Commonwealth Coast Confernece assuming Colonial

[HockeyDad31]

https://www.cccathletics.com/sports/wice/2019-20/releases/WIHAdd

So, being new to all of this.... can someone explain to me the rationale of why some conference champions get a class A automatic bid to the NCAA final 10 and others (UCHC) get class B. Why would the CCC automatically be able to state (in the release above) that they will retain the class A selection. Why would a conference like the UCHC with 12 teams not qualify for a Class A.

[Scott_TG]

Re: Commonwealth Coast Confernece assuming Colonial

https://www.cccathletics.com/sports/wice/2019-20/releases/WIHAdd

So, being new to all of this.... can someone explain to me the rationale of why some conference champions get a class A automatic bid to the NCAA final 10 and others (UCHC) get class B. Why would the CCC automatically be able to state (in the release above) that they will retain the class A selection. Why would a conference like the UCHC with 12 teams not qualify for a Class A.

The UCHC was a new conference and had to go through a waiting period for a Pool A automatic berth.

The UCHC was eligible for Pool B (a berth for teams that play in a conference without a Pool A autobid) the last two seasons as they didn't have an automatic bid as they were too new. The UCHC was primarily made of new teams and teams from the ECAC West and some other conferences. The autobid stayed with the ECAC West, which re-branded as the NEWHL (who had a two year grace period to get back to at least 7 teams to keep it). Conferences have to meet the minimum of 7 teams and then play two seasons with stable membership before being awarded an automatic berth (Pool A). The UCHC I believe has finished their two year waiting period and should have a Pool A berth for their conference championship.

The CCC gets to keep the CHC's automatic berth as they still have over the minimum number of teams and retain their core members.

I believe there are no longer enough teams eligible for Pool B for there to be a Pool B berth and there will only be Pool A (automatic berths to eligible conferences) and Pool C (at-large bids that can be awarded to any eligible team not in via a Pool A).