It was announced on Wednesday by the NCAA that it will no longer be pursuing the dual DI - DIII championship weekend concept...
The Division III Presidents Council at its meeting on Tuesday
defeated a proposal to conduct the Division III Men’s Ice Hockey
Championship game in conjunction with the Men’s Frozen Four in 2014.
The proposal to use the combined approach on a one-year trial basis came from the Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and received support from the Championships Committee and Management Council, though it generated debate all along the way and got through the Council by just one vote.
The proposal to use the combined approach on a one-year trial basis came from the Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and received support from the Championships Committee and Management Council, though it generated debate all along the way and got through the Council by just one vote.
Discussion at the Presidents Council meeting centered on the combined
championship approach in general. While presidents cited season length
as a specific concern, they also weren’t ready to commit more broadly to
a model that hadn’t been vetted from a philosophical perspective.
In my opinion, this is GREAT news for at least 3 reasons...
1) It doesn't forever alter the DIII schedule which works very well in its current format.
2) At first blush, the combo weekend sounds nice as a means to capitalize on NCAA hockey as a whole. But, think about it: DIII always takes a backseat to DI. This would only be magnified by the combo because the DIII game would be considered a "sideshow". The current model works because DIII has the weekend to itself and DIII is in the spotlight, as it should be.
3) From a selfish standpoint, this works best for DIII fans like me. The DI events are most often held in expensive cities which require costly hotel rooms and flights. DIII championship weekends are more accessible, within driving distance and held in more-affordable locales.
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