College Hockey:
Ferris State the latest to accept WCHA invitation, BGSU still undecided

USCHO Staff Report • Aug. 26, 2011

On the heels of Alaska and Lake Superior State accepting invitations to join the WCHA in 2013-2014, Ferris State has also accepted an invitation to join the league.

“Hockey is a very important sport to Ferris State University and to our fans,” Ferris State president David Eisler said in a statement. “In joining the WCHA, Ferris remains firmly committed to a program of the highest standards of national competition with continued great success by our student-athletes and coaches. The unanimous support of the presidents in the WCHA in extending this invitation is sincerely appreciated. We look forward to working with them and our CCHA colleagues to make this a conference that builds on the great traditions of our programs and institutions.”

As a condition of this potential membership process moving forward, the WCHA member presidents established a 30-day response timeline for acceptance.

“This is an outstanding day for Ferris State Bulldog hockey and college hockey in general,” added Ferris AD Perk Weisenburger. “The uncertainty of the past five months has caused some genuine angst and instability on hockey playing campuses across the country. Through the vision, leadership and cooperative spirit of the institutions in these two tradition-rich conferences there is a renewed sense of stability, excitement and a new direction for hockey programs in both the CCHA and WCHA.”

With Western Michigan still exploring its options for the future, Bowling Green issued a statement to USCHO Friday.

A Bowling Green spokesperson said that the school has not made a decision on the WCHA’s invitation and is expecting answers to “a handful of questions” during teleconferences next week. The spokesperson did not put a time frame on the school’s decision, other than saying it would probably not take the full 30 days that the WCHA allowed.

Video: Ferris State accepts WCHA invitation:

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Mkomar
Wonder what bgsu is waiting for now
- JamesDee
  Bowling Green is waiting for the big invitation to play in the NCHC.
  Miami Ohio cannot be the only repesentive from Ohio.
  ALL THREE MAC TEAMS NEED TO BE IN THE SAME CONFRENCE TOGETHER. (bowling green, western michigan univeristy and Miami Ohio)
  Miami cant play in the NCHC on there own. Keep the MAC teams together, please.
  Bowling Green doesnt fit in the WCHA
  .
  All there sports are D1.
  Distance just doesnt make sense either.
  A six team confrence doesnt make any sense either a 8-10 would be nice for the NCHC.
  - Anonymous
    Totally agree with you. In terms of institutional similarity BGSU is a better fit in the NCHC. The exception of CC – all the rest are similar sized/scope schools (yes the enrollements aren’t ‘exactly’ the same but you know what I mean – institutional similarity means other things – such as other conference affiliation in other sports, academics, etc ). In other words BGSU “looks” more like the other schools in the NCHC (notably UND, Miami, UNO, and maybe DU) as opposed to Bemidji, Northern, Ferris, etc.
    I don’t know what the hockey scene is like in Ohio or what rivalry there is between Miami and BG but I can imagine there is some wisdom in keeping them together. At least it’s a cheap travel date on the schedule.
    - B.D.
      the NCHC will only invite them if they see a need for a “Ring up” team that the others can improve their record on each year. BGSU is NOT a good fit for the level of competitiveness that will be on display in the NCHC. Notre Dame? Perhaps but not BGSU.
      - JamesDee
        They may be good enough for the NCHC if Notre Dame goes out east.
        I believe the Bowling Green Falcons could improve if they were in the NCHC.
        They could improve on recruiting and level of play if they were accepted in the NCHC. Also, if all three MAC teams together in the same league makes lots of sense.
        Bowling Green fits in the NCHC better then the WCHA. BG doesnt fit with the remote small schools in the new WCHA.
      - B.D.
        Explain the good fit with NCHC.
      - JamesDee
        Bowling Green fits because they compete in Division one in every sport.
        Also, BG would fit with Miami, WMU, Notre Dame if they were all in the NCHC.
        BG also has one National Championship which MIami and UNO cant match. And UMD Bulldogs long history only has one National championship.
        I might say BG fits but i dont think the NCHC thinks the same thing. They dont belong in a league with small schools with only hockey as a division one sport.
        Bowling Green could grow into a great team in this league. The key word is opportunity, which BG will not get.
      - Cole Butler
        One problem, they’ve been trying to grow into that great team again for the past 15-20 years! That’s their problem. Winning the National Title in 1984 doesn’t gain you entrance in a newly formed league in 2011! The MAC, nobody cares. UNO, yes they have had less success traditionally than BGSU, but its what you’ve done now and where your team is heading in the future, and Dean Blais is coaching UNO, and Jerry York isn’t coaching Bowling Green anymore!
        Unfortunately, you and many others may not want to hear it, but it has a lot to do with who’s running your program, and who they know. The administrators may be calling the shots, but every one of those coaches in the NCHC is in a position of power, and calling a lot of shots behind closed doors, and not one of them is knocking on Bowling Green’s door. Why do they deserve the opportunity? You don’t go 10 years well below .500, and suddenly say we deserve the opportunity because we were good in the 70′s, 80′s! If that’s the case, then without a doubt, LSSU should be a shoe in!!!
  - Mr. Grammar
    I believe you mean “their” and “conference.” :-)
    - Suture
      That’s funny….lol. My GF corrects me all the time….and I have an advanced degree….lol. Of course, I ask her to do this….don’t want to walk around like a total idiot my whole damn life…lol. But, Mr. Grammar, you could spend half a day correcting all of these posts….lol….even in my ignorance I can find numerous errors. Anyway, back to hockey and my thoughts. I agree with the previous poster that I do not want to watch the Sioux play Bowling Green every year. But, with 6 teams they (NCHC) better get SOMEBODY in their conference. Six teams does not a conference make. The NCHC is hoping big time Notre Dame pulls the trigger. After that I suppose it does not really matter….BG, WMU, etc….just need to get an 8th team in the conference. I do think it is going to be Notre Dame and WMU….IMHO. We’ll see….
      - JamesDee
        And Notre Dame likes to drag this on longer.
  - Cole Butler
    The current NCHC members do not care about the MAC or keeping the MAC schools together, it has nothing to do with their other conference affiliations. Its about one sport, not if the rest of their sports are D1 or if they are in the MAC, etc.
    Look at the current 6 schools. They all play their other sports in completely separate conferences. From D1 to D3. C.C. is D3 outside of hockey and wmns. soccer, UMD is D2 outside of men’s and wmns. hockey, and everyone else is D1, all in their own separate conferences.
    This isn’t about anything else other than that school’s commitment to their hockey program. Yes, they could have potentially bigger sports on campus such as football, but you better have a strong commitment to Hockey. Out of the current NCHC future members, hockey is the primary sport on each campus, with the exception of probably Miami. Look at UNO, they just cut their football program, and it wasn’t some sad pathetic program either.
    Sorry, not trying to come off as a jerk.
    - B.D.
      Agreed, and UND only recently went D1 in everything but hockey….
    - Techfan
      Well, it’s also about money.
  - Goalie Fan
    I dont want to have to watch the Sioux play Bowling Green twice a year… That will be just like watching Michigan Tech all over again! The NCHC will end up taking the ND and Western Mich. It just makes more sense
    - JamesDee
      I want to watch Bowling Green play Sioux. Somebody has to Michigan Tech place in the NCHC. Dont know who the NCHC is going to end up taking but is between Notre Dame, WMU, and Bowling Green.
      I want Notre Dame to go to Hockey East just like the rest of their sports. Notre Dame should be playing in Boston instead of Denver.
      I hope the Irish go Hockey East. So Bowling Green and WMU can go to NCHC.
      - BulldogFan
        I have no inside information but there is no chance BGSU gets in the National. If Notre Dame decides to play independent (terrible idea) then my guess is the national stays at 6. This actually may not be terrible for the teams in the national as the conference schedule will be the toughest in college hockey. Playing 14 non-conference games would allow for the National to probably get in at least 4 or 5…possibly 6 teams in the tourney.
  - Anon
    There is no such this as a MAC school in college hockey. You are obviously completely clueless about college hockey and have no business posting on this message board.
    - JamesDee
      All three schools are MAC schools in other sports. Wouldnt it be smart to continue playing together in another league when the CCHA goes belly up in a couple of seassons. Also, the schools are close to each other.
      The WCHA would be a traveling nightmare for Bowling Green to remote spots in the bush of Minnesota to pasty land in the UP. These would be some long bus rides for the Falcons.
      - Cole Butler
        Besides Bemidji, name a school in Minnesota thats in the remote Bush?
- Frank
  BGU,
  which was a founding member of the CCHA back in 1971, is facing a future
  without a home. Bowling Green are great to have all teams in CCHA.
  Bowling Green did established with CCHA. Probably, They would be staying in CCHA.
  and open positions for AHA teams and UAH to joining to the CCHA.
- JamesDee
  Bowling Green is waiting for the call from Denver, CC, UNO,UMD, and ND.
David Josselyn
I wonder what anyone is waiting for now. Aside from BGSU, this now leaves the CCHA with: Northern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Notre Dame– which is also expected to leave, either for the NCHC or Hockey East. If BGSU and Notre Dame both leave, they’d need to add four more teams to get back an NCAA bid, with the top prospect being, I assume, Alabama-Huntsville.
- Petergriffin944
  Northern decided to leave the CCHA last month for the WCHA. They left immediately after the NCHC was established.
Jlduskey
Both Bowling Green and Western Michigan could be considered as possible candidates for invitations to join the NCHC. Bowling Green may have an interest in being a member of the same conference as Miami–which would be understandable. Western Michigan appears to be interested in the NCHC, so nobody knows how this will all turn out because the NCHC isn’t going to engage in public speculation, and Notre Dame is still getting facts together so they can make their decision.
The part that was clear was that Alaska, Lake Superior State, and Ferris State were good fits into the new WCHA: Alaska alongside AK-Anchorage, and Lake Superior State and Ferris State alongside No. Michigan and Michigan Tech. The WCHA handled this very well by inviting all five teams, but the result was not as certain with regard to Bowling Green and Western Michigan.
- Cole Butler
  Trust me, Bowling Green isn’t even being considered to join the NCHC. It has nothing to do with being from Ohio or any geographic location for that matter. I would expect Notre Dame to join along with Western Michigan, but not BGSU. The only reason Western is still being mentioned is because of who they just hired as Head Coach. The member schools that are joining the NCHC are all looking for members that are making the effort and putting their best foot forward with their hockey programs. BGSU recent talk of cutting hockey and lack of on ice success over the recent years isn’t attractive to the other member schools. Its about money, packed buildings and a potential TV deal. BGSU doesn’t fit into this formula.
  If anyone else will be considered outside of Western Michigan and Notre Dame, it will be St.Cloud State. If SCSU would have completed their long talked about renovation by now, they may be already in the NCHC, but other schools have questioned their comittment and administrative leadership, thus why they are still in the WCHA. They would be an excellent fit, a much better fit than Miami of Ohio in my opinion. Miami may play in a packed arena every night, but its half to a 1/3 the size of at least all the current WCHA buildings, and its in Ohio.
  - Anonymous
    Actually SCSU was approached by the NCHC schools early on and THEY declined. Maybe Gino knows why.
    I don’t believe the NCHC formed because of lack of committment from other programs. One can’t point to Bemidji for example and say they lacked committment – hanging around for 10 years in a lame duck conference and building a new arena which was started before they were even accepted into the WCHA. The arena renovation at SCSU was in the books long before the NCHC – and regardless it would have been done by 2013.
    The NCHC was more a result of administrative differences.
    True – from a competitive standpoint recently BGSU – maybe doesn’t fit the NCHC. It’s an issue BGSU adminstrators and supporters need to debate in terms of where they are now and where they want to be in the future. “Are we a “WCHA-like” school or are we a ”NCHC-like school”"
    The WCHA was a no brainer for Northern (earlier), Ferris, Alaska, and LSSU – but for a variety of other reasons WMU and BGSU need to pause and consider.
    - Cole Butler
      I’m not disagreeing with the fact about Bemidji. Serratorre among others supporting the program had to work pretty hard to get that building built and too build that program. Honestly I wish they could have kept the WCHA in tact and added 2 programs, I think that would have worked out just fine, but it would not have helped the CCHA. Once DU and North Dakota started looking elsewhere, others, who were asked joined. They would be stupid not to join. St. Cloud State was never invited, but their school president said that even if they were invited, they would decline. A week later he was quoted saying that they were exploring all options, and he put to rest that if they were asked, they would decline.
      Think of the recruiting aspect of it all. You don’t think Motzko wouldn’t join the NCHC? The programs in the NCHC have all had reasonable success lately, and that’s because these programs have attracted some of the top end college recruits in North America. Sure, you’ll still see these kids in the WCHA, but what leagues do you think now will these top end kids be looking to go to now? The Big10 and the NCHC and Hockey East in the East. The best kids want to play against the best kids. Hence why the majority of the schools involved have had consistent success lately. Although I will admit UMD has been the only school to win a National Title in a while from that group, yet all of the schools have strong programs year in and year out. My gut tells me, Motzko wants to be in the recruiting mix, if invited.
      Again, I’m sorry, but BGSU won’t be asked to join. I respect their tradition and past success, but the same could be said for LSSU and Mich. Tech and their history. Thier best and I think only option would be to join the WCHA, even if the travel sucks, I don’t think they have any other options. Honestly I don’t think Miami would have ever been included in this league if it were not for the relationship between Blasi and Gwozdecky.
      - JamesDee
        I hope the future Bowling Green recruits like long bus rides if they join the new WCHA. Just think of those bus rides to Marquette, Soo, Houghton, Bemdji, St Cloud, Mankato and Alaska.
        Not a single close team to play. I hope they expand their hockey budget to travel the nice winter roads to pasty land and snowy rides to Minnesota.
        I would think whatever league they end up in they will like to travel. No more close teams like Ann Arbor, Lansing, Columbus, Miami, and Kalmazoo.
      - Zoomhockzen
        You’re right. There will be a persistent top tier with HE, NCHC, and B10, followed by all others. Success breed success. Today we have the exact same thing with two out of the three league names different, but the same top teams continuing to breed success. If I’m a recruit, I don’t care, aside perhaps for some longer bus rides.
        What we know as the W today is not at all what the W will be tomorrow. Am I sad? yeah. I’m sad about the demise of the C also, as I was about College Hockey America, as I am about the mire UAH is in, etc… But the programs with the best potential recruiting-wise, media-contract wise, and school-administration-wise are moving ahead. And I’m excited about seeing some new rivalries develop and flourish at the top of the talent pack.
        Interestingly, INCH has 5/6ths of the future NCHC in their preseason Top 10. Only UNO is outside, and I think most will agree UNO is a program that will challenge year in and year out. INCH only has one future B10 team sneaking in at #10. (Yes, I know, preseason means nothing and the leagues are 2 years off. Save your keystrokes. The comment is directional. I can’t help but to cheer against the B10).
        As for Miami not being a legit member of the NCHC… Double check the stats Cole. This is a top-tier program over the past 5 years, and a very strong program over the past 10. It seems like it’s made the administrative commitments to be top tier. Small arena? Yep. In talking to folks there, I think they like it that way. Gwoz did get that program to taste success when he was there, and I’d have to suspect he and Blasi are close, as you suggest, but you sell a great program short suggesting they’re not there on merit.
        BGSU goes NCHC if ND goes HE. Otherwise BG goes W. BG will be a much better team in the NCHC than it will be in the W. That’s a simple function of recruiting to a better league. (Sorry, just a fact). You have to look forward with a program like BG. You’ll get dizzy looking back. Weak today, yes, definitely; but with great potential to move up. Keep in mind too, that their non-conference sched will be B10 teams either way. They have the pieces no matter where they land.
      - Cole Butler
        I don’t dispute the fact that Miami hasn’t had success the past 5 seasons! They’ve been one of the top 5-10 teams year in year out during those years, including a frozen four, and have had excellent scorers almost every year. They have an excellent program. I should back track a little, but I just don’t think they would have been a sure thing without that Gwoz/Blasi connection.
        I’m not disputing the NCHC wouldn’t be a good fit for BGSU, but i can guarantee you the member schools in the upcoming NCHC feel that BGSU will not be a good fit in the NCHC. Simply put, they don’t want BGSU. I think everyone is confused with the fact that BGSU has a choice between joining the NCHC and the WCHA, they don’t. Their options are the WCHA or the WCHA. They are not Notre Dame right now where they have options. Again, nothing against Bowling Green, but it is what it is! If you can show me something where Bowling Green was asked to join or was invited, i’d like to see it.
        Besides the travel part, I think they’d be an excellent fit for the WCHA and honestly their best option all things considered.
        Again, I was happy with the way things were before the B10 got their greedy, grubby hands involved. The tradition and rivilaries the WCHA and CCHA has had will be hard to match. The WCHA Final Five in St. Paul was arguably the most entertaining fan experience in all of college hockey. Its sad, because we’ll never see it again in my opinion.
    - Cole Butler
      I’m not disagreeing with the fact about Bemidji. Serratorre among others supporting the program had to work pretty hard to get that building built and too build that program. Honestly I wish they could have kept the WCHA in tact and added 2 programs, I think that would have worked out just fine, but it would not have helped the CCHA. Once DU and North Dakota started looking elsewhere, others, who were asked joined. They would be stupid not to join. St. Cloud State was never invited, but their school president said that even if they were invited, they would decline. A week later he was quoted saying that they were exploring all options, and he put to rest that if they were asked, they would decline.
      Think of the recruiting aspect of it all. You don’t think Motzko wouldn’t join the NCHC? The programs in the NCHC have all had reasonable success lately, and that’s because these programs have attracted some of the top end college recruits in North America. Sure, you’ll still see these kids in the WCHA, but what leagues do you think now will these top end kids be looking to go to now? The Big10 and the NCHC and Hockey East in the East. The best kids want to play against the best kids. Hence why the majority of the schools involved have had consistent success lately. Although I will admit UMD has been the only school to win a National Title in a while from that group, yet all of the schools have strong programs year in and year out. My gut tells me, Motzko wants to be in the recruiting mix, if invited.
      Again, I’m sorry, but BGSU won’t be asked to join. I respect their tradition and past success, but the same could be said for LSSU and Mich. Tech and their history. Thier best and I think only option would be to join the WCHA, even if the travel sucks, I don’t think they have any other options. Honestly I don’t think Miami would have ever been included in this league if it were not for the relationship between Blasi and Gwozdecky.
  - http://twitter.com/blackswampblues blackswampblues
    Nonsense. All it will take is Notre Dame turning down the NCHC and going Hockey East…and the NCHC will come crawling to BGSU and Western, hat in hand. Otherwise NCHC is stuck at 6 teams, a dangerous place to be.
    And you’re out of date on BGSU’s ‘committment’. “Bring Back the Glory” netted strong support and major renovations to the arena. BG’s program is back on track, and “commitment” isn’t an issue.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1560770414 Jeffrey Hastings
What a year for change. What looked like 7 hockey conferences two years from now will be six.
Sioux Supporter
Say “Goodbye” to the CCHA. There aren’t enough teams out there to keep it a viable conference. If any of the fans, or schools, are unhappy about this the entire blame should be laid on Big Ten Conference. They completely changed the face of D-1 hockey in middle America. All else is supplemental to that action….
UPHockey
How the remaining chips fall still depends on what Notre Dame does.
I agree with the earlier comments that NCHC isn’t interested in BGSU. NCHC’s main joining criteria are program budget, arena size and recent success. If BGSU found a donor to kick their program up financially, they would be a contender, but not now.
That said, I think the following scenarios are possible:
1. Notre Dame joins NCHC in the next 30 days – WMU probably then gets an NCHC invite and BGSU joins WCHA.
2. Notre Dame goes Hockey East or Indep in next 30 days – WMU and BGSU both join WCHA for the 2013 season. WMU makes plans to jump to NCHC in the future.
3. Notre Dame doesn’t do anything in next 30 days – WMU and BGSU both commit to WCHA for 2013. WMU jumps ship as soon as they can get a partner institution that NCHC will accept (from WCHA or elsewhere)
I don’t think SCSU ever got an invite from NCHC. The AD’s quote a few months ago stated that they hadn’t been invited, but would have accepted if they were.
I think the new WCHA is going to be a lot stronger than the B1G and NCHC people think. Hockey is a small-town, niche sport where most of the kids come from the woods. Small market schools regularly do well and many of the best players come from these markets. I think the synergy created by this new tightly regional WCHA with local rivalries will keep a lot of top talent in the area, despite the TV deals at the big market schools. WCHA teams will still be recruited just as heavily as before.
- Yooper
  I think your right about the new WCHA being stronger than B10 and NCHC folks might anticipate. One other option no one seems to mention: Why wouldn’t Notre Dame think of staying independent as apparently they are not affiliated with future conferences yet. As a strong independent program, they certainly would wind up with many scheduling invitations from the best programs in every conference. A sort of dream schedule for those wishing to gain NCAA invitations. Tell me where I err.
  - B.D.
    There is value in being part of a conference such as the NCHC or WCHA. It allows for predictability and stability in scheduling as well as a happy fanbase.
    Being forced to coordinate 20-36 games each and every years based around OTHER teams conference required games makes it very dicey. After all, Notre Dame might be forced to give up a weekend or be forced to play in the lesser venues.
  - JamesDee
    The key word to the new WCHA that the NCHA doesnt have is stability and tradition.
    The new leagues doesnt have a history at all and that is going to be a set back for the teams.
    It is like starting a new business. How long do new business last?
UPHockey
Typo on my previous post:
“I don’t think SCSU ever got an invite from NCHC. The AD’s quote a few months ago stated that they hadn’t been invited, but WOULDN’T have accepted if they were.”
Also, I think the new WCHA will re-energize many of the programs that for years were in the bottom half. Among the three UP teams (which together have 7 NCAA cups), the excitement is palpable and I’d expect to see some of these half-full arenas start to fill up again when the teams have a real shot at an NCAA berth.
Ams1117
Will someone invite UAH? Teams can travel to Alaska, Maine and Colorado but not Alabama?
roboplayer
western has 0ne season where they win one in overtime and now they think they are it hello wake up we will wait and see about that
- Cole Butler
  Touche
JamesDee
Word from the Assistant coach of Bowling Green Falcons they will join the new WCHA for 2013-2014 season.
Good luck with the travel in the new league. They will part of a stable and a great tradional league.
- B.D.
  Yeah, they are WAY out of range travel wise for easy commuting to most teams in the new WCHA. THey will now have to commit much more int he way of resources to get it done.
  - Ferrisfan
    That will suck for FSU too, although they had no real choice in the matter. St. Cloud and Bemidji are over 700 miles away, and Mankato is just under that.
    - JamesDee
      Ferris will enjoy traveling in a diffrent direction as they play all the games in the northern direction. I hope the Ferris teams enjoys traveling the seney stretch as they trek to Houghton, Marquette, Bemdji, St Cloud, and Mankato. Some tough winter rides and missing school to reach league opponents.
      Ferris has been playing teams nearby MSU, Michigan, WMU, OSU, Miami, and Bowling Green. Talk about a culture shock as they will have to stay in motels a little more than in the past.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VCPIBR5SQVNDYE4Y32Q53WTWAI Frank
Commission Bruce McLead was grabbed almost all
the CCHA’s teams to WCHA. He doesn’t think to share about what 4
teams (Niagara, Mercyhurst, Robert Morris and Canisius) from AHA who
wants have 18 scholarships and would be moving to CCHA in 2013-14.
That’s not right! WCHA invited to Bowling Green. But Bowling Green,
which was a founding member of the CCHA back in 1971, is facing a future
without a home. Bowling Green are great to have all teams in CCHA.
Bowling Green was established with CCHA. They would be staying in CCHA.
and open positions for AHA teams and UAH to joining to the CCHA. All
total will be 6 or 8 teams on CCHA in 2013-14. probably in after 2017.
Few teams would move back to CCHA from WCHA or NCHC who knows. Keep CCHA
stay alive. STOP! Be grabbed to CCHA ‘s teams by WCHA – commission
Bruce McLeod. :-C
- Cole Butler
  So you stay in a league that was already struggling (CCHA) or you join a league that has proven year in year out that they are the most financially stable league in the country(WCHA). Now granted, the WCHA will not be pulling in money like they did with Minnesota and Wisconsin involved, but it will still be stable. If the existing CCHA stayed, you could still have a league, but it would be a lot more challenging.
  If you develop a new CCHA with the teams you mentioned and you might as well call it the new CHA, because that’s what it will be and within 5 years when everyone will be looking for new leagues to play in. It isn’t Elitism, its reality. Any league that plays in front 1,500- 3,000 tops, in the format you described (Mercyhurst, RMU, etc.) isn’t going to make much money, and right now with athletic departments across the country hurting as much as they are, it doesn’t make much sense.
  Its sad, its frustrating, it sucks, but unless somebody comes out of the wood work and puts the kabosh on the Big10 conference, its the way it is. So again, blame the Big 10!
  - JamesDee
    Please not another CHA. Lets put the CCHA behind us and hope for success in the NCHC.
Out_of_Left_Field
Alaska and UAA should be in the NCHC
- Zoomhockzen
  You really are out of left field!
- JamesDee
  You are soooo right. UAA and UAF belong in the NCHC, not Miami.
  Movement in the future will allow UAA and UAF to join the NCHC.
  Also Air Force fits the league to a tee. Imagine Denver, CC, and Air Force in the same league I compare this to NMU, MTU, and LSSU being in the same league.
counselor
All good, all interesting, but why silence about the future and fate of UAH? I think this is a big deal, because US college hockey is very important in the larger developmental picture, and more college programs is definitely better. If UAH folds, it will have a chilling effect on any school outside of New England and the upper midwest that might consider adding NCAA hockey. With all the press that realignment is getting, why isn’t UAH getting any nibbles? I know they haven’t won much lately, but their tradition is good and as I said the very fact of their existence is very important to the whole deal. The UA system is considering letting go of hockey mainly because there’s been no conference invite. I think if some conference steps up, the program lives and thrives. Why isn’t this happening?
- Yooper
  I agree with your sentiments regarding UAH. Why no invitations yet? Well, it still may come from the WCHA. I think the problem is simply that no one wants to travel to Huntsville. Sure UNO, UAA, and UAF haven’t won much lately either, but the NCHC and WCHA don’t seem to mind that travel sacrifice so much. Why?, because they have some relationship with these teams from past competitions, previous travels, and the relationships between the peoples. It’s much more difficult to omit people you know and like. If UAH were givin the opportunity to form these same relationships, their chances would be much better. I sure hope they don’t fold because they have paid their dues long ago.
- JamesDee
  I believe once Notre Dame goes out east.
  And WMU Bowling Green and St Cloud join the NCHC.
  UAH Chargers will be invited to the WCHA.
FalconFrenzy
I love watching all the stereotyping of the “elite” programs vs. the rebuilding programs. Notre Dame dropped hockey a few years back, Miami has only become competitive in the last 10 years, one “Big 10″ program made the tournament last season, etc. When did WMU become a powerhouse? They had one decent season in the last 10 years, which resulted in the defection of their coach. Andy Murray is no Jerry York.
A smart conference will look at who is seriously rebuilding their program for the future, which is Bowling Green. Their legacy dominated the NCAA in the 70′s, 80′s, and 90′s. Mike Liut, George McPhee, Garry Galley, Nelson Emerson, Brian Holzinger, Dan Bylsma, Rob Blake, Kevin Bieksa are just a few of the Falcons who successfully played for many years in the NHL. No reason BG’s success can’t be repeated in the near future.
BTW what’s the hangup with no conferences showing Alabama-Huntsville any love? Their travel is less than many of the WCHA locales. They have a growing program with a vocal fan base.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VCPIBR5SQVNDYE4Y32Q53WTWAI Frank
Adam’s Comment - Isn’t winning championships and getting to the NCAA the goal anymore?
Having smaller conferences increased the odds of winning and making the
NCAA tournament. If the 4 teams from AH leave and join BGSU, UAH – you
have a six-team conference with room to expand. Except for the Alabama
trips, the travel does not increase. The AH schools don’t go to Air
Force anymore and BGSU doesn’t go to Alaska anymore. Of course, I don’t
think this will happen but its a thought.
Frank added -> After 2017. some teams would like to move back to CCHA from WCHA and NCHC (Miami forgot their hometown in Oho with BGSU. Save their travel expense. Ferris State and WMU too. Some expanisions like Lindenwood Universtiy would move to Div I in few years maybe in 2013-14. That’s CCHA would be staying alive. CCHA Commission would be happy to staying in CCHA in 2013-14. Be positive!!
Someone has to finally step up and invite UAH to a conference, don’t they?
JamesDee
The perfect NCHC
Denver, CC, ND, UMD, Miami, Notre Dame, Boston College, and Boston University
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