I used to think hockey was big at Cornell. Not just big in relation to our other sports, but big on a national scale. As Cornell hockey fans, we like to compare Lynah Rink to Cameron Indoor Stadium, and not just for the tough atmosphere. We like to talk about how students camp out for season tickets, stand during the game, and travel to road games.
But maybe it's time we level with ourselves a little. Cornell hockey is not a big-time sport. At a big-time sports school like Iowa, a football game can consume an entire weekend. The entirety of game day is spent drinking, tailgating, watching the game, and partying. Many of the students won't really understand what's happening on the field, but they go along with everything because it's what one does at a big-time sports school.
Look at Cornell hockey. Outside of going to the games, the Lynah Faithful don't spend a lot of time being hockey fans. Sure, there's the line to buy season tickets (see right), but most people work out a system with their friends so they won't have to spend more than a few hours sitting in Bartels. Some of us travel to a lot of road games, but we're a small minority. This past season, it was rare to see more than five current Cornell students at road games (excluding the pep band and players).
On home weekends, students don't do anything special before or after games. Sure, it's customary to go partying on weekend nights, but the parties have nothing to do with hockey. Walking around Cornell's campus, unless you're traveling near Lynah Rink, one wouldn't be able to tell that there's a hockey game that night.
Some have suggested that Cornell should consider jumping the Ivy League in favor of the Big 10:
In truth, I've often felt that Cornell might be better off if it was in the Big 10. After all, in terms of both the number of undergraduates and demeanor of the student experience, Cornell distances itself greatly from its Ivy League peers. And all it takes is one trip to Lynah Rink to see how excited the Cornell student body can get about a team that can be competitive in a sport of national prominence. At Cornell, the students actually care about their sports, unlike at some other, nameless schools.Do we really care about our sports, though? Whenever a big-time sports school is playing in a football bowl game, or March Madness, a good number of students make the long trip to watch their team. I have a friend who attends Kansas, and although he isn't a big sports fan, he made the trip from Lawrence to San Antonio last year to watch his team in the Final Four.
As for the Cornell hockey team's trip to Grand Rapids for the NCAA Regional? I was the only student in attendance who wasn't playing on the ice or in the pep band.
I'm not trying to say Cornell hockey is insignificant. It's the biggest sport at Cornell, and our fans are loud and creative. Viewed through the lens of Ivy sports, Cornell hockey might be the biggest sport in the conference. But I think we're being a little dishonest if we claim that Cornell hockey, which attracts 8 percent of the undergraduate population for each game, is a big-time sport on the national scale.
Good analysis overall; the one stat I have a problem with is the last one. Lynah Rink doesn't "attract" 8% of the population, it actually only fits 8% of the population. If there were more seats, I imagine that more students would go to hockey games.
ReplyDeleteCU hockey definitely isn't big on the national level (probably no hockey team can claim that distinction), but it's one of the very few sports that can get Ivy Leaguers out of the library on a consistent, year-to-year basis. And as I'm sure everyone would agree, it's hard to get lots of Ivy Leaguers excited about anything but academics and future employment.
That's true about Lynah's capacity, but last year, some student season tickets went unsold (and were eventually sold to townies). So I think it's fair to say that student attendance was pretty much maxed out for every game except Harvard. I agree with you that more students would attend games if there were more seats, but only because prices would likely have to be lowered to fill the additional seats. At current prices, and considering it's been 6 years since Cornell has made the Frozen Four, I think Lynah is able to accommodate most interested students.
ReplyDeleteGood article, but I think the biggest thing to remember is the prominence of college hockey compared to college football/ basketball. Hockey is "big" at Michigan, but it pales in comparison to a football game at the Big House. Notre Dame is another prime example. Despite playing in the national final in 2008 and being #1 for much of last year, the hockey team still does not attract a following like Irish football. I don't think that this accounts for everything, but it's a large part of the equation.
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