Why Nash Values Hockey Over Education

If hockey was the only consideration for hockey recruits, few would ever come to Cornell. The Big Red, like other Ivies, does not offer any athletic scholarships. The Ivy schools also play the fewest number of games among all Division I teams, giving players fewer opportunities to rack up goals or gain exposure.

However, Cornell hockey players also receive a quality education, which we Lynah Faithful like to think is of similar importance to hockey. Even if their hockey careers don't work out, Big Red players still have a Cornell diploma. This is a reason for players to stay for four full years; if they're staying for 2 or 3 years anyway, why not stay the extra few semesters and walk away with a diploma?

Riley Nash doesn't buy into this logic. The rising junior has made it clear that hockey is his top priority, and not a Cornell degree. It's safe to assume that many of Cornell's star players share Nash's mindset, but few have explicitly announced their priorities to the press:

"I'm not going to stay there just because I want to finish my degree. I'm going to stay there if I feel I want to stay there for another year of hockey."

"I want to get an education and a degree. But if it doesn't work out with hockey, I think I can always go back and finish my degree, I don't think it's that big of a deal."

I don't think we should fault Nash for placing hockey above a degree. He likely chose Cornell over a non-Ivy school because he wanted to play with his older brother; academics were not a consideration. As a first-round NHL draft pick, he has the potential to earn a lot of money over the next few years and render his academic status irrelevant. Plus, as he and many others have pointed out, he can always go back and finish his education.

Maybe we should stop assuming that academics is always a priority for hockey recruits and recognize that once they've been in Ithaca for a few semesters, it doesn't really matter when they finish the rest of their education. This doesn't jive with the Ivies' academics-first motif, but it's true.

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Bonus for jittery Cornell fans -- Here's another hearsay quote about Nash staying:

How about Riley Nash? The Oilers prospect is pretty sure he's heading back to Cornell, but a lot could change between now and then. Physically he's probably ready for the AHL and I think it's better to struggle for the first half and succeed in the 2nd half of the AHL then have a good full season in college.

(Derek Van Diest/Dean Millard)