The Michigan situation as it was explained here this summer:

Michigan played 38 games last year, counting as exempt the Ice Breaker and 2 games in the Johnson/Nissan Classic in Anchorage, Alaska.  Michigan thought that the 2 games in Anchorage were exempt, but only one was.  It turns out that only games against teams *from* Alaska are exempt when played in Alaska.  

The Michigan-Merrimack game was exempt for Merrimack because the Johnson/Nissan Classic is an exempt tournament.  It was not exempt for Michigan because they had already played in an exempt tournament (the Ice Breaker), and a team may only play in one a year.

When it found out about the violation last January, the NCAA allowed Michigan to choose between cancelling one game last year (which would have meant forfeiting a conference game) or losing 2 games from their 34-game limit this year.  Michigan chose the second option, postponing a scheduled home series against (coincidentally) Merrimack.

Of course, Michigan played 2 games in Fairbanks this year and 2 games at the Maverick Stampede, bringing their total to 36.  The Cold War game was not exempt.

The Maverick Stampede will lose its exempt status after this year.

Alton

----- Original Message From Jim Love ----
That's right, but apparently Michigan is NOT exempting their Stampede
games, even 'tho both Providence and UNO *must* do so in order to make
the 34-game limit.  I believe this is part of the "punishment" that the
NCAA exacted on Michigan for their earlier scheduling shenanigans.