WCHA, CCHA hold joint meeting in Chicago
Members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association held a joint meeting Tuesday in Chicago. Administrators from the schools of both leagues, including Bemidji State, discussed a number of topics. A ...
By Pioneer staff reports
Members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association held a joint meeting Tuesday in Chicago.
Administrators from the schools of both leagues, including Bemidji State, discussed a number of topics.
A press release issued by the WCHA said the meeting worked "from an agenda that included sharing information about each other, engaging in productive discussions about the challenges that each institution and each conference face, and seeking common ground to work together for the betterment of the parties involved and of college hockey in general."
Attending the joint meeting were administrators from Alaska-Anchorage, Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, MSU, Mankato, Northern Michigan, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan.
"This was an important and productive meeting, for all involved parties," WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod and CCHA Commissioner Fred Pletsch said in a joint statement. "We asked everyone in attendance to be open, honest and frank in discussing their concerns, hopes and visions for the future of their respective programs. We recognize that where there is change there is also opportunity. We plan to continue our discussions in the future and to continue to explore all options.
The statement from McLeod and Pletsch noted the word "commitment."
"All of these institutions are totally committed to fielding the most competitive and successful programs possible and to provide the best possible experience for their student-athletes," the statement read.
The schools involved in the joint meeting discussed sharing institutional and hockey program information. That includes information on finances, facilities, community support, staffing and travel.
Other topics discussed were scheduling, championship scenarios, membership and league affiliation including league size and automatic qualifiers.
The WCHA will drop to six teams in the 2013-14 season with the departure of Minnesota and Wisconsin to the Big Ten conference and five schools - North Dakota, Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha - to form the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
The NCHC headquarters will be the Copper Building adjacent to the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. according to a press release issued by the league Tuesday.
The league is searching for its first commissioner, working on evaluating potential future members and looking into possible venues for the conference's championship tournament.
CCHA's Notre Dame did not attend Tuesday's meeting. Notre Dame is weighing its conference options and could join the NCHC, but also rumored to be interested in Hockey East or playing as an independent.
The WCHA added Northern Michigan, currently a CCHA member, earlier this summer and the Wildcats will begin play in the WCHA in 2013-14 with current members Bemidji State, Alaska-Anchorage, MSU, Mankato, St. Cloud State and Michigan Tech.
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