Pool B bid.

Speaking of which, are we at a 9-team tournament for this coming season?
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

With what other schools? They're short of enough for an automatic bid. Is there any benefit to having a conference without an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament?

Agree. Can't see a program like Stevenson (fairly new but competitive) or Manhattanville (already in a division with an automatic bid) taking a step back.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

Agree. Can't see a program like Stevenson (fairly new but competitive) or Manhattanville (already in a division with an automatic bid) taking a step back.

The MAC would need even more full-membership schools to start hockey and/or multiple programs already in existence becoming associate members. I could see some combo of MAC members Hood, Farleigh Dickinson, Messiah and/or Misericordia starting programs and if all of them do it that's clearly enough. I also imagine Chatham would jump at the chance to be an associate member given all the schools in Pennsylvania, but don't know who else that makes sense for.
 
Re: Realignment coming to D3 Women's Conferences?

Isn't it more likely that the DII schools set up their own conference in the next few years? With Post adding a program this year do they have enough numbers to start their conference and move away from NEHC?

Considering the D2 teams cannot compete in the D3 national championship, it doesn't matter now many teams they have if they want to form a D2 conference. Heck, they could have just two teams and form a D2 conference, for all anybody cares.
 
Considering the D2 teams cannot compete in the D3 national championship, it doesn't matter now many teams they have if they want to form a D2 conference. Heck, they could have just two teams and form a D2 conference, for all anybody cares.

But D2 women's teams CAN compete in the NCAA National Championship (D1 & D2). All they have to do is meet the minimum game requirements and they're eligible. If they have a conference of at least 6 members, they get an AQ.
 
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