Dartmouth College is expected today or tomorrow to officially confirm that it will pull out of the College Premier Division.

Faced with a season where they play in the Ivy League in the fall, and hope to defend their USA 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship in the spring, and possibly will also face an Ivy League 7s tournament and qualification to a USA Rugby college 7s championship in the fall, team officials felt something had to give.

Dartmouth administration is heavily in favor of playing to win the Ivy League, and holds the CPD as less of a priority, so Dartmouth will revert to playing in the DI in 2011-2012. That decision, however, won’t open up the spring completely for Dartmouth, as a potential trip to the national DI playoffs will require their 15s team to pitch up several times, including for possibly two big road trips, in the spring.