As of this morning (3/31/09), Bemidji State is the only school to apply for membership into the WCHA. The deadline to apply is this afternoon.
From the Grand Forks Herald
The Bemidji State men’s hockey team overcame long odds to become the first No. 16 overall seed to make the NCAA Frozen Four on Sunday.
An even larger battle lies ahead, though.
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 member schools 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.”
It is believed that Bowling Green, a member of the 12-team Central Collegiate Hockey Association, may drop its program. There may be other teams considering the same cost-saving measure.
If the CCHA lost a program, it’s possible that another school would be interested in applying for membership in the WCHA to keep both leagues with even numbers.
The WCHA would need to once again lift a moratorium on expansion to receive new applications, but McLeod said that could be done in the spring or in the summer.
The vote on whether to allow Bemidji State may not come until the dust has settled this summer.
Effect of the Frozen Four run
Bemidji State’s improbable run to the Frozen Four this season also may help pull some strings.
No WCHA team qualified for the Frozen Four this year for the first time since 1999, but the Beavers will be there. How will that change things?
“It doesn’t change the facts, but it certainly changes the feelings when you deal with your heart, for sure,” McLeod said. “In one case, you’re dealing with your heart. I think everyone knows how everyone feels about Bemidji State and this certainly adds to that. You also have to deal with your head and business sense, too. How and where those two come together . . . that’s the crux of the issue.”
What does this mean for BSU? No one is quite sure, but we will see soon. One of the “possibilities” mentioned in the article is the fact that the Athletic Director at Nebraska Omaha just took the same job at Upper Iowa University. David Miller has NOT been a proponent of UNO switching leagues to join the WCHA (as has been talked about for nearly three months). Will the new AD (whomever he is)?
Another of the “possibilities” is that Northern Michigan would ‘come back’ to the WCHA. They have moved back and forth from the CCHA to the WCHA and back to the CCHA for two decades. Their administration is still said to be “considering” the pros and cons of a potential move.
Like I said…wait and see!