I started following the CCHA in 1975, at that time the league consisted of 5
teams. They were Western Michigan, Ohio State, Bowling Green, St Louis, and
Lake Superior. Over the next few years several teams were added, Northern
Michigan, Ferris State and Miami. About 1982 several WCHA teams Michigan,
Michigan State, Michigan Tech, and Notre Dame were added. The league was not
offered an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament until about 1979. If I
remember corrrectly the CCHA champ played the WCHA runnerup to see who would
be the second team from the west in the finals.
 
All these programs were new at the time and it took a few years before they
were able to play at a top level. Northern Michigan and Bowling Green were the
first to make an impact at the national level. I suppose it was the fact that
a couple teams had some success at the national level that made it attractive
for some teams to come over from the WCHA. It certainly cut down on their
travel expenses.
 
Chuck Cliff
 
 
 
In a message dated 99-02-16 17:26:30 EST, you write:
 
<< The CCHA's founding happened at a time when I wasn't following college
 hockey.  I remember the old WCHA (or a similar name) having Colorado
 College, Denver, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, and I
 believe Michigan Tech.  I don't remember any of the other Minnesota or
 Michigan schools, any of the Ohio or Alaska schools, and I don't think
 Wisconsin was a major player yet.
 
 What I find curious is that at least two of the schools in the CCHA,
 Michigan and Michigan State, and Michigan especially had a lot of stature
 back then.  So I don't understand the lack of respect.   It would seem to me
 that those two schools alone would afford the league some amount of respect.
 Were Michigan and Michigan State in the CCHA when it was founded?   If so,
 why was the league so dissed?
 
  >>
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.