WCHA Moves a Wash for College Hockey

This almost sounds like sour grapes by the CCHA. The WCHA stepped up to the plate and helped save BSU, now someone can step to the plate and take some leadership. This is what happens when your last to the party. The CCHA knew this was coming and sat by an let it happen.

It's almost seems like the CCHA is looking down their nose at UAH. The NCAA division one hockey CAN NOT allow any more teams to fall by the way side or division one hockey risks losing at large bids for the NCAA Hockey tourney, that is a lose, lose situation for everyone concerned. My question is; did you want to just sit by the way side and let two programs disband? No one else has come up with a suggestion or a solution. The fact remains that Danton Cole is a good coach with a solid hockey back ground that will do a good job getting UAH competitive in the CCHA. Seriously, he couldn't do any worse than some of the teams that were in the bottom half of that CCHA league standings last season. Plese tell me these teams aren't looking are looking down their noses at UAH. Now is not the time to be petty, it's the time for solutions and what is best for college hockey.

The WCHA has talked a lot about doing what is best for college hockey. But while adding Bemidji State -- after BSU had run out of options to keep its program viable -- was certainly a gracious and strong move by the WCHA to benefit Bemidji State, its effect on college hockey as a whole is more neutral if it negatively impacts the CCHA.

McLeod tried to sell it, saying that UNO's move can be an overall benefit to college hockey as a whole, because the chain reaction effect could result in saving Alabama-Huntsville as well.

"I have a long relationshp with Tom, and we openly discussed this, including three weeks ago in San Antonio at meetings of the (NCAA) championships committee," McLeod said. "Tom is first class all the way. As an individual, I have nothing but good things to say.

"Having said that, we went into this process above board, to do it the right way best we could. Part of that was keeping Tom informed. I hope he would say we followed through on that. It's clear he didn't want to lose Omaha. It speaks to their caliber. And actually, he made some other suggestions to me -- why not think about these things.

"I've proven in the past with involvement getting the WCHA going -- I work for the WCHA -- but I need to step back and look at what's best for college hockey in general. Hopefully if it (WCHA expansion) worked out with Omaha or someone else, that would open a slot (for Alabama-Huntsville). That may not have be the same caliber or attractiveness (as UNO), but that we could save another program. ... I hope that happens."

Still, there is no question that the CCHA takes a hit -- at least in the short term -- from this switch. No offense to Albama-Huntsville, but its program, and the commitment to the program, do not currently approach what Nebraska-Omaha is. [college hockey news]

Update: To quote the article: But CCHA people have been understandably irked by the WCHA's insistence that this is "best for college hockey." I still stand by my comments, “No one else has come up with a suggestion or a solution.” Tell me who else has taken the leadership? While everyone involved might not be happy with UNO moving to the WCHA it solve a problem no one else wanted to tackle.