Alaska schools announce new hockey scheduling agreement

Submitted by Jamie Schanback
Phone: (907) 474-6807
07/17/07

University of Alaska Fairbanks athletic director Forrest Karr and University of Alaska Anchorage athletic director Steve Cobb announced Tuesday that the Nanooks and Seawolves have entered into a new hockey scheduling agreement.

Beginning in 2008-09, the Nanooks and Seawolves will take part in each other’s early-season tournaments and play each other in a two-game Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup series later in the year. The move will be a change to the current structure of the schools’ hockey rivalry, marking the first time since 1998-99 that the rivals will meet only twice in the regular season.

The formats at the Nanooks’ Alaska Hockey Classic and the Seawolves’ Nye Frontier Classic will be fixed, with each Alaska school playing all of its games against Outside opponents.

"Our staff has been excited for some time about the inaugural Alaska Hockey Classic," Karr said. "After DI Proposal 2006-107 eliminated the certification program for exempt tournaments, we were concerned about the tournament’s future. In a somewhat unique situation, NCAA Bylaw 17.14.5.3.2(i) still allows games played in Alaska against active DI member institutions located in Alaska to remain exempt. When creating this scheduling partnership, the symmetry became immediately and overwhelmingly evident. The new arrangement is a perfect opportunity to strengthen both programs by working together."

"This move came about in large part due to a new NCAA ruling that affected exempt events," Cobb said. "In the spirit of cooperation and in order to keep our tournament fields strong, we felt this move was in the best interest of both UAA and UAF. With only six nonconference openings per season--two games in each tournament and a two-game series against UAF--this scheduling format will fill our opportunities outside the WCHA. Meeting just twice a year should add even more fire to an already fierce Governor’s Cup rivalry as well."

In 2008-09 and 2009-10, the Seawolves will host the Nye Frontier Classic the second weekend of October, while the Nanooks will hold the Alaska Hockey Classic the following weekend.

The two-game Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup series will be played in the same weekend with a home-and-home format beginning in 2008.