Wayne State University in Detroit announced today that they will be dropping their mens ice hockey team. This disaster will affect the remaining 4 teams in the CHA immeasurably, there will be no auto-bid to the ncaa tourney, and won't really be a league with only four teams, Niagara, Robert Morris, Huntsville-Alabama, and Bemidji State. Without a conference these fledgling D-I programs need to find a home or they might suffer the fate of WSU.
Bemidji State already plays a fair number of games against WCHA schools, for the 2007-2008 season they play: St. Cloud (2), Mankato (2), Duluth (2), CC (1), Denver (1), and UND (2). Looking at there schedule they could almost be considered an honorary member. It would make sense for them to join the WCHA for many reasons: location, they are literaly surrounded by the WCHA schools; track record, they have beaten WCHA teams, and they were outstanding at the D-3 level previously; college hockey, everyone needs teams to keep playing at the D-1 level, if teams fail that reflects on hockey as a whole, not just one team.
I hope the WCHA can look past itself and see the big picture and let BSU join our league. Some will complain that strains the recruiting and scheduling, but that can be overcome. Scheduling can be made to have more home-and-home series, with teams that are geographical close, so everyone can see these team every year. Recruiting, hey, the coaches should do what they have always done, that shouldn't be a factor.
As for Robert Morris and Niagara, since they are in Pennsylvania and New York respectively some of the east coast leagues should add these programs to their leagues. Huntsville-Alabama, uff-da, what to do with them... they are all by themselves down south. Is Omaha the closest D-1 team to them? I'm not sure, but maybe the WCHA could coherse UNO from the CCHA and the CCHA take on Huntsville... just a thought. Then would have 12 teams in the W and we could have a North-South subdivision or West-East one, still play everyone but change the playoff format.
College hockey needs these teams to keep playing, nobody, should be happy to see a team dissappear of the landscape.
Actually, UAH is very closer to all the Ohio schools and is only a 9 hour interstate drive from Detroit. Huntsville is three hours from Atlanta and 1.5 hours from Nashville. Very nice city and a nice place to go watch some hockey in the middle of January (I have been there four times).
ReplyDeleteMillsy,
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize it was that close to Ohio. Maybe the CCHA should consider adopting UAH.
It is almost that far from Grand Forks to Madison, WI.