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Post being replied to

Hockey recruiting - I don't understand it by Tex Francisco

How do schools like St. Cloud State and UM-Duluth accumulate enough talent to compete for national championships? Do they actually win head to head recruiting battles with schools like ND, Wisconsin, and Minnesota? I don't mean to belittle schools like SCSU and UMD as they obviously serve an important role in our society, and not everyone needs, or is cut out for, a major research university. That being said, if my son were a top hockey recruit and could go anywhere he wanted for free, there's no way he'd end up at SCSU or UMD. Am I just a snob, and the typical hockey parent doesn't' care about academic reputation?

In my opinion, hockey is not really analogous to football. Even the lowest ranked BCS conference schools like NC State, Arkansas, WVU, etc. are still flagship state universities with national name recognition. UMD, and SCSU in particular, are about as regional as can be and have no name recognition at all outside of Minnesota.