Ralph Baer
Let's Go 'Tute!
Re: RPI Off-Season Thread 2012 Part III: BYOB: Bring Your Own Bratwurst
I have many times heard that the reason that RPI stayed in the ECAC in the mid80's was that RPI (the Admin) regarded this association with the Ivies as a distinct plus for the school, and let's face it, at that time even Hokydad would have thought that RPI was on the upswing and was much in demand. I suspect that the other non-Ivy schools feel similarly. The Ivies regard the non-Ivies in a similar light, but they think that if they have to associate with some other D-I schools, this is about as good as it will get. So the questions are 1) do the Ivies gain something from the non-Ivies and 2) do the Ivies regard a six-team league as viable, since neither Penn nor Columbia show any signs of starting a program. To 1, not as much as they used to since the non-Ivies are mostly in a down period currently. On the other hand, the fact that the non-Ivies are down currently has opened up NCAA berths more to the Ivies. To 2, it's viable, but I personally think it would hurt them in the long run.
I would love to know how the voting on the tourney location went. I can see that most of the Ivies are farther away from LP than most of the non-Ivies, but besides for that, I am not sure why the Ivies (as a group) should regard that as the last straw. I would think that if several of the Ivies regarded LP as the last straw, it would not have been chosen unless the non-Ivies wouldn't mind the Ivies going their own way.
I have many times heard that the reason that RPI stayed in the ECAC in the mid80's was that RPI (the Admin) regarded this association with the Ivies as a distinct plus for the school, and let's face it, at that time even Hokydad would have thought that RPI was on the upswing and was much in demand. I suspect that the other non-Ivy schools feel similarly. The Ivies regard the non-Ivies in a similar light, but they think that if they have to associate with some other D-I schools, this is about as good as it will get. So the questions are 1) do the Ivies gain something from the non-Ivies and 2) do the Ivies regard a six-team league as viable, since neither Penn nor Columbia show any signs of starting a program. To 1, not as much as they used to since the non-Ivies are mostly in a down period currently. On the other hand, the fact that the non-Ivies are down currently has opened up NCAA berths more to the Ivies. To 2, it's viable, but I personally think it would hurt them in the long run.
And lest we not forget Yanik Laliberte in Hawkesbury.
