In The Polytechnic’s October 23 edition, Dan DiTursi penned an editorial in support of the elevation of Rensselaer’s women’s ice hockey program to the Division I level. Much of what he has to say is absolutely true; however, it is only part of the complete story.

For some time now, the Institute has been exploring the possibilities of either elevation of a women’s varsity team to Division I or the startup of a team at that level. Mr. DiTursi lists several key points on why the ice hockey team is best for this endeavor: existing facilities, popularity, tradition, and competition. A women’s ECAC mirroring the men’s would allow the leagues to have similar schedules, meaning that there would be something going on every weekend at the Field House. Indeed, these arguments are common and are excellent reasons for elevating the Engineers to D-I, but it leaves out one important point that needs to be addressed: paying for it all.

A substantial part of both the men’s and women’s ice hockey budgets are comprised of ice rental for practices and games. When renovations were made to Houston Field House in the 1980s—the removal of the supports obscuring the view of the ice, which had given birth to the hockey line—it was bankrolled through these rental fees, and this debt reduction continues to this day. With an elevation to D-I, the women’s schedule would necessarily increase the number of games and practices, increasing their rental fees along with it. The team would also require a bigger recruitment budget and probably a travel budget close or equal to that of the men’s team. All of this added up brings us to, most likely, a near doubling of the team’s current budget. Who pays for all of this? You do, when you pay your Union activity fee, buy your books, or buy a slice of pizza at the Rathskellar. The only notable increase in cost not paid for by the students would be the establishment of the team’s athletic scholarships.

I have been a proponent of elevation for the women’s ice hockey team for several years, and I remain in ardent support of the idea, but the realities of the funding of athletics, as they stand right now, just will not make this a realistic possibility, and this goes for the elevation of any team to D-I. It remains important to bring Rensselaer into compliance with Title IX, which mandates equal scholarship and facility opportunities for men and women. Therefore, something has to give. Either the men’s team must be moved to Division III, which is an incredibly poor option for reasons I shouldn’t have to mention, or the way we pay for our teams needs to change.

The Institute needs to take on some of the heavy burden that, right now, rests almost solely on the shoulders of the students for the fiscal needs of our athletic teams. Even without the issue of elevation, our teams are strapped for money. Some teams are still using uniforms that should have been replaced long ago. Some teams are using equipment longer than it is designed to last, putting the safety of our student-athletes at risk because of the lack of resources. All of this is due to an inability of the Union to pay for it all. Intercollegiate athletics is only one concern of the Union, but over the years the budgets have increased to a breaking point. The ICA budget for this fiscal year is over 10 percent higher than it was last year, and yet our teams still face these problems, and as enrollment declines, the Union will only become less likely to afford the needs of our teams.

I beseech the Institute to do the right thing and look into finding a way to shoulder some of the costs of our wonderful athletic programs. Without Rensselaer picking up some of the responsibilities, a D-I women’s ice hockey program is impossible and the continued level of high success enjoyed by our teams and growth of athletics will not be sustainable. Academics must come first and second, but it is time that the Institute realizes the part it must play in ensuring the well-being of Rensselaer Athletics.

Tom Reale

MGMT/STS ‘04