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RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

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Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

FreshFish said:
Men's basketball; the women have something like a 92% graduation rate.
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There is only one UConn basketball team that is in deep academic trouble...and by any reasonable measure should be banished from the NCAA athletics landscape. That was the team I was referring to.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Today is 9 May 2012. There are 150 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 6 October for the start of next season.

That is the day that an exhibition game is supposedly scheduled.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

FlagDUDE08 said:
We might as well just go to D-III. -_-
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IMHO if we did either (join the AHA or go D-III) we might as well drop the sport.

To be honest, we probably are better off in the ECAC than HEA. I suspect that it wouldn't belong before the HEA explodes into two leagues, and it is far from certain that we would be on the correct side of that split. Although we have been concerned about the Ivies breaking off and that is possible, I think that it is less likely than an HEA explosion.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Ralph Baer said:
IMHO if we did either (join the AHA or go D-III) we might as well drop the sport.

To be honest, we probably are better off in the ECAC than HEA. I suspect that it wouldn't belong before the HEA explodes into two leagues, and it is far from certain that we would be on the correct side of that split. Although we have been concerned about the Ivies breaking off and that is possible, I think that it is less likely than an HEA explosion.
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At least we're in agreement with that point.

That'd be something if HEA exploded, but given they're at 12 teams, they would probably have to poach ECAC non-ivies to make it happen (or those that break away join the BHHC).
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

FlagDUDE08 said:
At least we're in agreement with that point.

That'd be something if HEA exploded, but given they're at 12 teams, they would probably have to poach ECAC non-ivies to make it happen (or those that break away join the BHHC).
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It matters how it explodes. Conceivably seven or eight of the existing HEA schools could ditch the rest.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

I wanted RPI to be our 12th team in HEA. They would have been a good geograhic fit as well as an historical hockey fit with a good following and adequate arena capacity in another nearby decent sized market. When I pushed for them last year even before Notre Dame was considered I was hoping that the RPI administration would see the open door and seize it. Apparently they made no such effort as seen by this quote from HEA Commisioner Bertagna: Commissioner Joe Bertagna told The Associated Press Tuesday that UConn has become the target of that search, and a decision could come during a meeting of member schools in June.

"Our attention is pretty focused on the University of Connecticut," Bertagna said. "There are other institutions that have had casual conversations. But I think it would be disingenuous to suggest that there is someone else, that our conversations are this far along."
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Ralph Baer said:
IMHO if we did either (join the AHA or go D-III) we might as well drop the sport.

To be honest, we probably are better off in the ECAC than HEA. I suspect that it wouldn't belong before the HEA explodes into two leagues, and it is far from certain that we would be on the correct side of that split. Although we have been concerned about the Ivies breaking off and that is possible, I think that it is less likely than an HEA explosion.
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How is an explosion in HE more likely? I don't understand that comment. If you can convince yourself an explosion is possible/likely, I think you are more screwed being abandoned by the Ivies, than if BC/BU/UNH/UML pick up and do something different.

I'd prefer RPI went with HE, but three strikes and we're out. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the legacy of the program.
 
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Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Today is 10 May 2012. There are 149 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 6 October for the start of next season.

That is the day that an exhibition game is supposedly scheduled.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

ServinisScores said:
How is an explosion in HE more likely? I don't understand that comment. If you can convince yourself an explosion is possible/likely, I think you are more screwed being abandoned by the Ivies, than if BC/BU/UNH/UML pick up and do something different.

I'd prefer RPI went with HE, but three strikes and we're out. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the legacy of the program.
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Just my opinion. As to more screwed if the Ivies leave, I am not sure, but you could be correct.

BTW, I would think that UML would be on the other side if there was a HEA explosion even thought they made the NCAA tourney last year. Also their program could be dropped as has been rumored in the past, although I don't think it will happen.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Don't be surprised if at some point the NCAC looks to expand across the country. I believe that is and has been their plan all along. One only has to look up the word "NATIONAL" in the dictionary. Their first likely move woud be to siphon off the high exposure teams from hockey east. Then methodicaly hop scotch their way across the country ie: a team from New York(Hmmmmm) a team from Ohio,a team from Michigan etc, etc,etc,. The end game TV plain and simple. Remember two teams from two different markets attract more eye's than 2 teams from the same market and is much easier to sell. College hockey is in danger of being engulfed by the big 10,because of their high profile,TV contracts for other sports which could easially be packaged w/hockey included and of course their large pocketbooks. They are in position to in essence make the rules. I have no first hand knowledge of this but I spoke w/an individual over the winter that is privey to the backroom conversations (not connected to RPI) and asked what this person thought about a move to HE the answer not word for word but was to the effect that what if down the road HE looks nothing like it does now and there is something bigger and better out there. The rest I just tried to do the Math. Interested to hear what everyone thinks about this Hypothesis.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

troyboy said:
Don't be surprised if at some point the NCAC looks to expand across the country. I believe that is and has been their plan all along. One only has to look up the word "NATIONAL" in the dictionary. Their first likely move woud be to siphon off the high exposure teams from hockey east. Then methodicaly hop scotch their way across the country ie: a team from New York(Hmmmmm) a team from Ohio,a team from Michigan etc, etc,etc,. The end game TV plain and simple. Remember two teams from two different markets attract more eye's than 2 teams from the same market and is much easier to sell. College hockey is in danger of being engulfed by the big 10,because of their high profile,TV contracts for other sports which could easially be packaged w/hockey included and of course their large pocketbooks. They are in position to in essence make the rules. I have no first hand knowledge of this but I spoke w/an individual over the winter that is privey to the backroom conversations (not connected to RPI) and asked what this person thought about a move to HE the answer not word for word but was to the effect that what if down the road HE looks nothing like it does now and there is something bigger and better out there. The rest I just tried to do the Math. Interested to hear what everyone thinks about this Hypothesis.
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FWIW, both BC and BU declined invitations to the NCHC according to other threads.
 
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012: An Off-Season to Be Optimistic

Ralph Baer said:
FWIW, both BC and BU declined invitations to the NCHC according to other threads.
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Ralph- I don't think either of these programs would announce anything they were planning, even if it was going to happen tomorrow. The entire college hockey scene could be in turmoil far more than we expect within a very short time. Sometimes doing nothing is the best action to take. But how can we possibly know? I do think the threat of an IVY move from the ECAC is not only possibole, but may indeed be probable. I strongly suspect that the leagues and their members that we see right now will bear little resemblance to what we will see in a few years.
 
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