Just to show you how smart I am, I found this about 10 minutes after  
I voted for NMU:

Northern Michigan says no to WCHA
Craig Remsburg Mining Journal (Marquette, Mich.) - 05/05/2009

MARQUETTE, Mich. — Scratch Northern Michigan University as a  
potential new member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.  
“We evaluated all the pros and cons and decided it’s not the best for  
us,” Northern Michigan athletic director Ken Godfrey said. “We made  
the decision about two weeks ago.” The WCHA at its annual meeting in  
Marco Island, Fla., indicated the 10-team league will expand to 12  
starting in 2011-12 with the addition of Bemidji State and one other  
unnamed school yet to be selected. Nebraska-Omaha and Northern  
Michigan had been rumored to be in the WCHA’s expansion sights. But  
Godfrey said after six weeks of evaluation, he and Northern Michigan  
President Les Wong decided it would not be prudent for Northern to  
rejoin the WCHA. He said WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod, whom he had  
been in contact with several times, has been formally told of  
Northern Michigan’s decision. Northern Michigan played in the Central  
Collegiate Hockey Association from 1976-77 to 1983-84, switched to  
the WCHA from 1984-85 to 1996-97 and returned to the CCHA in 1997-98.  
Godfrey cited increased travel costs as the primary reason for  
rejecting the WCHA. “We would have to fly to Denver and Colorado  
College,” he noted, adding flights to the ones the Wildcats currently  
take. Missed class days, no immediate benefits from WCHA tournament  
play and “in excess” of $60,000 in league entry fees each year for  
the first three were other factors, Godfrey said. First contacted by  
WCHA member Michigan Tech about switching leagues, Godfrey admitted  
expanding regular season play with the Huskies by a game or two was  
enticing. So was playing Wisconsin and Minnesota. “Wisconsin is a  
good draw for us. So is Minnesota,” he said. “A lot of teams [in the  
WCHA] would be attractive to our fans.” But Godfrey said changing  
leagues “most likely” would also result in losing Michigan and  
Michigan State on the Wildcats’ schedule. “We’d [also] lose some  
media exposure in Michigan,” Godfrey said. “And we always have an  
excellent [alumni] following when we go to Joe Louis Arena [for CCHA  
tournament play].” Godfrey added rebuffing the WCHA was not a snap  
decision. “We took our time with it,” he said. “We went through a lot  
of different things.” As a member of the WCHA, Northern Michigan  
posted a 198-200-27 record over 13 seasons. It took the 1990-91  
regular season title, three league tournament crowns (1989, ’91 and  
’92) and the 1990-91 NCAA Division I championship.