Re: RIT used to play here.
I think the situation might just be a manifestation of a concept we're all familiar with but don't think a whole lot about: expanded, single elimination tournaments drawing from automatic berths are conducive to upsets, plain and simple. It's something we've seen dozens, if not hundreds of times in the NCAA basketball tournament - the hockey side of things sees somewhat fewer upsets due to two fewer rounds, and the relatively small total pool of teams in DI means that their upsets are mostly of the less exciting "good program has an off year but steps it up for the postseason" variety, rather than the more memorable brand provided by new faces.
With tourney participation now legitimately possible for a wider swath of teams, stories like those of Bemidji and RIT have inevitably followed, and in that sense, I think it's encouraging to DIII programs if their goal is competitive postseason play in DI. It's important to remember, however, that while tournaments like these breed excitement through early-round upsets, they rarely defy the status quo when it comes to champions; again drawing from basketball, there have been plenty of Valparaisos over the years, but only one Villanova. As such, I'd be pleased as punch if RIT continues their improbable run and takes home the title, but even if they do I fully expect it to be an aberration, and not a genuine shift in the DI power balance - that is, the upsets will continue, but the big boys will still ultimately take home the hardware.
