Northern is in

The WCHA on Friday announced that it will formally approve Northern Michigan's application for membership to the league next week. Representatives of the teams left over in the WCHA after the departure of teams from the Big Ten and the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference met in St. Paul on Friday and apparently OKed the deal.

The WCHA's release reads:

The CEOs (chief executive officers) of the five member teams that will make-up the men's Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) as of the 2013-14 season are supportive of Northern Michigan University's entrance into the conference. WCHA men's membership in 2013-14 will include University of Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State University, Michigan Technological University, Minnesota State University, Mankato, and St. Cloud State University.

Formal approval of Northern Michigan's application for membership in the WCHA will occur next week.

Northern Michigan was a WCHA member from 1984 to 1997 before going to the CCHA.

In other college hockey happenings on Friday, Minnesota State-Moorhead held a press conference expressing its intent to add Division I hockey. The school has set a goal of raising $37 million for an endowment to fund the program. University president Edna Szymanski said that 40 percent of the goal has been committed. The school hopes to make a final decision within the next three months.

College hockey — just got tougher

So "The National" it is (sounds liket that's already what some are calling the National Collegiate Hockey Conference). College hockey's newest conference has some work to do now (including a little better PR/event management), although it will have to be done while its teams continue to be upstanding members of the WCHA and the CCHA over the next two seasons.


Meanwhile, the leftovers int hose leagues have a lot of work to do to try to figure out their future. As Minnesota State athletic director Kevin Buisman said earlier this week, representatives from the WCHA schools will meet Friday in the Twin Cities to start planning, and in a statement released Wednesday, WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said they have "a short-term plan that we will implement immediately." Curious to see how immediate "immediately" actually is.

It looks like Northern Michigan is already making efforts to get back into the WCHA and Alaska-Anchorage athletic director Steve Cobb said an expansion announcement will come on Friday. There are reports that there have been no talks of a WCHA-CCHA merger, but it seems like the WCHA would be better off with eight teams instead of six. Who could the other teams be? Alaska (Fairbanks) still seems like a possibility.

Back to the NCHC, here are some links to yesterday's coverage, the best of which came from the post-press conference interview sessions:

The Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman gets more reasons for the breakaway, including this quote from Colorado College athletic director Ken Ralph: "We’re with schools that have a burning desire to win a national championship. They are willing to fund their programs to that level, staff to that level and build facilities to support that. From that perspective, it’s very exciting.” Added North Dakota AD Brian Faison: “(Each of the emaining WCHA teams) has some of those things at different levels of their programs. This is a combination that provides the best opportunity to continue furthering UND’s hockey program."


In Kevin Pates' coverage in the Duluth News Tribune, former UMD coach Mike Sertich was tracked down and said it appears the NCHC has abandoned other teams: “It is so hard to see a piece of history changed. I have very mixed emotions over all of this. I understand the reasons, but I feel for the ones left behind. We asked so much of these programs before admitting them to the WCHA and now it seems as though we have abandoned them. While I am happy for UMD, I feel saddened for teams like Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State-Mankato and Michigan Tech."


Officials from the NCHC didn't say much regarding the many rumors of their dissatisfaction with WCHA leadership but Faison did try to debunk the notion that the teams had voted to stay together during last April's meetings. Still, the Wisconsin State Journal's Andy Baggot is reporting that there was at least talk (but no action) on removing McLeod as commissioner, and that some schools proposed levying heavy fines to teams that left the WCHA (the motion was eventually withdrawn).

National sentiment

College hockey's newest, superest, breakawayest conference will be called the NATIONAL COLLEGIATE HOCKEY CONFERENCE, it was announced Wednesday at a press conference in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The open event didn't last long. It was mostly introductions, a brief history of the locale's connection to college hockey and a handful of softball questions directed at Denver coach George Gwozdecky and North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison (hopefully, more got asked during the one-on-one time allowed to media after the main event).

Both thanked the WCHA and CCHA and promised that the NCHC's team's will continue to be committed members of those leagues until they begin play in 2013-14. There were a couple of interesting nuggets, however:

• Faison said schools began having conversations about a new league as early as last falland that the league was not formed in haste.. This might have been the most surprising news of the day.

• Gwozdecky said the reasons for the new league included "uncertainty going forward, especially in scheduling and recruiting." He also mentioned that this is about "what makes the game better and what enhances hockey for these institutions."

• Faison said the league's steps include: 1. Setting up a nonprofit corporation. 2. Hiring a conference commissioner. 3. Researching and vetting additional members (Notre Dame is being pursued). 4. Media opportunities.

Meanwhile the WCHA finally issued a statement about the new league. You can read that here. Some comments from commissioner Bruce McLeod:

• "Obviously, it's a tough day for the WCHA and a sad one for me personally, and it's one that is not easy to put into perspective. We wish everyone well, but make no mistake, the (WCHA) is not going away. ..."

• "Our remaining institutions — Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State — are absolutely committed to both Division 1 hockey and the WCHA, and as an association we will continue — as we always have — to provide a first-class product. ..."

• "As regards to our future, the WCHA has a short-term plan that we will implement immediately. In the long term, we will continue to formulate a strategic approach that will ensure the well-being of the association and its member teams for the long run. As a group, we remain committed and we are 100% confident our future remains bright."

New league's name to be announced ...

It will be interesting to hear what else comes out of today's press conference with the WCHA breakaways. The event is scheduled to be available here at noon (CDT).

Why do you watch?

In Tuesday's Free Press I have a column that asks this question to Minnesota State men's hockey ticket buyers: Why do you watch?

Do you watch the Mavericks or do you watch their opponent? Is it more important to see a win or to see a so-called power opponent?

The answer may have a big impact on how you feel about the future of MSU hockey once the yet-to-be-named Breakaway League and the Big Ten start play in 2013-14. As others have suggested this week, the new WCHA may end up being OK for the leftover teams, as their chances of winning conference titles and earning NCAA berths will improve.

Even if MSU becomes the best of the rest, will Mankato's hockey fans follow?

Consider:

• Over the last five years, Minnesota State is 16-49-9 (.277) against teams going into the Breakaway League.

• The Mavericks are 11-18-4 (.394) against Big Ten members Minnesota and Wisconsin over the last fiv years.

• Over that same span, MSU is 33-19-9 (.615) against the rest of the WCHA — St. Cloud, Bemidji, Anchorage and Tech.

If Minnesota State can continue to bring in quality nonconference opponents (i.e.: ex-WCHA members) regularly, they might be able to draw those big crowds and help their Pairwise ranking. That's a big if, though, as all three western leagues will be seeking quality nonconference games, and I've already heard worries about the possibility of an interlocking schedule between the Big Ten and the Breakaways.

Meanwhile, here's another statistical curiosity: Miami has been one of the nation's best teams over their last several years, and its desire to leave the CCHA makes some sense with that conference's Big Ten losses. But why is that school more attractive to the Breakaways than the current WCHA programs? The RedHawks play in a new arena, albiet one that seats just 3,600 people.

Last year, Miami drew an average of 3,024 per game. Minnesota State in a down year drew 3,711. (In 2008-09, MSU had an all-time high of 4,552, ranking 15th in the nation; Miami was 32nd that year with 2,491.)

Lets look at some college hockey average attendance figures from last year (ranking is overall national place):

Big Ten
1. Wisconsin 13,226
2. Michigan 12,291
4. Minnesota 9,544
11. Michigan State 5,353
18. Ohio State 3,829

Breakaways
3. North Dakota 11,756
5. Nebraska-Omaha 7,994
6. Colorado College 6,687
9. Minnesota Duluth 5,810
12. Denver 5,292
25. Miami 3,024

WCHA
8. St. Cloud State 5,935
17. Bemidji State 3,876
19. Minnesota State 3,711
22. Alaska-Anchorage 3,319
36. Michigan Tech 2,345

CCHA
26. Alaska 2,954 (possibly going to WCHA)
27. Western Michigan 2,926 (waiting for Notre Dame's move)
29. Notre Dame 2,801 (courted by Hockey East, Breakaways)
32. Northern Michigan 2,541 (possibly going to WCHA)
39. Bowling Green 2,169
40. Lake Superior 2,103
44. Ferris State 1,734

Watching and waiting

PucKato talked to Minnesota State athletic director Kevin Buisman again today, now that the Breakaway League has made it official. Buisman didn't have a lot to say, remarking, "I'm reserving further comment until after their press conference on Wednesday."

The new league issued a press release today saying that its press conference will be held at noon (CDT) Wednesday from Penrose House in Colorado Springs, Colo. It will include representatives (ADs and coaches) from North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and Miami and is expected to be shown live online.

"I think it will be interesting to see what they will reveal," Buisman said. "Will they talk about their plans for TV exposure, the name of the conference and branding?"

Buisman said ADs from the remaining WCHA teams will meet on Friday in the Twin Cities to discuss their future.

There have been reports Monday of Northern Michigan going to the WCHA and possibly Alaska (Fairbanks), too. Buisman had no comment on those moves. However Alaska-Anchorage's suddenly outspoken AD Steve Cobb issued a press release about his school's situation and certainly advocated for the other school in his state.

Asked Cobb's "really sneaky back-door deal" comment from last week, Buisman used a more diplomatic statement:

"There were some contentious moments and some uncertainty (at April's league meetings), but we definitely felt like we were in a good place. Our plan was to move forward and expand the league. To have (the breakaway group) strike out on their own, the timing was certainly interesting."

Finally, Buisman said concerns are starting to be raised about the fate of the WCHA women's conference. The league is made up of MSU, St. Cloud and Bemidji from the WCHA; Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State of the Big Ten; and North Dakota and Minnesota Duluth of the Breakaways. The league is facilitated by the WCHA. Will hard feelings get in its way?

It's official

The schools in the new Breakaway Conference made it official today, issuing a joint press release announcing the formation of their new league.  The release was three paragraphs long. To read the release click on the link on my Twitter feed at right.