2011 Final Four

[Ralph Turner]

There are several of schools that are considering ice hockey in the Sun Belt.  I hear that Texas A&M and Texas Tech are trying to get club teams running, as are University of Arizona and Arizona State.

Already, Univeristy of Alabama, Huntsville has a D1 program.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

There's a few schools through the southern Great Plains with club hockey.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Since the CCIW doesn't have hockey, I'm obviously just yanking your chain.  If you're south of the 55th parallel, I would imagine that this may be the MOST expensive sport (probably even worse than football).

[Greek Tragedy]

And don't give me that 'crap' about how hard it is to keep ice hockey from turning into water polo on a d3 budget - if you weren't just SCARED of Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc., you'd find a way.

They should just be scared of Middlebury since they win it pretty much every year.  After Point's dominance in the early 90's, 3 in a row, 4 of 5 or something like that, Middlebury has won something like 10 national championships since 1995, or there abouts.  I just know it's about as many fingers as I have on my hands and I haven't had any industrial or domestic accidents that have caused me to lose any of my phalanges. 

Since the CCIW doesn't have hockey, I'm obviously just yanking your chain. If you're south of the 55th parallel, I would imagine that this may be the MOST expensive sport (probably even worse than football).

Renting ice time is insane, that's where hockey outcosts football.  If it wasn't for co-op teams, many Wisconsin high school teams (I think they make up  1/3 of the WIAA teams) couldn't afford hockey.

[Coach C]

Even up north, wher there are more rinks, the ice time is outrageous in terms of costs.  It's the most expensive sport most places it is played.

C

[Greek Tragedy]

Even up north, wher there are more rinks, the ice time is outrageous in terms of costs.  It's the most expensive sport most places it is played.

C

Not to mention the fact some practices start at either 5 in the morning or 11 at night.

[Coach C]

Well yeah, the issues is that despite the fact that there are more rinks, there are also more people who want to use them.  Thus, the 4:30am HS girls hockey practice I saw scheduled earlier this year.

C

[sac]

Hockey is a strange sport on the collegiate level.

You have D3 and D2 schools playing D1 hockey.........and you have D1 schools playing club hockey.

Incidently Hope and Calvin have two of the better club hockey teams in the country.  They've each been to the club hockey championship tournament a few times in recent years, competing against schools like Wyoming, Georgia etc.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Hockey is a strange sport on the collegiate level.

You have D3 and D2 schools playing D1 hockey.........and you have D1 schools playing club hockey.

Incidently Hope and Calvin have two of the better club hockey teams in the country.  They've each been to the club hockey championship tournament a few times in recent years, competing against schools like Wyoming, Georgia etc.

I'm guessing that there must be different 'divisions' in club hockey, too.  EMU and Penn St. have been the consistent national powers in recent years in whatever 'division' they play in - and I don't recall them ever playing Hope or Calvin.

Anyone know how the club scene is set up?

[Greek Tragedy]

In soccer, I don't think there are any divisions.  Stevens Point's men's team is club, but when they went to nationals several years in a row, they constantly played D1 club teams from Arizona, Texas and major D1 schools like that.  They had coaches, matching bags, fancy equipment and all that, but the only reason they were "club" was because the schools didn't sponsor them.  Point, on the other hand, were lucky to have matching socks.    They played pretty competitive vs. their D1 club counterparts on the first day of the national club tourney, but usually lost by considerable margins the next day (for reasons you can imagine, since it includes "a night" before the next day's games).

I'm not sure if men's club volleyball has divisions either.  Lakeland's men's team sound like they are pretty good since they are always ranked in some kind of national club volleyball association poll, which includes Marquette. 

[woosterbooster]

Back about a decade ago when I followed it a bit, the Wooster men's club volleyball team routinely played in regular season tournaments that included DI, DII, and DIII schools.  At the national tournament, I believe there were two levels.  They were not broken down by DI, DII, etc., but rather by team strength based on seasonal results.  Of course, the larger universities were generally better, but there was quite a bit of overlap.  After all, it only takes six good players to make a strong team.  Hockey, where you need three times that number, would make it tougher on the smaller schools.

[Pat Coleman]

Posted a commentary on the Final Four on the Daily Dose.

http://www.d3hoops.com/dailydose/?p=171

[Ralph Turner]

In soccer, I don't think there are any divisions.  Stevens Point's men's team is club, but when they went to nationals several years in a row, they constantly played D1 club teams from Arizona, Texas and major D1 schools like that.  They had coaches, matching bags, fancy equipment and all that, but the only reason they were "club" was because the schools didn't sponsor them.  Point, on the other hand, were lucky to have matching socks.    They played pretty competitive vs. their D1 club counterparts on the first day of the national club tourney, but usually lost by considerable margins the next day (for reasons you can imagine, since it includes "a night" before the next day's games).

I'm not sure if men's club volleyball has divisions either.  Lakeland's men's team sound like they are pretty good since they are always ranked in some kind of national club volleyball association poll, which includes Marquette. 

Old school, I may have misunderstood your post, but there is an official D3 Championship in men's and women's soccer.  Only 4 WIAC's participate, tho' (Osh, Platte, Sup and WW). Club teams exist where the schools do not wish to run afoul of Title IX issues and so do declare it as an intercollegiate sport.  In fact, The Big XII does not sponsor men's soccer, only the Women.

D3 Men's Handbook

[Pat Coleman]

I believe he's asking if the club soccer world has divisions.

[sac]

Hockey is a strange sport on the collegiate level.

You have D3 and D2 schools playing D1 hockey.........and you have D1 schools playing club hockey.

Incidently Hope and Calvin have two of the better club hockey teams in the country.  They've each been to the club hockey championship tournament a few times in recent years, competing against schools like Wyoming, Georgia etc.

I'm guessing that there must be different 'divisions' in club hockey, too.  EMU and Penn St. have been the consistent national powers in recent years in whatever 'division' they play in - and I don't recall them ever playing Hope or Calvin.

Anyone know how the club scene is set up?

There is a division 1 and a division 2...........theirs also a website somewhere.