What a Twist.... Maybe (RW77)

I just read on Bruce Ciskie's blog about another possibility begin BGSU's foot-dragging: They're trying to start up a league of their own. You can read the article here.

BGSU was given an extension on its 30-day deadline and claims that, per USCHO, they will announce their intentions by Friday, October 7th. If an extension were that easy to come by, why have the deadline in the first place? Oh well.

In any case, the article cites that BGSU officials met with, or invited, 6 AHA schools: Air Force, RIT, Canisius, Niagara, Mercyhurst, and Robert Morris. RIT apparently declined as being not interested. Air Force officials did not attend the meetings.

The reason for the meetings? The possibility of forming their own league. The impetus behind this comes at an interesting rumor and potential new program: University 'at' Buffalo (I guess the official name is The State University at Buffalo). The teams mentioned all have similarly sized arenas to each other and Buffalo is a MAC Conference member (MAC in all sports but hockey). Buffalo currently has a Club hockey team with a 1400 seat arena close to campus.

The rumor could be legit, especially since the start up costs for Buffalo would be comparatively cheaper than other programs rumored to being courted for DI hockey based upon most of the other prospective members arenas being similarly sized.

What IS NOT mentioned is that this new conference would be simply stupidity incarnate if there is no Autobid attached to it. That being said, I'm sure that DI hockey is looking excitedly at having a SECOND AHA conference.

HOWEVER: This idea does pose some interesting solutions to problems. I already mentioned the stadium thing. Similar to the exposure the NCHC gets with WMU in their conference, this new conference would get exposure from the BGSU market AND (potentially) Buffalo should they decide to join. Also, the members listed are all geographically reasonably close together. Bruce mentions that BGSU to Buffalo is a lengthy 300 mile bus trip. This is FAR more appealing to BGSU than a trip or two to Alaska.

I also think this would be another ideal potential conference for UAH. Unfortunately, the big issue is the same as if UAH were to join the NCHC or WCHA: Travel costs. There is a real possibility that UAH would have to do something similar to what UAA does: Subsidize travel. This new alleged conference would feature BGSU as the shortest distance from UAH at 500 miles. That's about a 7 hour plus bus ride.

However, I think UAH would be wise to consider this conference if it becomes a reality simply because it will be cheaper than the WCHA (two Alaska trips on top of their geographically inconvenient locale).

Any which way you cut it, if UAH doesn't find a conference within the next, say, 12 months, I'd say 2013 comes around and UAH is back in Club hockey.

I did smell B.S. - UAH stiffed by CCHA...

Last week the CCHA opened major can of worms when the CCHA league commissioner said that they were targeting PSU as their potential 12th team, Tom Anastos said, "They are a very attractive choice -- very attractive."

When Central Collegiate Hockey Association officials gather next week in Dearborn for annual meetings, they are expected to discuss the possibility of adding a 12th team to the league.

The target: Penn State.

"They are a very attractive choice -- very attractive," CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos told The Detroit News on Tuesday. "They're in a different market than we're in, more and more U.S. players are on college rosters, and there's tremendous growth of the sport in Pennsylvania."

[The Detroit News]

Wow! I am speechless. Last year I said this, “I have to say that I smell bullshit here. Something doesn't add up and I am not buying it. So are we to believe that UAH isn't good enough to play in the CCHA? This is a league that includes FSU 12-19-7, LSSU 11-20-8, and BGSU 11-24-3. The bottom half of the league is stuffed with mediocre - crappy teams that would have a very tough time beating UAH. UAH also has a nicer arena and draws better crowd than the teams deemed worthy of being in the CCHA.” [Click - for distances and attendance]

I made those comments after the CCHA turned down UAH’s application for admission, I was right I do smell bravo sierra. Let me get this right; Penn State University, a school that doesn’t even have a hockey program or an ice hockey arena, is more attractive than UAH. Seriously, all Penn State University has is a rumor and a few articles in various papers that say PSU has a big time Alum with deep pockets that wants to add hockey. Please tell me that isn’t the definition of elitism? You're welcome to attempt to refute this if you would like.

Elitism Definition: - is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who supposedly form an elite — a select group of people with, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight or those who view their own views as so; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern...

There has to be another angle that isn’t being discussed here. It doesn’t take an economics major to note that the majority of the CCHA teams are in the state of Michigan. Unless you don’t read the news or watch it on TV you will know that the state of Michigan is in dire states and suffering from 13.2% unemployment. Whole blocks of houses in Detroit Michigan are gone.

The only other thing that I can think of is that the CCHA is hurting for money and is trying to tap into the Big Ten money by adding another Big Ten School. With PSU in the CCHA they would have 4 of the 6 Big Ten schools that have hockey. If you add the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the equation the CCHA would have 5 of the bigger schools in division one hockey.

One can only speculate that the CCHA is hoping to siphon off money from the Big Ten network. Another thought that comes to mind is; maybe CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos is trying to offer PSU a place in their league to fight off the BTHC plundering the CCHA?

On the other side the problem is the other schools in the CCHA are small schools either division I mid majors (Western Michigan – MAC, Bowling Green – MAC, Miami – MAC) or division II schools (Northern Michigan – GLIAC, Ferris State – GLIAC, LSSU – GLIAC, Alaska Fairbanks – GNAC ) in every other sport but hockey. A lot of the member schools in the CCHA are teams that have smaller older buildings. It does seem like the CCHA is trying to keep up with the WCHA and maybe trying to kick start some life into their financially strapped league.

UA – Carlson Building, 6443, 1990
Bowling Green University – BGSU Ice Arena, 5000, 1967
Ferris State University – Robert L. Ewigleben Ice Arena, 2493, 1976
Lake Superior State University – Taffy Abel Arena, 4000, 1976
University of Michigan – Yost Ice Arena, 6637, 1923
Michigan State University – Munn Ice Arena, 6470, 1974
Northern Michigan University – Berry Events Center, 3902, 1999
Miami University – Goggin Ice Center, 3200, 2006
Notre Dame University – Joyce Center, 2857, 1968 – Notre Dame will get a new ice arena in October of 2011, Charles W. "Lefty" Smith Jr. Rink, 5000.
Ohio State University - Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center, 17,2000, 1998
Western Michigan University – Lawson Ice Arena, 3667, 1974

In comparision: University of Alabama Huntsville - Von Braun Center, 6602, 1975

The Big Ten Argument

I have been a college hockey fan since the late 1980’s and since the 1990’s we have heard about the possibility of the Big Ten Hockey Conference and how there is eventually going to be this super hockey conference that will include Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State University and a team to be named later _____________. To this date we still do not have a sixth team needed to form this super league. Sarcasm meter should be on.

I am hockey fan first and consider it my religion but lets be realistic here. Hockey is a niche sport and it’s never going to be very popular in markets that cater to the college basketball and football crowd. I am also cool with the fact that some people just don’t get hockey. I am appreciative of that and do not want them following hockey either.

I also don’t buy the argument that Pennsylvania is a growing hockey market. In comparison to what? College hockey is in Pennsylvania already with the RMU Colonials,what makes anyone think that PSU is going to over shadow RMU? Personally, I just don’t see the sport of college hockey growing in Pennsylvania to the level of enthusiasm that a school like Minnesota, Michigan or North Dakota has. College hockey is about traditions and history and PSU has none of it. Fellow Big Ten school OSU also lacks a rich hockey history.

I keep hearing this argument that if the big time BCS football schools got into college hockey they would dominate and take over the college hockey world. Really! I just don’t’ see it happening. Where are these new power house teams going to get their recruits from? Do these people think they are going to just step into college hockey and compete with the likes of North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, B.C., and Wisconsin? The college hockey recruiting landscape is already crowded and in competition for players with the CHL.

Finally, while the Big Ten Hockey Conference seems like a good idea to some I think it could be bad and disastrous for other college hockey programs mostly the small mid major schools (the majority of CCHA teams not in the Big Ten or named Notre Dame) and it could set into motion a collapse of college hockey as we know it today. If the BTHC formed it would basically cause the CCHA to become league that resembles the AHA.

The WCHA would remain competitive and strong with teams like UND, C.C., UMD, DU, UNO, BSU, SCSU, UAA, MSU Mankato and MTU and would come out almost as strong even with losing their top money makers in UMN and UW. Our league would feel a crunch but would come out of it stronger than most teams in the CCHA. One could also make the argument that Hockey East survived whether the CCHA or WCHA existed at all and this move would have little affect on them.

Also, the Big Ten Hockey Conference would have little effect on the ECAC, AHA as well. Their niche has already been determined and is successful. The addition of the Big Ten Hockey Conference could have a devastating affects on the CCHA, that league could crumble like a house of cards.

The loss of teams would mean the loss of at large bids for the NCAA tourney; this would further affect the other schools in college hockey. Here is what I could see happening with the CCHA and WCHA being pilfered by the BTHC, that could cause a realignment of college hockey and or a emergence of a super conference combined of CCHA and WCHA powers that were left over. We just don't know but maybe the the powers that be in the Big Ten should think twice before you meddle with college hockey. College hockey is doing fine without you already. If you want to bank on college hockey try showing a few more games on the BTN. Hockey exists outside of the schools that are part of the Big Ten. Frankly what is so special about the Big Ten Conference? The league isn't all that strong in comparison to the SEC in football. In basketball outside of a couple of schools the Big Ten gets murdered in the NCAA basketball tourney. It seems to me that some in the Big Ten conference is also displaying a bit of elitism of their own. College hockey also needs to find a solution for UAH Chargers so they don't twist in the wind for ever.

Can UAH hockey survive?

Here is the latest from Budd McLaughlin the UAH beat writer from the Huntsville Times. Props to [saveUAHhockey.com]

The Chargers had applied to the CCHA because College Hockey America, which UAH helped form in 1999, is folding at the end of the upcoming season. Of the CHA's four members - UAH, Bemidji State, Robert Morris and Niagara - only UAH hasn't found a new home after this season.

And UAH has received overwhelming support from all corners of the college hockey world. Athletic Director Jim Harris said he had calls and e-mails from his peers and coaches.

"Overall, I'm disappointed and disappointed for Huntsville," said Niagara athletic director Ed McLaughlin, who also serves as commissioner of the CHA. "There's a lot of hockey tradition there. We were hopeful all four teams would find a home."

"It bums me out," said coach Tom Serratore of Bemidji (Minn.) State, UAH's top rival.

The vote by the CCHA Council was by acclamation, and bylaws prevent the final tally from being revealed. To be accepted, an applicant must receive at least 9 votes to join the 12-team league. Each school has one representative on the council, but the University of Nebraska-Omaha representative did not vote because that school is leaving the league to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association at the end of the 2009-10 season.

"I can't discuss how the vote went," said Alaska-Fairbanks Athletic Director Forrest Karr, a member of the council. "But, I've been a main advocate for Huntsville throughout this process."

What next? [al.com]

There does seem to be a glimmer of hope or a life line from the LSSU coach. You can actually listen to the interview right here. I also think that it is a load of crap that we can't read how the vote went. What is the CCHA hiding?

The Chargers would be battling scheduling and recruiting difficulties and would be the only Dvision I independent team among the NCAA's 58 D-I programs.

"It's not what we want," Cole has said. "It would be a year-to-year existence."

College hockey scheduling is like college basketball: The October-December games are mostly non-conference while January and February are conference games. If a team is not in a conference, it's difficult to schedule games in January and February - especially at home, which brings in revenue for the team. An option some schools use is scheduling games on Wednesdays or Thursdays, but, that wouldn't work here.

"Since Huntsville is so far away (from other programs), it would be hard to schedule midweek games," said Serratore.

But Karr, the CCHA council member from Alaska-Fairbanks, said there would be a chance some CCHA teams could help an independent UAH schedule games. With just 11 teams in the league next season - Nebraska-Omaha is leaving to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association - there should be dates available in January and February 2011.

"We have to fill out our schedule with non-conference games to reach our 34 games," he said. "Hopefully, we can work Huntsville in there.

College hockey trips itself again...

Here is another great article by Tim Schmitt of the Niagara Gazette. I think there are some really good points to this article. It’s funny that after almost one week we still really have only have on record UAF A.D. Forrest Karr comments about ‘some of the CCHA schools having concerns about UAH’s lack of commitment, location and wanting to shore up the other CCHA schools first’ Yeah! A week later it still sounds pretty weak to me and I know I am not alone.

Finally, I am not sure that college hockey is to this point though, when Schmitt says that "the NCAA needs to step in and reorganize the sport’s governing board and insist that the game is bigger than any one school’s financial well-being." While I do agree with that philosophy, I doubt the NCAA would ever step in and do that. For the most part the NC$$ kind of takes a laissez-faire approach when dealing with member schools. Nor would I want the NCAA to step in.

Soon after the Purple Eagles reluctantly jumped to Atlantic Hockey — a league that offers fewer scholarships and plays in significantly smaller buildings — the WCHA admitted two new members in longtime Niagara rival Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha.

Both made perfect sense — Bemidji has committed to building a new rink, and it essentially told the WCHA if it didn’t get in, the facility wouldn’t get built and the program could die. Omaha, meanwhile, plays in the 16,000-seat Qwest Center and fits in geographically.

That left one College Hockey America team to be spoken for — Alabama-Huntsville — and the CCHA with an odd number of teams.

Perfect, right? UAH could slide into the CCHA, evening things up for scheduling purposes.

That’s when logic stopped in its tracks. The league’s members snubbed the program, very possibly starting a slow walk to the end of the school’s college hockey plank.

And why?

“Some people had concerns about a lack of commitment,” Alaska athletics director Forrest Karr told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Plans are in the works to renovate the Von Braun Center — a barn that holds almost 7,000 for hockey and draws decent crowds. Danton Cole, a former Michigan State star who played seven seasons in the NHL, is UAH’s high-profile coach. And among those often in attendance are Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, whose son Wyatt is a goalie for the Chargers.

While the NHL will do anything to keep a hockey team in a non-traditional hockey market (Phoenix) simply on the pretense that it’s “good for the game,” college hockey seems eager to rid itself of a non-traditional market that’s making a concerted effort.

We’ve said this before and it’s worth repeating — college hockey’s self-serving board has made growth impossible. The NCAA needs to step in and reorganize the sport’s governing board and insist that the game is bigger than any one school’s financial well-being. [Niagara Gazette]

A prospective worth checking out.

Check out Dave Starman's article on the Chargers being denied admission to the CCHA. Dave brings up some good points about US college hockey and the possibility of losing opportunities instead of expanding college hockey in the future. Honestly I would rather like to keep the best of the USA hockey playing in the US for a division one college hockey team.

By denying UAH’s application for admission it would almost appear as if college hockey is shooting it's self in the foot, while trying to make it look like it’s something else. Frankly if UAH's program is not saved I can't see any program wanting to add a division one college hockey program any time in the near future. Why should they given the treatment of UAH? NO-ONE has stepped up to help them out.

More than a few former college coaches (now coaching professionally) have mentioned on many occasions that the appearance given by the college hockey world is that there is no urgency to grow Division I college hockey. Yes, there are Web sites and campaigns to keep elite-level American hockey players out of Canadian Major Junior and in U.S. college programs. While we all know there was more to this decision by the CCHA to exclude Alabama-Huntsville than meets the eye, you do have to openly wonder about the growth of the sport at the NCAA Division I level.

Don’t mistake this as an open campaign for the Chargers to be in one of the Big Four conferences. When you take a look at the program you do have cause for optimism as a CCHA team. You have a CCHA alum in Danton Cole as the head coach — a guy who played at Michigan State under college hockey’s all-time wins leader, Ron Mason, and was a member of the 1986 national title team.

The guy has a Stanley Cup ring as a player with the New Jersey Devils. How many college hockey programs boast a bench boss with those credentials? To review for a moment, a national title ring in college, playing for an elite NCAA program, playing in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup. Say what you want about Massachusetts, but it has an assistant in Red Gendron who also has a Devils Stanley Cup ring, and that just lends credibility to your program, folks.

Not that any of that makes you a good coach, but Cole is currently with USA Hockey coaching the Under-18 select team at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tourney in Slovakia. That lends credibility.

Travel was put out there as a possible reason why UAH was excluded. Jim Connelly, my colleague from Boston, described the travel as being no worse than it was to Omaha and just as demanding as going to Alaska.

You want to ask if Huntsville will draw fans at the arenas of the big CCHA programs?

Michigan would sell out if it was playing St. Norbert. That is just a rabid fan base that loves its team. Notre Dame is turning away people at the doors every night due to its resurgence and it actually has a history with Huntsville from their epic double-overtime win in the NCAA tournament a couple of years ago
[uscho.com]

Save UAH Hockey.

As well all know earlier this week the CCHA has denied UAH's application for membership in the CCHA. In response to that awful misguided decision here is a new college hockey blog that might be worth your time to check out [Save UAH Hockey] The new college hockey blog it is maintained by Geof F. Morris and there will probably be a few posts from the guy that wrote the great retort to UAF AD Forrest Carr. There is also a twitter page for this blog. [Twitter.comsaveuahhockey] There is also a new face book page [Save-UAH-Hockey] there are currently 1,033 members already when I signed up there were like 750.

Check out this post

This was in the comments section of the Newsminer.com article about the CCHA not accepting the UAH Chargers. It kind of addresses the CCHA's claims and shoots holes in them. Like I said before I smell bullshit and this stinks to the high heavens. I could throw a bunch of clichés around to but I won't, the glass houses one would really fit though.

I am a photographer for the UAH hockey program. To say that we were stunned by the decision of the CCHA yesterday is an understatement. To read this article and see the words spoken by Mr. Karr has only added to it. While he may have been speaking generally, he makes some very specific claims that has infuriated not only those of us in the Charger nation, but college hockey fans as a whole.

For starters, how much more commitment must a team entering it's 31st season and 25th at the varsity level have to show? UAH has bent over backwards to show it's commitment to the sport and to the CCHA. We've brought every AD in to tour our facility and campus. We've given presentation after presentation showing our school, fans, and community's commitment to the sport. Committed? You'll be hard pressed to find anyone more committed than the Chargers.

Our agreement with the Von Braun Center has never been stronger. And it has never been an issue throughout the 31 years that UAH has played there. Despite our sometimes lousy start times, we get preferential treatment from the facility. Even so far as the semi-pro team that shares the facility has to play second fiddle to our schedule on the VBC's insistence.

Low attendance? According to the USCHO we had 20 fewer butts in the seats than UAF last season. And the really interesting thing there is the Nanooks had twice as many home contests as we did. Similar story with Notre Dame. In fact the only teams that pack them in more than UAH did during the same period are Michigan, Michigan State, UNO (who is leaving the CCHA anyway), Ohio State and Northern Michigan. And that was with twice as many home games.

As to the statement that we are not in a major recruiting market, who is anymore? The sport has grown to a point where kids are coming from all over, not just the traditional locales of before. Players are coming out of Texas, Florida, California, and even Alabama. If the statement by Mr. Karr had any semblance of truth to it then every NCAA D-I school would be based in the provinces of Canada.

And finally the economic/student welfare/long bus trip trifecta. This is probably the greatest red herring of the stated reasons for denial. UAH had already committed to paying for teams to travel to Huntsville just as UAF and UAA do. From what I have been told it is comparable to what your program pays for opponents to come to Fairbanks. Combine this with the fact that Huntsville is only 34 miles farther away from CCHA schools than UNO is and every stated reason for our denial is a wash.

Are we mad? One shouldn't have to ask. Are we mad at Mr. Karr? Not necessarily. While he may bear the brunt of anger, until we know for certain how he voted, any anger towards him is simply venting out of frustration. What we are angry at is those statements which I hope you now understand to be complete and utter garbage. For Mr. Karr's part I hope he did vote to allow us in.

More UAH.

In an e-mail, Anastos said major issues of concern for the CCHA Council included economics, facilities and location. As you can see that is a really flimsy argument and a child could shoot holes in it.

This blog post will poke a few holes in the facilities and location argument for the reason on why the CCHA denied UAH. All you have to do is look at the web page on the Von Braun Center. I have talked to many people that have been there and they were really impressed with that arena. If UAH would have been accepted to the CCHA it would have been one of the biggest in the CCHA. So it's not the facility.

Attendance isn't a really good argument as well. Below I have included the number for attendance for the CCHA. The first number is the # of games, second number is attendance average and the last number is percentage of capacity.


Michigan 19 6714 6,637 101.2
Michigan State 15 5473 6,470 84.6
Ohio State 20 4181 17,500 23.9
Northern Michigan 19 2932 3,754 78.1
Alaska 20 2708 4,324 62.6
Notre Dame 18 2703 2,667 101.3
UAH 10 2688 7,000 38.4
Miami 19 2491 3,200 77.8
Lake Superior 18 2257 3,373 66.9
Western Michigan 21 2112 3,667 57.6
Bowling Green 20 2044 5,000 40.9
Ferris State 18 1424 2,493 57.1
[Goon's World]

It's not about travel distances

Flying driving to Omaha Nebraska? There isn't much of a difference in mileage. One could make the argument that UNO is a lot closer to the schools in the WCHA than the CCHA. I checked the mileage on a few of the distances of travel and this is what I came up with for distances to UAH. I don't buy that argument. That isn't the reason for not allowing UAH or it's not a very good one.

UM - UAH 651 miles
BGSU - UAH 585 miles
OSU - UAH 510 miles
MSU - UAH 672 miles
NMU - UAH 990 miles
ND - UAH 560 miles
LSSU - UAH 951 miles
NMU - UAH 657 miles
MU - UAH 442 miles
UAF - UAH 4137 miles
FSU - UAH 768 miles

Here is the distances from UNO to the various schools in the CCHA.

NMU - UNO 684 miles
UNO - MSU 672 miles
UNO - UM 692 miles
UNO - UMiami 707 miles
UNO - UAF 3270 miles
UNO - NMU 765 miles
UNO - FSU 684 Miles
UNO - ND 545 miles
UNO - OSU 781 miles
UNO - LSSU 903 miles
UNO - WMU 597 miles
UNO - BGSU 897 miles
[Goon's World]

In conclusion, I believe the denial of UAH's bid to the CCHA is about the CCHA pouting about losing a team and basically showing the commissioner of the WCHA Bruce McLeod that the CCHA isn't going to dictated to on what teams they accept to their league. Fine take your ball and go home, that's what we tell the spoiled, snotty, pouty kids that act like elitist brats. This is also about grand standing and thumbing their nose at UAH. Like I said before I really don't think that the CCHA is above UAH. Look at the teams that make up the bottom rung of the CCHA it's not an impressive group of teams. In essence this could be the second team the CCHA will have killed, first it was Wayne State out of Detroit and now possibly UAH.

I still smell B.S.

Like I said yesterday, "I smell Bullshit with the CCHA's rejection of UAH's bid to become a member of the CCHA." Their reasons for rejecting UAH just don't add up. Don't give me this crap that they are concerned about UAH's commitment to college hockey. Maybe the CCHA should concerned about the health of FSU, BGSU, WMU and LSSU as well. Bruce Ciske does a pretty good job of illustrating this. Attendance, yeah ok. I believe that the CCHA is throwing a hissy fit because they are unhappy that UNO has decided to move to the CCHA. Like I said earlier it's laughable to suggest that UAH isn't at least on equal footing as the power houses that line the bottom of the CCHA standings on a year to year basis.

I also believe that if the NCAA loses anymore division one college teams the NCAA will start pulling at large bids. It will happen folks. This is why we can't allow any teams to disband and fold. Also, if Huntsville folds what college in their right mind is going to want to start a divsion one hockey program? Why should they?

The CCHA's stance just doesn't make sense. The 2,688 fans per game UAH averaged in ten dates equals more than four of the 12 teams currently in the CCHA. While schools like Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Lake Superior State, and Ferris State have the inherent advantage of being able to host the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Notre Dame virtually every season, UAH drew more per game with home dates against Bemidji State (2), Niagara (4), and Robert Morris (4). The Chargers drew 2,795 for an exhibition game against Tennessee's club team.
[Ciske Blog]

I smell B.S.

This is an interesting take from the UAH beat writer blog. I have to say that I smell bullshit here. Something doesn't add up and I am not buying it. So are we to believe that UAH isn't good enough to play in the CCHA? This is a league that includes FSU 12-19-7, LSSU 11-20-8, and BGSU 11-24-3. The bottom half of the league is stuffed with mediocre - crappy teams that would have a very tough time beating UAH. UAH also has a nicer arena and draws better crowd than the teams deemed worthy of being in the CCHA.

I want to remind college hockey fans; when the NCAA pulls an auto bid or two you can blame the CCHA and their commissioner Tom Anastos. Way to stand firm Tom. When your favorite team stays home from the NCAA tourney when they would have went under the old 16 team NCAA tourney you can blame the elites in the CCHA.

Meanwhile, the Chargers would have been a good fit for the league, which now has an odd number of teams (11).

It's also interesting that Commissioner Tom Anastos earlier (pre-UNO leaving) said scheduling for a league with an odd number of teams is not feasible and, while making a visit to UAH this summer, said the CCHA has a firm, solid commitment to having a program in Huntsville.

In an e-mail, Anastos said major issues of concern for the CCHA Council included economics, facilities and location. That may be just a smoke screen.

The economics are a non-factor compared to other colleges.

The facilities (6,600-seat Von Braun Center) argument is a non-issue. The VBC administration went out of its way to accommodate CCHA scheduling demands during a visit here last month. [Slap Shots blog]

CCHA could vote on UAH hockey team's admission this week

Picture of UAH's Von Braun Center Arena. It's Time for the CCHA to step up to the plate and do the right thing. I am not so sure they want to be the league that let UAH's hockey program fold? They are also a 11 team league right now and I can't imagine them wanting to schedule eleven teams as opposed to twelve teams.

Personally, I believe that UAH would be a good fit in the CCHA and we have broken down the distances from UAH to the various CCHA schools. There was some good news about a week and a half ago when it was announced that BGSU getting four (4) million dollars for it's hockey arena. It would appear that one obstacle had been removed for UAH to possibly join the CCHA.

The future of the University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey program could be decided within 48 hours.

The Chargers applied to join the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, which includes Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame. League representatives meet today and Tuesday, but UAH has no guarantee it will be admitted.

"It would be the equivalent of us getting into the SEC if we had a football team," said UAH coach Danton Cole, who is in Slovakia as an assistant for the U.S. Under-18 select team. "It is that big and I think an important part of growing the reputation and visibility of our university and city.

"They could approve us, they could say no. Or they could just not make a decision."

UAH is the lone member of the soon-to-be-defunct College Hockey Association without a new conference. Other teams in the league - which will fold after the upcoming season - have found new homes: Bemidji State joining the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and Robert Morris and Niagara will entering Atlantic Hockey.

CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos - who toured the UAH campus and Von Braun Center in June - was noncommittal about a decision.

"Our goal will be to make a decision just as soon as we can," Anastos told the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. "The next time we meet ... we will have plenty of discussion on this topic. However, there is no guarantee that we will make a final decision by our August meeting."

The Chargers' application is not the only issue facing the CCHA. It is also considering the state of Bowling Green's program, where the athletic department had to slash millions from its budget. [AL.com]