Schadenfreude
Professional Tractor Puller
Re: New WCHA is dead
It could happen, I suppose. But there are a lot of variables here.
I don't have any inside knowledge. But in thinking about the agendas of everyone involved, I imagine the first step will be to see if Miami or Western Michigan would like to join the new CCHA.
Many RedHawk and Bronco fans don't see this as a serious possibility, and perhaps they are right. But I do think this would be the first step and I do think both of these schools would need to at least give it some thought. The opportunity to join a more geographically sensible league that is stronger than the WCHA may not come around again for a while. As a Bowling Green fan, I'm certain the Falcons would love to be back in a conference with these other two MAC schools.
If Miami and/or Western Michigan say yes, perhaps this would open up a spot for Arizona State, Minnesota State, or another school departing the WCHA in the NCHC.
Once Miami and Western Michigan have made firm decisions, the next step would probably to see who else out there wants to join the CCHA. Here, the focus is probably primarily on the Pennsylvania and Western New York schools in Atlantic Hockey. My impression -- and I'll stand corrected -- is that Atlantic Hockey imposes tougher scholarship limitations than the rest of college hockey. Do a couple of these western schools want to step it up and play in a league without these restrictions?
As part of this second step, the new CCHA might also take a look at Arizona State. The fact that the Sun Devils made the Frozen Four tournament as an independent is impressive. I do think there is probably room in this new CCHA for up to one new member outside the core CCHA footprint. There is an argument to be made for Arizona State here. It is a P5 school, it is playing good hockey right now, and a wintertime annual trip to Arizona could be used as a recruiting tool for the other CCHA schools. An argument against is that Arizona State may have its heart set on the NCHC, which is more geographically logical anyway. If there is a strong chance the NCHC is going to admit them in the near future, maybe the CCHA stays away from Arizona State, particularly if Arizona State would put the new CCHA at an odd number of schools when it all shakes out.
After working through these two steps, I think the new CCHA then sees where it is at. If the new CCHA is at an odd number of schools and Arizona State isn't in the fold, then I think they look at Alaska and Alabama-Huntsville and pick one. Given that Alabama-Huntsville is said to be planning a new arena, perhaps the Chargers get an invitation. If one of these schools is admitted, the other two (if there are two, given the Alaska state budget situation) would probably have to look at Atlantic Hockey, I guess.
As a Bowling Green fan, I'm delighted that we are pursuing this new league. We were a founding member of the CCHA and were the last school to leave. I relish the opportunity to try to get Miami and Western Michigan back in our league, if such an effort is happening (and I'll bet it is).
I do feel bad for the situation that Alabama-Huntsville and the Alaska schools find themselves in. They've been important parts of the fabric of college hockey for decades. But much has happened to get us to this point, and the blame certainly does not rest solely on Bowling Green or the other six would-be CCHA schools. The other two western leagues walked away from these outlier programs years ago, leaving the whole burden of all the travel on the WCHA. Bowling Green made two trips to Alaska and one to Alabama last year, and we will repeat those trips this year. That's a lot to ask. Bowling Green is not oozing in money. No MAC school is.
I hope, when this all shakes out, a way can be found to structure college hockey so that programs from Alabama to the Arctic can all thrive. But that doesn't mean all of these programs should be in one conference.
It could happen, I suppose. But there are a lot of variables here.
I don't have any inside knowledge. But in thinking about the agendas of everyone involved, I imagine the first step will be to see if Miami or Western Michigan would like to join the new CCHA.
Many RedHawk and Bronco fans don't see this as a serious possibility, and perhaps they are right. But I do think this would be the first step and I do think both of these schools would need to at least give it some thought. The opportunity to join a more geographically sensible league that is stronger than the WCHA may not come around again for a while. As a Bowling Green fan, I'm certain the Falcons would love to be back in a conference with these other two MAC schools.
If Miami and/or Western Michigan say yes, perhaps this would open up a spot for Arizona State, Minnesota State, or another school departing the WCHA in the NCHC.
Once Miami and Western Michigan have made firm decisions, the next step would probably to see who else out there wants to join the CCHA. Here, the focus is probably primarily on the Pennsylvania and Western New York schools in Atlantic Hockey. My impression -- and I'll stand corrected -- is that Atlantic Hockey imposes tougher scholarship limitations than the rest of college hockey. Do a couple of these western schools want to step it up and play in a league without these restrictions?
As part of this second step, the new CCHA might also take a look at Arizona State. The fact that the Sun Devils made the Frozen Four tournament as an independent is impressive. I do think there is probably room in this new CCHA for up to one new member outside the core CCHA footprint. There is an argument to be made for Arizona State here. It is a P5 school, it is playing good hockey right now, and a wintertime annual trip to Arizona could be used as a recruiting tool for the other CCHA schools. An argument against is that Arizona State may have its heart set on the NCHC, which is more geographically logical anyway. If there is a strong chance the NCHC is going to admit them in the near future, maybe the CCHA stays away from Arizona State, particularly if Arizona State would put the new CCHA at an odd number of schools when it all shakes out.
After working through these two steps, I think the new CCHA then sees where it is at. If the new CCHA is at an odd number of schools and Arizona State isn't in the fold, then I think they look at Alaska and Alabama-Huntsville and pick one. Given that Alabama-Huntsville is said to be planning a new arena, perhaps the Chargers get an invitation. If one of these schools is admitted, the other two (if there are two, given the Alaska state budget situation) would probably have to look at Atlantic Hockey, I guess.
As a Bowling Green fan, I'm delighted that we are pursuing this new league. We were a founding member of the CCHA and were the last school to leave. I relish the opportunity to try to get Miami and Western Michigan back in our league, if such an effort is happening (and I'll bet it is).
I do feel bad for the situation that Alabama-Huntsville and the Alaska schools find themselves in. They've been important parts of the fabric of college hockey for decades. But much has happened to get us to this point, and the blame certainly does not rest solely on Bowling Green or the other six would-be CCHA schools. The other two western leagues walked away from these outlier programs years ago, leaving the whole burden of all the travel on the WCHA. Bowling Green made two trips to Alaska and one to Alabama last year, and we will repeat those trips this year. That's a lot to ask. Bowling Green is not oozing in money. No MAC school is.
I hope, when this all shakes out, a way can be found to structure college hockey so that programs from Alabama to the Arctic can all thrive. But that doesn't mean all of these programs should be in one conference.
Last edited:
️