> Is it safe to assume that Mankato and/or Nebraska-Omaha will be filling the
> void?
 
The key here is that the two leagues are taking matters slow.  When the
rumor mill got running at full speed, a lot of people were speculating
far in advance of reality.  While a lot of the speculation was "right on"
in a great many ways, the ferber of the talk was unsettleing to some.
When Kevin Allen at USA Today went and printed the talk up in a national
paper, the leagues had to toss some water on the issues before they got
out of hand.
 
Also, there were a lot of assumptions that just were not logical.  That
NMU and MTU would leave at the same time, despite MTU not having even had
time to consider the idea.  Neb.-Omaha being ready to join a year before
they would actually take the ice.  That Mankato would automatically join
the WCHA, even though the league-while obviously receptive to the idea in
the long term-had not given the OK.  That UAF would want to leave the
CCHA, or that the WCHA would want to take them.  That the WCHA would
automatically NOT want another Alaska trip, or that the CCHA
automatically likes another trek to the UP.
 
Generally from what I could see, a lot of people were feeling like: "Well
if they are talking about it, than somebody, somewhere must be ready to
do it, and they didn't tell me about it, and I am not happy that this is
going on without my knowing!"  This ranged from fans, alumni, to people
at the respective conferences and member universities.
 
And so the WCHA, and CCHA wisely cooled things down.
 
Now then....
 
I think both the WCHA and CCHA recognize that the with new teams coming
on board, that it makes sense to shuffle some teams about.  I approve of
the NMU move.  I like that Mankato gets a year to work out the kinks
before going to the WCHA.  That people are not rushing expansion.  I do
expect that MTU will ultimately come to the CCHA.  But not for at least
two years.  I do think that as the WCHA picks up a couple of teams, and
as the desire for more non-conference games increases, that the UAF will
wind up in the WCHA, and that it will move to a divisional format to
prevent teams from having to make two Alaska trips.  By that point I
suspect there will be a couple of new teams either in Ohio or Michigan,
that do not currently have any.  But that is going farther out on a
limb.  I wonder about if we are going to see the service academies join a
conference, and if we will see that team in Alabama look to join us up
here in the north.
 
Nathan W.L. Boyle
 
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