The First Save of Many?

[USCHO Newsbot]

The CHA’s demise seems all but a foregone conclusion. After Air Force departed in 2006, leaving the league with five teams, and Wayne State’s announcment that it will drop hockey at the end of this season bringing the enrollment down to four, it seems impossible for college hockey’s sixth conference to remain. The pending question then [...]

More at uscho.com/blogs ... (http://www.uscho.com/blogs/in-the-corner-with-jim-connelly/jconnelly/20080118/the-first-save-of-many.html)

[AFHockeyFan]

One has to wonder how much longer UAH can hold on. They had their most successful season last year, but Huntsville is far from becoming a hockey hotbed. They are the host school for the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa, but since Navy is the host for next year in DC, I guess having a D-1 program isn't a requirement...

It's been said a million times that Niagara and Robert Morris would make a nice fit in Atlantic Hockey (especially with in town/state rivals Canisius and Mercyhurst, respectively) and there's no question both teams would immediately be competitive, but a 12-team league complicates scheduling (playing everyone twice, and the teams in your "division" home-and-home gives you 32 games, which doesn't leave much room for tournaments, out-of-conference rivalries, etc.) Atlantic Hockey needs to continue to schedule (and beat) teams from the so-called "Big Four" to keep from becoming the "5th Conference." There's no reason the top of the conference can't be at least as competitive as the ECAC in a few years, but expansion might retard progress. So the moratorium makes sense for now.

As for Bemidji, the WCHA is, again, a logical fit. Lost in the noise about Air Force's weekend was the fact that Bemidji played both Denver and CC close in their rinks. I think they're ready to compete in the WCHA, but an 11-team league is unbalanced (see Big-10 football). Some have suggested that Air Force also join, but their success against the WCHA has been largely recent and unsustained, and their departure would leave Atlantic Hockey with 9 (or 11) teams (unless AIC folds). UNO seems a much better fit with the WCHA, but that leads to CCHA reshuffling, etc....

Maybe that's why this topic has generated so much interest. ACC expansion a few years ago created a ripple effect all the way out to the WAC, and the CHA's demise, whenever it occurs, will likely affect every conference. For most, though, the changes should be positive.

[ballgame]

any chance schools that thought about going DI would step up and do that? Not suer who that would be, but only need a couple of teams. Just a thought

[bsubuffs33]

I think it makes the most sense for Mercyhurst and Canisius to move to the CHA. Airforce made a mistake by leaving in my opinion as the CHA is just as tough of a conference. Maybe Frank just didnt want to have to face his brother anymore. Look out for the beavers to make some noise in the next years to come.

[Arafel]

I think it makes the most sense for Mercyhurst and Canisius to move to the CHA. Airforce made a mistake by leaving in my opinion as the CHA is just as tough of a conference. Maybe Frank just didnt want to have to face his brother anymore. Look out for the beavers to make some noise in the next years to come.

No, Air Force wanted to be in a conference with Army.

[Ed Trefzger]

No, Air Force wanted to be in a conference with Army.

And Air Force needed a situation in which it did not need so many non-conference games, which were difficult for them to schedule. They are guaranteed 14 league home games each year and only need to find six non-conf tilts. It's been a much better arrangement for the Falcons.

[ballgame]

Why can’t Atlantic Hockey just have 2 divisions then? Play your division twice and play the other division once and rotate home and away. That leaves room for non conf

[Rhett]

Why can’t Atlantic Hockey just have 2 divisions then? Play your division twice and play the other division once and rotate home and away. That leaves room for non conf

Who would they play? If everyone else has an insular schedule with a precious few non-conference dates, then one conference lowering their amount of conference games will only create more scheduling headaches.