Some more feed for your hockey bird feeders.
http://excalibursportspage.com/2013/05/20/aha-expansion-talks-heating-up/
"Atlantic" Hockey is DI in name only - most of the schools are DI or DII schools that played down to DIII and didn't compete very well. The exceptions are AFA and Army (which have always had low end DI programs), and RIT which had a very self-important DIII program. St. As could compete here, but would they really want to, given the travel costs?
This article is laughable when it talks about St. As, "stepping up" to play in the NE10 playoffs. Going to the NE10 in hockey is stepping down.
In the definition of what a division is in the NCAA, it is stepping up. It has nothing to do with the actual competition level. But the D2 schools can offer scholarships according to NCAA by-laws, where D3 schools cannot. If St. A's is going to play for a conference championship, they have to step up from D3 to D2. Again, the competition level is stepping down, but you can't step down from D3 to D2.
As for the argument that most of the schools are D1 or D2 schools that played down and didn't compete well, Niagara, Canisius, Robert Morris, and Holy Cross have been D1 their entire history, with Niagara and RMU coming from the once-powerful CHA that collapsed at the end of its history when it only had four teams. Mercyhurst had had success at all levels of hockey, most recently at the D1 level where they've almost always been a factor since chartering the old MAAC. And Canisius has actually been a better program at D1 than they were at D3. I will agree that AIC and Bentley have had marginal success at the D1 level, but even now they're becoming factors (AIC beat Quinnipiac last year, and Bentley destroyed Northeastern). So while the public perception of Atlantic Hockey is one that has struggled over the years or had problems at the D3 level, it's becoming a much bigger factor on the D1 level. in the 10 years since the split with the MAAC, the league has gone from doormat to major player and factor.
And this doesn't evne include the fact that RIT has never struggled pretty much ever.
Do you think the ECAC East would allow Saint Anselm and/or Saint Michael's to be in the league if it was a known fact they were offering hockey scholarships?
I find that hard to believe they would.
To clarifySorry I'll rephrase. Division 2 schools have the option of offering scholarships with a limit that would be matched with spending on a women's sport, per Title IX. St. Mike's and St. A's don't offer hockey scholarships because they're Division III, but they can jump to D2 if they wanted to offer scholarships. there are D1 teams that don't offer scholarsihps - RIT and UConn being the most notable (UConn now offering scholarships as part of their jump to Hockey East).
It's very convoluted and hard to explain. The NCAA puts caps on what teams can do and they can always increase spending. But a d3 team can't jump up to d1 unless their athletic department is a d2 department. You can always play down and spend less but can never play up. It's all very strange, but hey, it's the NCAA!
As for URI - that doesn't surprise me. Like I mentioned, the economic climate in the state is a disaster right now. They can't add anything.
In the definition of what a division is in the NCAA, it is stepping up. It has nothing to do with the actual competition level. But the D2 schools can offer scholarships according to NCAA by-laws, where D3 schools cannot. If St. A's is going to play for a conference championship, they have to step up from D3 to D2. Again, the competition level is stepping down, but you can't step down from D3 to D2.
As for the argument that most of the schools are D1 or D2 schools that played down and didn't compete well, Niagara, Canisius, Robert Morris, and Holy Cross have been D1 their entire history, with Niagara and RMU coming from the once-powerful CHA that collapsed at the end of its history when it only had four teams. Mercyhurst had had success at all levels of hockey, most recently at the D1 level where they've almost always been a factor since chartering the old MAAC. And Canisius has actually been a better program at D1 than they were at D3. I will agree that AIC and Bentley have had marginal success at the D1 level, but even now they're becoming factors (AIC beat Quinnipiac last year, and Bentley destroyed Northeastern).
So while the public perception of Atlantic Hockey is one that has struggled over the years or had problems at the D3 level, it's becoming a much bigger factor on the D1 level. in the 10 years since the split with the MAAC, the league has gone from doormat to major player and factor.
And this doesn't evne include the fact that RIT has never struggled pretty much ever.
Do you think the ECAC East would allow Saint Anselm and/or Saint Michael's to be in the league if it was a known fact they were offering hockey scholarships?
I find that hard to believe they would.
Russell,
I am not disagreeing with you but since you stated it as 'fact' - can you pove this occurred?
"Atlantic" Hockey is DI in name only - most of the schools are DI or DII schools that played down to DIII and didn't compete very well. The exceptions are AFA and Army (which have always had low end DI programs), and RIT which had a very self-important DIII program. St. As could compete here, but would they really want to, given the travel costs?
Atlantic Hockey is a LOT better than it was when RIT and Air Force joined the league. Last year, they received their first at-large tournament bid. They are still mid-major without question, but the teams are getting better and are more competitive against non-conference teams. Going off what St. A's record has been playing DIII hockey, without improvement, I think they would be a bottom half of the league team to start. If Sullivan Arena is as nice as you say it is, it will be a nice recruiting tool to get better players - especially with a chance to go to the DI NCAA tournament.
NCAA tournament success is still limited to RIT's run to the Frozen Four and single game wins by Air Force and Holy Cross. But the games are competitive - Canisius nearly beat Quinnipiac last year, and they were a bottom half of league team that won the Atlantic Hockey tournament.
Not sure that expansion of the rink is necessary to join ATlantic HockeySaint Anselm's rink is a beauty and it has room to double the capacity easily should they go D1 and develop a decent fan base.
New rumor is St.A's and Holy Cross going to ECAC in both men's and womens.
Better fit IF DI is in fact a real option, which
Will be decided in the next year or two.
If the ECAC expands, I've got to think that RIT is the first one in. They have made no secret of the fact they would love to end up in the ECAC. And the ECAC has invited them before, but at the time RIT didn't want to move up to D1.
Not sure that expansion of the rink is necessary to join ATlantic Hockey
Most , excluding Army,AirForce, average under 1000 in attendence.
Sullivan Arena can easily handle those numbers. There is no team in the league That will be that " big" draw to require expansion.
New rumor is St.A's and Holy Cross going to ECAC in both men's and womens.
Better fit IF DI is in fact a real option, which
Will be decided in the next year or two.
If the ECAC expands, I've got to think that RIT is the first one in. They have made no secret of the fact they would love to end up in the ECAC. And the ECAC has invited them before, but at the time RIT didn't want to move up to D1.
Do you think RIT would have gotten in over Quinnipiac had they applied for the ECAC opening instead of Atlantic Hockey? I'm curious. I think the AHA has been very good for RIT, so I don't think there is any regret.
It was between Holy Cross and Quinnipiac as to who got in. Quinny got in because they said they'd field a D1 women's team. Holy Cross keeps their women's team down playing D-III teams.Do you think RIT would have gotten in over Quinnipiac had they applied for the ECAC opening instead of Atlantic Hockey? I'm curious. I think the AHA has been very good for RIT, so I don't think there is any regret.
