Trouble in the WCHA

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

Seven schools, including Mankato, Bemidji State, begin process of leaving WCHA

Future of longstanding conference is unclear.

www.startribune.com

 

[Adios]

Ouch.

7 of WCHA’s 10 hockey teams want to leave UAA, UAF behind

The news was a surprise to UAA and UAF, administrators from both schools said Friday.

www.google.com

Want to leave behind UAA, UAF and UAH. UAA and UAF are moving to smaller rinks, interestingly.

 

[dbmill]

Oddly funny and sad at the same time. The WCHA at this time is a leftover conference consisting of all the schools that were left behind when the Big Ten schools formed their own hockey conference, the the NCHA was formed in response to that. The remaining western schools that were left out these conferences banded together under the old WCHA banner. They are mainly small schools, with only Bowling Green playing other NCAA Division 1 sports. Now those schools are having their own reorganization, and in forming their own conference kicking out any school that is not in Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio. No doubt it greatly cuts down on travel expenses not to have to travel to Alaska or Alabama for conference games. Still, it's a bit sad to see the Alaska schools being pushed aside like this in college hockey. Also, it looks like once again Alabama-Huntsville has to go the independent route for now.

This all kind of reminds me when the Mountain West Conference teams split away from the Western Athletic Conference.