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For aspiring student-athletes, balancing athletics and academics is a critical challenge, especially when it comes to competing at the collegiate level. For those with dreams of playing women’s hockey in the Ivy League, there’s an additional layer to navigate: the Academic Index (AI). This unique tool plays a pivotal role in the recruitment process and determines whether a player can be admitted to an Ivy League institution.

What Is the Academic Index?

The Academic Index is a metric used by Ivy League schools to ensure that recruited athletes meet the rigorous academic standards expected of all students. This formula takes into account three main factors: GPA, standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), and class rank or a similar school-provided statistic (if available). The goal is to quantify an athlete’s academic performance into a single, standardized number that aligns with Ivy League admissions policies.

Though the exact formula may vary slightly between schools, the AI ensures that recruited athletes are not only strong competitors on the ice but also capable of thriving in demanding academic environments.

Why the Academic Index Matters

The Ivy League, unlike many athletic conferences, does not offer athletic scholarships. Instead, student-athletes are admitted based on a combination of athletic and academic achievements. The AI ensures that hockey players fit into the academic culture of the institution while allowing coaches to prioritize recruiting based on athletic ability.

For women’s hockey, this balance is critical. Coaches must build competitive teams without compromising the academic reputation of their programs. A low AI score can make it difficult for a coach to secure a spot for a prospective recruit, even if that athlete is highly skilled.

How Can You Calculate Your Academic Index?

While the exact calculation might vary slightly, a typical Academic Index includes the following components:

GPA: Weighted or unweighted, depending on the school’s reporting method.
Standardized Test Scores: Converted to a percentile rank to normalize across different testing scales.
Class Rank or School Profile Data: For students whose schools don’t provide class rank, the rigor of coursework (like AP or IB classes) may be factored in.

There are online tools and resources that can help athletes estimate their AI. Understanding where you stand early in the recruitment process is essential to aligning your athletic and academic goals.

Tips for Navigating the Academic Index

Start Early: The earlier you understand the AI and its implications, the better prepared you’ll be to meet academic requirements.
Communicate with Coaches: Ivy League coaches can guide you through the AI process and help assess whether you meet the criteria.
Focus on Academics: A strong GPA and high standardized test scores can offset minor weaknesses in other areas.
Leverage Support: Many Ivy League institutions offer test-optional policies or holistic admissions processes—be sure to ask how these might impact your AI.

Conclusion

Playing women’s hockey in the Ivy League offers a unique opportunity to compete at a high level while earning a world-class education. Understanding the Academic Index is an essential step for any prospective recruit. By excelling both on and off the ice, student-athletes can position themselves to achieve their dreams of playing in the Ivy League.

As part of a recent settlement agreement, the NCAA will be expanding scholarships across all sports, replacing previous scholarship restrictions with roster size limits. This new structure option will take effect in the 2025-26 academic year, coinciding with another significant change: the sharing of revenue with student-athletes.

Old Model: 18 Flexible Scholarships

Under the current model, Division I ice hockey teams can offer up to 18 scholarships, which can be divided among as many players as the coaching staff sees fit. There is no limit on the number of roster spots, allowing teams to carry an unlimited number of non-scholarship players.

New Model: 26 Fixed Scholarships

The new option presents a different approach: teams must roster exactly 26 players, each of whom will receive a full scholarship. No partial scholarships are allowed, and teams are required to maintain 26 players throughout the entire season. If revenue-sharing dollars are available, they would be distributed among these players.

The Dilemma for Men’s and Women’s Hockey

For men’s ice hockey, where the average roster size last season was around 30 players due to frequent injuries, limiting the roster to 26 spots could be problematic. Teams may find it difficult to maintain a full squad throughout a grueling season.

On the women’s side, the new structure might offer more scholarships than necessary. Last season, Division I women’s teams averaged about 25 players, a number slightly inflated by graduate students taking advantage of a fifth year of Covid eligibility. Most coaches suggest their ideal roster size is between 24 and 25 players, including three goalies. Typically, teams only need 20-22 skaters and two goalies for the season unless a significant number of injuries occur.

Key Considerations

1. Financial Viability: Many programs, especially in women’s ice hockey, may struggle to afford 26 scholarships. Women’s hockey is not a revenue-generating sport for most schools, and increasing scholarships from 18 to 26 could significantly raise operational costs.

2. Top Programs’ Advantage: Schools with large athletic budgets, like Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, are most likely to consider adopting the new scholarship model. These programs benefit from substantial revenue streams from TV deals and their football and basketball programs.

3. Optimal Roster Size: Most women’s teams only require 22-24 players, making the new 26-player requirement potentially excessive. Even last season’s national champions, Ohio State, had just 24 players, while runner-up Wisconsin primarily utilized 22 players.

4. Playing Time Concerns: Elite players might opt for programs where they are more likely to play, rather than sitting in the stands as the 24th, 25th, or 26th player on a top team. This trend has already been observed with the current transfer portal, and it may intensify under the new scholarship model.

5. Impact on Ivy League and Smaller Programs: Ivy League schools, which do not offer athletic scholarships, and other programs unable to afford 26 scholarships, could find it increasingly difficult to compete for top talent. This could further widen the gap between the elite and less-funded programs in women’s hockey

The Road Ahead

While the new scholarship model has the potential to increase opportunities for women’s ice hockey players, the actual impact will depend on how many schools can and will adopt it. The coming months will reveal which programs opt for the expanded scholarships and how this change will shape the future of collegiate women’s hockey.

Learn More on CHAMPS+

CHAMPS+ Subscribers can watch former DI coach, Harry Rosenholtz from College Hockey Showcases discuss the new scholarship rules during the August CHAMPS+ Webinar: