> >From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2/23/92:
 
>    "The WCHA structure committee recommended that Alaska-Anchorage be
> admitted to the league as an affiliate member for 1992-93 tournament
> play.
>    "The committee also recommended that Alaska-Anchorage be granted full
> WCHA membership beginning with the 1993-94 season.  Members will vote
> on the recommendation April 24."
 
> *** END OF QUOTE ***
 
> No details were reported on what "affiliate" means, but I think it's safe
> to presume that it is similar to Alaska-Fairbanks' affiliate membership in
> the CCHA, in which it will participate in next year's CCHA tournament.  I
> hope that the league votes to give UAA full membership, but I don't think
> it's a sure thing.
 
The Wisconsin State Journal had a few more details. Of course,
they didn't say how much power the structure committee has, or
any of those kind of tidbits.
 
Some things I remember reading (note: all of this is conditional
on passing the proposal):
 
	- UAA would participate in next year's WCHA tournament
	- UAA would (as previously offered) help pay for flying
	  teams to Alaska
	- Something was mentioned about somehow avoiding the
	  student-athlete from missing too much school. Since
	  this statement was crammed in with the previous, I
	  don't know what they meant to say (like, are they going
	  to charter the concorde so they can fly out the day of
	  the game :-) ??? )
	- Starting in 1993-94, the WCHA would play a 28-game seeded
	  regular season schedule. Next year will stay at 32 games.
 
I think the last one is the most important. I'm not sure how a "seeded
schedule" works, but it sounds like a necessary move, and good for
hockey (it takes care of UAA and 10 teams x 6 NC games = possibly
60 WCHA-someone else games, either interleague or vs. any remaining
independents. Of course, a few of those 6 will get reduced from
inter-league to an extra in-league game because of tournaments
and stuff like that).
 
	--david