On Wed, 26 Feb 1997, Lowell King wrote:
 
> --- On Tue, 25 Feb 1997 10:50:13 -0600  Erik Biever
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> WCHA teams will play 28 conference games next season, a reduction of four
> games. Though this coincides with Northern Michigan's move to the CCHA,
> the 28-game schedule was apparently agreed upon before NMU decided to depart.
> -------------------------------------
> Doesn't this also seem to imply that the WCHA doesn't have any immediate
> plans for expansion - based on the reports of 'long term' contracts for
> these non-league games. Although the 'plan' for 28 games was conceived
> before NM decided to leave, now that they have nearly left it even
> improves upon the original plan.
 
What it could mean, though, is a sort of divisional setup. If you have 12
teams (adding Mankato State, Nebraska-Omaha and one other), then a
three-division setup works perfectly into 28 games: 4 games within the
division (4*3=12) and two games outside the division (2*8=16).
 
Proceeding totally into the realm of idle speculation, if the "one other"
were Alaska-Fairbanks, it would work out fairly well geographically:
West: UAF, UAA, CC, Denver
Centre: NoDak, Neb-O, St. Cloud, Mankato
East: Minn., UMD, Wisc., MTU
or possibly:
West: UAF, UAA, CC, Denver
Division of 10,000 Lakes: St. Cloud, Mankato, UM, UMD
East: UND, UNO, Wisc., MTU
 
The main problem, of course, is that a three-division setup is a
nightmare once the playoffs come around.
 
See you later,
John
 
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John Edwards                       Minister of Chasing Wild Geese (DNRC)  O-
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