Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

Wayne State University has officially applied for membership in the CCHA. It will be discussed at the league meeting in Florida this summer. If approved, there will be 13 teams in the league.

Wayne State is currently a member of the 5 team CHA. With only 5 teams the CHA can lose their NCAA autobid (minimum of 6 teams needed for an autobid). Bemidiji State (another CHA team) has also applied for admission into the 10 team WCHA. The other CHA teams are Niagra, Alabama-Huntsville, and Robert Morris.

There are what seems like a million different scenarios that could happen (read here and here). My opinion is the three best options would be:

#1- Deny the admission because the league is already big enough (maybe even too big).

#2- The CCHA accepts Wayne State with UNO moving to the WCHA, who accepts Bemidji State. This give both leagues 12 teams and cuts a plane trip from the CCHA.

#3- Expand the CCHA to 14 teams (Wayne State and Niagra or UAH) which leads to the changing of scheduling. Only 2 games would be played against every other team instead of the cluster**** system used now. Problem I have with this is the addition of Niagra or UAH means another long trip.

Despite our alleged rivalry with the Mavs, I like option 2. I'd prefer to keep as many of the league contests in the tri-state area as possible. Let's face it, there is just something weird about hockey in Nebraska anyway.

pdt1081 wrote:#3- Expand the CCHA to 14 teams (Wayne State and Niagra or UAH) which leads to the changing of scheduling. Only 2 games would be played against every other team instead of the cluster**** system used now. Problem I have with this is the addition of Niagra or UAH means another long trip.

I think I read something awhile if the CHA folded the CCHA would think about adding Niagra and Robert Morris. I think if opinion 3 happens you add Wayne St and RMU

hockey fan wrote:Despite our alleged rivalry with the Mavs, I like option 2. I'd prefer to keep as many of the league contests in the tri-state area as possible. Let's face it, there is just something weird about hockey in Nebraska anyway.

Agreed. Bemidji and UNO would be a good pickups for the WCHA.

I dont see the CCHA adding any teams... there's no need... and I feel sorry for these other schools but tough cookies.

Personally, I'd like to see UNO and A-F out. Send them both to the WCHA. In exchange we'll take Michigan Tech and also Wayne State.

BGDrew wrote:Personally, I'd like to see UNO and A-F out. Send them both to the WCHA. In exchange we'll take Michigan Tech and also Wayne State.

Thats what I always say, except I always forget Wayne St

BGDrew wrote:Personally, I'd like to see UNO and A-F out. Send them both to the WCHA. In exchange we'll take Michigan Tech and also Wayne State.

If I recall correctly, the reason that we ended up with UAF was because the WCHA didn't want to have two uber-long trips to Alaska in their conference schedule. I don't really think their opinion will have changed by now, as it was largely a money concern, and I'm sure it still is. But, if we could move UNO to the WCHA somehow, that would be one less costly plane ride for every school in the conference. I think that might make the UAF trip every year or every other year or whatever (the clusterf**k confuses the crap out of me) at least a little more tollerable.

Bleeding Orange wrote:If I recall correctly, the reason that we ended up with UAF was because the WCHA didn't want to have two uber-long trips to Alaska in their conference schedule. I don't really think their opinion will have changed by now, as it was largely a money concern, and I'm sure it still is. But, if we could move UNO to the WCHA somehow, that would be one less costly plane ride for every school in the conference. I think that might make the UAF trip every year or every other year or whatever (the clusterf**k confuses the crap out of me) at least a little more tollerable.

Actually, the league wants to hold on to UAF for other reasons also. A team that travels to Alaska to play two games is granted a two game exemption on the total number of games allowed. This means two more non conference games can be scheduled.

Wayne State. Road trip to Detroit. Oh boy. Can somebody please pass legislation to team down all of Detroit, pave over it, and start over?

They can keep Comerica and Ford Field standing.

I'll give you that, and some of the theaters.

agree uno and Alaska should both go to the Wcha

Question: how does shipping UAF and UNO to the WCHA in exchange for Michigan Tech make the CCHA stronger?

It doesn't. For that reason alone I'm opposed to that move.

McConvey wrote:Question: how does shipping UAF and UNO to the WCHA in exchange for Michigan Tech make the CCHA stronger?

It doesn't. For that reason alone I'm opposed to that move.

One reason I'm all for UNO going to the WCHA is because of the travel issue. For us, trading a plane trip to Omaha for a one hour bus ride to Wayne State makes sense.

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned here or on USCHO is what would adding a team to the CCHA do for recruitment? Right now, we aren't really competing with Wayne State for recruits. Given the choice of playing in the CHA or the CCHA, a player is going to choose to play in the CCHA probably 9 out of 10 times. Add another team and that's one less advantage we have.