Image via WikipediaIn my opinion, I think that WMU would be a strong and attractive candidate for membership in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference, if they're accepted for membership.WMU; if they're asked to join the NCHC, Western Michigan University would be the biggest school in the new conference, the WMU Broncos are Division I in all sports and a member of the MAC like, Miami University... DU (WAC), UND (BSC), UNO (Summit) are all Division I schools as well. It has been said that the NCHC wants to be in a conference with like minded schools committed to college hockey, I think with the hiring of Andy Murray as head hockey coach of the Broncos proves that WMU is committed to Division I college hockey.
Before the NCHC was formed, the league members had some brief discussions with Western Michigan about joining. Those talks cooled off though after Jeff Blashill moved on to the bright lights of the NHL.
The league has shown a renewed interest though with WMU's hiring of former NHL coach Andy Murray. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, the NCHC recently sent a consultant to talk to the Broncos about a move to the new league.
The transition would certainly make sense for Western Michigan. The Broncos would be joining a league with the best teams from the WCHA and an old rival in Miami. At the same time, the league is working out a deal with Versus on a TV package, giving both added revenue and a larger television presence.
If the Broncos head west, the NCHC's final move would likely be to woo Notre Dame, making for a strong eight-team league.
