WCHA Grows, CCHA Dies

The imminent end of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association is nothing to celebrate. Good people -- from commissioner Fred Pletsch all the way down through the league's media relations staff to its officials -- will be out of work with the league ceasing to exist after the 2011-12 season.

However, the events of Thursday, which saw the Western Collegiate Hockey Association formally invite the five teams left in the CCHA for the 2013 season, are events that should be saluted by the college hockey world as a positive step.

The WCHA's move dissolves a league that has developed its own tradition and played some great hockey, but it might go a long way toward saving a couple programs who were facing uncertain futures.

The programs involved are Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, and Western Michigan. Obviously, Western Michigan has been talked about as a candidate to join Notre Dame in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, but until the Irish make up their mind what league to join, WMU can't do anything.

Lake Superior State and Alaska were quick to accept the invite. They had been pushing to join the league, and so this was probably not a surprise. Assuming WMU and Notre Dame join the NCHC, and Bowling Green accepts the WCHA invite, you're looking at a ten-team league that seems to resemble something I recommended as the NCHC news was breaking.

Could the ten combine into one league? I don't see why not. Put the Alaska teams (Anchorage and Fairbanks), Bemidji State, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State in one division, then stick the upper Michigan teams (Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, and Northern Michigan) in a division with Bowling Green and Ferris State. Each team plays four games against divisional foes (two home, two away), and one series (home or away) against each team in the other division. 26 league games total. That's doable. Financially, though, this could be a nightmare. You'd have to have the league tournament on a campus site, or it won't draw. And if it's on a campus site, it won't draw the same kind of television interest it would if it were at a pre-determined site.

Looking at the situation, I still think this is the solution that makes the most sense. Yes, the Minnesota teams would have to play two road series per season against Alaska teams. However, the league could probably figure out a way to do the scheduling so teams can just stay up there and play both series in back-to-back weekends, and at least one of them per year could do that while on break from school if you plan it right.

It limits the out-of-division travel, which limits flights for the Michigan schools and Bowling Green. Surely, there will be some assistance for the Minnesota teams that have to subsidize two flights to Alaska every season, whether that comes from UAA and UA(F) or from the league in general. No matter what, though, it seems the WCHA is at least setting up the possibility of a two-division league.

Something else is accomplished here ... you have a lot of these schools in situations where they've struggled on the ice lately. Ferris State had a pretty good team this past season, and they've had three winning seasons the last four years. But the Bulldogs haven't made the NCAAs since 2003, and they drew just 1,700 a game last season. Lake Superior State hasn't been very good in a while, and their attendance has sagged as a result. Bowling Green was looking at the end of their program a couple years ago. Michigan Tech has -- well, you know they haven't been good. That's well-documented around here.

The point? You've put them in a position where they can much more realistically compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Take out St. Cloud State, which has been very successful over the years, and you have nine schools that largely lack success in recent years. Alaska-Anchorage hasn't been in the NCAA Tournament since joining the WCHA, and its 16-18-3 record last season is the best the school has had since then. Alaska has one NCAA appearance (2010), and just seven winning seasons since Don Lucia left in 1993. Bemidji State has four NCAA trips and a Frozen Four appearance since going Division I, but only one of those four NCAA trips came without winning the CHA tournament, and that league was never good.

Ferris' 2003 NCAA appearance still stands as the only in school history. Bowling Green hasn't made it since 1990, when some guy named Jerry York was the coach. York left in 1994, and the Falcons have posted three winning seasons and nine 20-loss seasons, including six in a row. Lake Superior State hasn't "gone dancing" since 1996.

Michigan Tech's last NCAA appearance was in 1981, when new coach Mel Pearson was a senior. MTU has posted one winning season since 1993. Minnesota State has four winning seasons and one NCAA trip while a member of the WCHA; they joined in 1999. Northern Michigan has a .555 winning percentage since joining the CCHA in 1997, but the Wildcats have made just two NCAA appearances in that time.

For all these programs, there's at least the chance that improved odds of an NCAA bid will help them draw fans, keep them competitive for recruits, and help the bottom line. Unanswered questions remain about the actual league structure, as well as the postseason tournament.

But in the end, this was probably the best move for the future of all of college hockey. Now, we need to work on Alabama-Huntsville. I was worried about them two years ago, and that hasn't changed.

Northern Michigan Has the Wrong Idea

If you've ever been to Marquette, Mich., you probably have some respect for what the Northern Michigan University men's hockey program has accomplished over the years.

It can't be the easiest place to recruit to, but the Wildcats have formed a strong tradition, and they back it up with a good, competitive program, a nice rink, and a fun fanbase (led by the Puckheads).

Walt Kyle is the current coach, and he's done a nice job. A huge second-half surge left the Wildcats just short of NCAA consideration last year, but it built a solid foundation and higher expectations for this season.

The story of the summer, though, was the university's decision to stay put in the CCHA, eschewing a potential courtship with the expanding WCHA. The North Wind -- a student newspaper -- talked to Kyle about the decision.

"We think we're in arguably one of the best conferences in the country right now," Kyle said. "When you compare [the two leagues], our league has certainly been more successful at putting teams in the national tournament."

Well, the above statement is absolutely true, if you think that having more CCHA teams in the NCAA Tournament than WCHA teams twice in ten years means the CCHA is more successful.

I understand why Northern Michigan would want to stay put. The high amount of NMU alumni in lower Michigan means that they can stay better-connected to their alumni base by continuing to play in the CCHA.

Please, guys, don't give us false statements as reasons for a completely understandable move. Makes us think you're afraid to have made the wrong decision or something, and that's likely not the case at all.

(Fist bump: Rink and Run)

CCHA Spurns Huntsville

Barring a miracle, the ranks of NCAA Division I hockey will shrink in 2009-2010. It is then that the league known as College Hockey America, which never really got off the ground, will officially disband.

Of the four teams remaining in that conference, three have found new homes. Bemidji State will move to the WCHA starting in 2010, while Robert Morris and Niagara go to Atlantic Hockey.

Because Bemidji is bringing Nebraska-Omaha to the WCHA with them, conventional wisdom had it that the CCHA, Omaha's old league, would be looking to expand back to 12 teams. An 11-team conference creates some scheduling issues, and the tournament bracket (six teams play in first-round matchups, while five get first-round byes) can be cumbersome to explain to the casual fan.

A marriage between Alabama-Huntsville and the CCHA seemed like a possibility. While it would create some geographic nightmares, they couldn't possibly be worse than seven CCHA teams heading to Fairbanks every year, right?

Wrong.

Seems that the CCHA would rather have 11 teams than take Huntsville as a new member.

"The league completed its due diligence of the application for membership submitted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville with careful consideration and discussion of various issues," stated CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos.

"At this time we have chosen to maintain our membership at its current level." "The CCHA will remain focused on maintaining and strengthening our existing members to ensure the conference's continued success and long-term viability," Anastos added.

In other words, UAH isn't good enough for a league that should be actively seeking another team.

It's probably curtains for the UAH program very soon. There's little chance of a Division I team being able to sustain itself as the only independent in the land. They'd have to rely on bye weeks to get non-conference dates, and good luck getting anyone willing to play in Huntsville.

The program would be doomed to have no real shot at ever making the NCAA Tournament, and without that carrot to dangle in front of recruits, it would become almost impossible to get Division I-quality athletes to attend there.

This is not a good day for college hockey. There are only 58 programs currently up and running, so the loss of one should never be regarded as insignificant.

Only another league taking UAH, or the Chargers deciding they can make it as an independent, will save this from being a bad moment for the sport.

The other side of this story is that the CCHA has done something strictly for their own good. After years of the WCHA being ripped by select fans for only doing what was in its own best interests, it's nice to think that Bruce McLeod won't be thought of as the bad guy anymore.

It remains to be seen if the CCHA will try to find a 12th team, or if they're truly content to stay at 11.

Bemidji State, Nebraska-Omaha to WCHA

A story that has been festering for a long time finally has a conclusion.

It's been a few years now since a fledgling hockey conference called College Hockey America began to sputter. While the league was able to boast an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, there was little appeal to joining the league, as its large geographic boundaries led to teams running up ridiculous expenses for travel.

As the league of now four teams prepares for its final curtain call in the spring of 2010, it's good to know that three of those four teams have landed in new conferences.

Niagara and Robert Morris had already joined the Atlantic Hockey Association. Bemidji State now has its home.

The Beavers will join an expanded 12-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association beginning in the 2010 season, according to veteran Duluth News Tribune writer Kevin Pates, who has never been known for posting blind speculation, even on his blog.

Pates says it will be announced Friday that Nebraska-Omaha will join Bemidji State in the WCHA.

While there were some hoping Alaska-Fairbanks (or "Alaska", if you will) would get a good look from the WCHA, it appeared that UNO was the target for a long time. The installation of athletic director Trev Alberts, who immediately started talking about the need for UNO to maximize the revenue potential of its men's hockey program, seemed to really get the ball rolling in this direction. Alberts admitted from the start that he was not a hockey guy, but it looked like he had a good understanding of the potential that comes along with WCHA membership.

While this marriage is, above all, a business arrangement, it's also a move that is in the best interest of college hockey. Assuming Alabama-Huntsville gains admission into the CCHA to put that league back to 12 teams (while you can set up a conference schedule for an 11-team league, it's going to be a mess, so the CCHA getting to 12 teams seems like a foregone conclusion), Division I will keep its 58 teams.

The one thing that is damaged severely is the growth potential for Division I hockey. Only having five leagues, and having four of those five leagues at 12 teams each, means that anyone who wants to come in will have to slave away as an independent, probably for a long time. That's not desirable when every other program in the country can dangle their conference's autobid as a carrot to keep kids away from the indies.

That said, this is a win for the WCHA, and a win for college hockey. Even more than that, it's a win for Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha.

ANCHORAGE FAN REALLY WANTS UAF IN WCHA

Normally, we hear about the heated on-ice rivalry between Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks. It's a really good one, and the atmosphere in both cities is awesome when the two play each other.

However, being that they are both in Alaska and share many problems while playing in different Division I leagues (UAA in the WCHA, UAF in the CCHA), the two also have an everlasting bond.

Nowhere is that bond more evident than the always-interesting UAA Hockey Fan Blog. The guy who runs it, Donald Dunlop, is a pretty neat guy. Had a chance to meet him (finally!) last year when UMD played in Anchorage.

He has posted a few times on the prospects of UAF (officially, they're called "Alaska") joining the WCHA as the 12th team. While the prospects seem dim, Donald isn't giving up hope. He posted at length Sunday about the situation.

Let's start by saying I agree that Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota generally put more butts into seats than any other league opponent. However, "winning" always wins out, so to speak. UMD, for example, might always fill their building when they play the Gophers, Badgers, or Sioux, but if they put a winning product on the ice, they'll fill it when they play Colorado College, too.

I still believe the bottom line is the primary vote maker in this situation. So let's look at the split from the Final Five pie first. Those revenues are spread between 10 teams today. In the future they'll be spread between 12 teams. I don't have the figures unfortunately. so I'll just plug in an arbitrary number that is easy to divide in my head. So for example; if we assume that it's a million dollars. A ten team split obviously equals $100K each; a 12 team split equals $8333.33.

Obviously, Donald meant $83,333.33 at the end, so we'll assume and move on.

If the bottom line were the only deciding factor, it's unlikely the league would expand at all. The Final Five is their primary revenue-making machine. Why mess with the format by adding an extra game that likely won't be well-attended (tickets certainly won't be pricey for it)? You're likely not going to make enough money from that game to recover the difference in splitting the pie 12 ways instead of ten.

Reality is that the bottom line is a factor, but it's not the only factor, and while it may matter for some schools more than others, it's far from the most important thing for everyone who gets a vote on this.

The next thing to consider is any potential revenue increases that would offset those losses. Playing a hockey game against the host team in Alaska provides an exemption for the visiting team against their maximum limit of 34 regular season games. This means that such visiting teams can host an additional home game. As it stands, 7 WCHA teams each season receive 2 exemptions each year. With UAF in the league all the other WCHA teams would be able to receive the 2 exemptions each year.

I am unsure of any limit attached to Alaska travel. However, there are problems with the logic here.

Not every team will receive the "benefit" of two trips to Alaska in a season. After all, the only tangible benefit for the hockey team is the ability to play two extra non-conference games, presumably at home. However, with every team in the CCHA losing their Alaska exemption, and Atlantic Hockey expanding to 12 teams, it's only going to become more difficult to find non-conference games.

With demand lower for these opponents, the ones that exist can up the ante, requiring return visits in order for a contract to be done.

It's just not an automatic that every team in the league that gets the two extra games is going to fill them desirably.

And, no, I don't see WCHA teams scheduling each other for non-conference games, outside of the occasional special event (Hall of Fame Game, outdoor game, etc.).

Time to travel? DU and CC would face an 8+ hour bus ride to Omaha. Flying time from Denver to Fairbanks? Less than 7 hours. If DU and CC wanted to fly to Omaha; will UNO pay for 25 of their tickets? Similar story for the Gophers and Bucky. 380/370 miles to Omaha. 6 hours on a bus? Or 7 hours in an airplane? Duluth? 529 miles. 8+ hours on a bus for them. It seems to be almost a push. Though it is easier to get on and off a bus with your gear than it is with all the airport rig-a-ma-roll that you have to go through. Travel to either place certainly has it's downside. But no doubt, for a majority of WCHA schools UNO is objectively a more convenient destination. I could argue otherwise subjectively ... but I won't.

Under no circumstances have I ever seen a situation where flying was preferable to bussing. As Donald mentions, there is a lot of "rig-a-ma-roll" that you have to go through when flying. That's not even the half of it.

The six-hour flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage is a grueling trip, even for a broadcaster. It can take quite a toll on an athlete. Asking them to either stay there an extra week (so they can play UAF while they're up there) or go back later in the season is probably asking more than you should.

There's a reason that league coaches have long debated the best way to handle the Alaska trip, and some still haven't totally figured out the most effective way to get their kids ready to play.

So if it's a choice between adding a school that will increase your bottom line significantly or adding a school that is a little easier to get to ... UAF is clearly the better choice. The relative inconvenience is not significant compared to the potential revenue. $200,000+ (or so) year to offset the $25,000 (or so) loss of going to 12 teams? I think the expansion decision at each WCHA institution would take that number into account. One choice is expand and lose 25K a year or expand and make 180K+ a year ... come on. It's got to be a "slam dunk" eh, Ciskie? That pays for 2 assistant coaches. Or a skating treadmill. Or an upgraded weight room. Or on and on and on ...

There is a flaw in this logic, Donald.

Is there potential for more revenue if the WCHA adds UAF? Yes. However, there is a chance that teams could struggle to schedule their two extra games. There's also the chance other Division I leagues could whine to the NCAA about WCHA teams getting all the exemptions.

Oh, and there's the undeniable fact that Nebraska-Omaha holds much more upside as a revenue-producing school in the league. After all, Omaha is a city of over 400,000, while Fairbanks currently contains less than ten percent of that total.

If the league is concerned about making money, they're much better off with Omaha as a potential host for a playoff series than Fairbanks.

Not only that, but UNO just picked up one of the top coaches in WCHA history in Dean Blais. Don't think for one second that his decision won't factor into the perception of UNO as a viable WCHA team.

Bottom line is that I'd love to have a ready-made excuse to visit Fairbanks. I think they'd make a nice addition to the WCHA.

I don't think it has a snowball's chance in hell of happening at this point. The only shot UAF has is that UNO gets a nasty case of cold feet and stays put. If that happens, the WCHA will gladly accept UAF and its mix of benefits and headaches.

After all, no candidate is perfect (certainly, one with a history of playing games in a half-empty building isn't perfect). No one in this bunch (Bemidji, UNO, or UAF) can claim they are.

There are benefits and burdens to having two Alaska teams in one league.

Based on what I've heard, the WCHA has chosen UNO. If UNO chooses them, everything will fall into place from there. However, I do believe UAF has a good case. It's not a slam-dunk (neither is UNO at this point, as the school is still coy about their desire to join in the first place), but it's a good case.

Before summer is out, we should have our answer.

BLAIS TAKES OMAHA JOB

Well, this makes that whole UNO/WCHA thing a lot more interesting, doesn't it?

Saw first on College Hockey News, by the way. Sounds like it's for real, and it's a huge coup for Nebraska-Omaha. Not that their program had been legit in the past, but it really will be now.

Dean Blais has resigned as head coach of the Fargo Force and is expected to be named head coach of the University of Nebraska-Omaha at a press conference at 2 p.m. today.

Blais, who led UND to national championships in 1997 and 2000, will be returning to the college game after five years away.

He left UND in 2004 to take a position as the associate coach of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. He later was assigned to a player development role with the organization.

Last season, he coached the startup Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League, leading them to the Clark Cup Finals during their expansion season.

With Blais in the fold, speculation about Omaha heading to the WCHA with Bemidji State is only going to heat up. This is especially true if athletic director Trev Alberts and new right-hand man (and former coach) Mike Kemp do as indicated, and let the new coach have input over UNO's conference future.

I'm not going to call this a wonderful hire, but it's not a slam at Alberts. It is a necessary hire. When a guy like Dean Blais expresses interest in your job, and you have the money to pay him, you hire him with no other questions asked.

BREAKING: WCHA WANTS TO EXPAND

While this isn't immediately good news for Bemidji State, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has taken a step forward toward admitting the Beavers.

The following release was just issued by the league.

The membership of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s men’s league, acting at it’s annual meeting today (April 28, 2009), has opted to pursue expansion of the league membership from it’s current 10-member team to a future membership of 12 teams.

The timetable for expansion consists of lifting the current moratorium as of today and continuing indefinitely. The lifting of the moratorium on expansion means the WCHA can entertain membership applications from any interested institutions who meet the league’s criteria for membership. Meeting the criteria for membership does not, however, guarantee admittance into the Association.

“The Western Collegiate Hockey Association membership today took a positive step forward in their decision to embrace possible expansion,” said WCHA Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, “and we will continue to explore we may expand once we have completed further studies and once we have been able to identify potential members that fit the league’s criteria for membership. Obviously, there are numerous issues involved in expansion, just a few of which include the transformation from a 10-team, 28-game conference schedule to an expanded 12-member team format that would still enable us to protect our natural rivalries as best as possible, and to make certain we safeguard our successful flagship event – the WCHA Final Five.

“The WCHA has a proud history of being sensitive to the issue of expansion and the plight of other collegiate hockey programs and today’s development is a further indication that the Association will continue its tradition of assisting in the growth and development of collegiate ice hockey with an ultimate goal of expanding.”

The 10 teams that currently make up the men’s WCHA are University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), Colorado College (CC), University of Denver (DU), Michigan Technological University (MTU), University of Minnesota (UM), University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU), University of North Dakota (UND), St. Cloud State University (SCSU) and University of Wisconsin (UW). The last expansion in the WCHA occured in 1999-2000 when Minnesota State University, Mankato joined the conference as it’s 10th team.

The Commissioner’s office, in conjunction with the league’s structure committee, will head up the expansion effort with the goal of identifying potential member teams as soon as possible. The earliest the WCHA would be able to integrate new teams into the men’s league would be for the 2011-2012 season based on current contractual obligations.

“The WCHA also wants to note that Bemidji State University’s presentation to the league at the annual meeting on April 27 was very professional and well received,” said McLeod. “The BSU student body, faculty, alumni, and the entire community should know that the league membership came away impressed with the University’s commitment to the student-athlete, both on and off the ice, the long track record of success their hockey program has achieved, the breaking of ground for the new Bemidji State Regional Events Center, and the degree of excitement throughout the community and northern Minnesota for the future of BSU Hockey.”

Bemidji State University’s application for league membership will remain under active consideration.

Bemidji State is an original member of the WCHA’s women’s league, which was founded in 1999-2000 and this past season celebrated it’s 10th anniversary.

This tells me the league wants to go to 12 teams or stay at ten. At this point, expansion to 11 teams doesn't appear to be in the cards.

Check with FanHouse.com for more information, as we'll have a chance to hear from WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod later Tuesday.