Also, I am surprised that UAH hasn't at least put in an application to the WCHA, who knows maybe they will today. You have to wonder if UAH will apply later if their quest to get into the CCHA isn't successful. Holding pattern probably, it's a horrible time to get everyone focusing on conference expansion when there are still teams playing in college hockey. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and where the domino's fall.
Bemidji State is sole WCHA applicant The Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s window for accepting new applicants will close today, and Bemidji State is the only school that has applied.
The Beavers are desperate to find a league, because their current home of College Hockey America will be down to two teams after next season and will disband. Sustaining a college hockey program without a conference would be nearly impossible.
Bemidji State seems to be a natural fit for the WCHA because of its close proximity to the other schools, but the WCHA has 10 teams and an odd number would present scheduling issues.
“It is problematic,” WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said of the possibility of an 11-team league. “And if we end up with 11, the Association will have to make a decision on the pros and cons of an 11-team league.”
McLeod and UND faculty representative Sue Jeno will make a site visit to Bemidji State on Friday on behalf of the league. BSU officials will then present their case for admission to every WCHA school during April’s American Hockey Coaches’ Association meetings in Florida.
The faculty representatives of the 10 memberschools could vote (eight of 10 votes are needed for acceptance) on whether to allow Bemidji State at that time, but there’s a strong possibility that they won’t.
Muddy waters
“There are a few things going on that have kind of muddied the water in Division I a little bit,” McLeod said. “There are all kinds of scenarios out there. There could be a domino effect if things happen in other places.”
McLeod said he couldn’t elaborate on the other behind-the-scenes happenings around the country.
“I can’t talk about individual schools and what’s going on,” he said. “But there are some circumstances that could affect things.”
Here is an interesting article from the University Chronicle Student newspaper. I thought this statement was kind of funny.
Speaking of 11th member, if Bemidji State were to join the WCHA, then the conference faces a numbers problem that would have to change with addition or subtraction. And neither are feasible options.
Kyle's suggestion is to bring in Nebraska-Omaha, which makes sense geographically. But would the WCHA want to bring in a lower-tier member of the CCHA, and a team that cannot fill 50 percent of their arena?
Plus, UNO head coach Mike Kemp said as recently as January 2009 that the Mavericks are not interested in joining the WCHA.
This decision has to be looked at from both perspectives: Bemidji State and the WCHA. If the Beavers are declined admittance, they will likely have to drop their D-1 program if not their hockey program all together. However, if they are accepted, and they are they only team accepted, how does the WCHA go about scheduling 11 teams? I doubt it can be done. I hate to see ANY team lose its hockey program, so perhaps the best option here is to decline their acceptance into the league but re-assign them back into a lower-tier level like D-3.
ReplyDeleteAh yeah they're not only getting in with 11. Hopefully someone else applies.
ReplyDeleteBemidji State can not go D-III, they are a D-II school. Crookston just dropped their hockey program because they are a D-II school that was kicked out of the D-III conference they played in.
ReplyDeleteIf McLeod and his team of morons are as intelligent as they want us to believe, they should be able to craft a schedule for an 11 team league. I know it wouldn't be easy, but they have a few seasons to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteAlso w/ having a few seasons, maybe depending upon where UAH falls, say they get into the CCHA, some agreement can be worked out between conferences for the better of DI Men's Hockey, and the a CCHA team joins the WCHA.
While I'll miss seeing teams in Madison as often, college hockey really can't afford to lose many more teams, otherwise the NCAA might return to a 12 team field. If they do that the WCHA would lose big time on at large bids.
The Big Ten seems to do pretty well with an eleven team league so I think if the WCHA really wants to show that it is the best conference in the country, they will find a way to make this work.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't they grant them a provisional acceptance. Say a 3 year temporary acceptance until a deal can be worked out that would benifit everyone. This seems like a better option than dropping a hockey program with such a rich history.
ReplyDeleteIt was reported today that the only team that had applied to the WCHA by the deadline was indeed Bemidji State. The league is going to vote on acceptance April 27, and 8 out of 10 school reps need to vote yes. McCleod is going to pay a visit to the their campus next week as well. He has personally said that their new arena and recent advancement to the Frozen Four has absolutely nothing to do with possible WCHA acceptance. He has also supposedly contacted several leagues (including the Big Ten, NHL, and CCHA) asking for a solution to an 11-team league schedule but has not received a single one yet. I say we boot Anchorage and let the Beavers in...
ReplyDeleteGandalf The Red I agree I have had about enough of Bruce McLeod and his incompetence, they have taken one of the top leagues and have totally screwed up the on ice officating. Now these bumbling fools can't figure out how to schedule a conference? WTF?
ReplyDelete