RIT vrs. Syracuse? Don't best on it
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Sometimes, things like your job get in the way of doing some of the things you want to do.
The hot topic this week on the RIT thread seems to be that Syracuse is looking at going Division I in hockey. College Hockey News is reporting that the Orange is investigating how things work.
I'm not going to hold my breath here. Syracuse has a lot on it's plate already athletically. The football team is one of the worst in the Big East. The basketball team is playing pretty well at least, and will likely make the NCAA tournament again. And don't forget that Syracuse already has a great lacrosse program. So, hockey would already be behind in that respect.
We also know that while Syracuse fans are rabid, they won't show as much if the team does not win. Football attendance is going down while the team is losing. The hockey team would take a while to win - especially if they go into a "major" hockey conference. I don't see where Syracuse fans wanting to go to a small conference like Atlantic Hockey. Think they would turn out for an RIT-Syracuse game at SU? Not me. Maybe UConn.
Now if Syracuse can get other Big East members that have club teams to move up and create a Big East hockey conference with UConn, Providence, and Notre Dame - that could cause interesting reprecussions with 2 holes in major conferences. There would be some interesting conference realignment there. This could also get other major conferences to get their hockey teams under their banner (the "dreaded" Big Ten hockey conference. But I think that would be hard to to.
Let's not forget that Syracuse doesn't exactly have a long history of successful AHL teams. The have had several teams at the War Memorial. They also used to have a Syracuse Invitational Tournament (RIT has played there). That folded in part to lack of interest. I don't know if a new NCAA team would succeed where this failed.
In closing, I wouldn't hold my breath on Syracuse making the leap anytime soon.
The hot topic this week on the RIT thread seems to be that Syracuse is looking at going Division I in hockey. College Hockey News is reporting that the Orange is investigating how things work.
I'm not going to hold my breath here. Syracuse has a lot on it's plate already athletically. The football team is one of the worst in the Big East. The basketball team is playing pretty well at least, and will likely make the NCAA tournament again. And don't forget that Syracuse already has a great lacrosse program. So, hockey would already be behind in that respect.
We also know that while Syracuse fans are rabid, they won't show as much if the team does not win. Football attendance is going down while the team is losing. The hockey team would take a while to win - especially if they go into a "major" hockey conference. I don't see where Syracuse fans wanting to go to a small conference like Atlantic Hockey. Think they would turn out for an RIT-Syracuse game at SU? Not me. Maybe UConn.
Now if Syracuse can get other Big East members that have club teams to move up and create a Big East hockey conference with UConn, Providence, and Notre Dame - that could cause interesting reprecussions with 2 holes in major conferences. There would be some interesting conference realignment there. This could also get other major conferences to get their hockey teams under their banner (the "dreaded" Big Ten hockey conference. But I think that would be hard to to.
Let's not forget that Syracuse doesn't exactly have a long history of successful AHL teams. The have had several teams at the War Memorial. They also used to have a Syracuse Invitational Tournament (RIT has played there). That folded in part to lack of interest. I don't know if a new NCAA team would succeed where this failed.
In closing, I wouldn't hold my breath on Syracuse making the leap anytime soon.
posted by Komey at 4:29 PM
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