To any Michigan Tech or Northern Michigan fan on the list:
 
These two schools are losing a huge opportunity for visibility and student
enrollment in the downstate Michigan market by not being in the CCHA, where
they get the largest percentage of their students.  By not playing Ferris and
Western, they lose exposure to the Greater Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo students,
not playing State, the Lansing area, and of course no UofM means no southeast
Michigan exposure.  The GLI holiday tournament helps a little, but a regular
appearance in the CCHA finals each year (assuming they turn their programs
around) would do wonders for student recruiting.
 
Rick Comley and the athletic dept. have to remember why you have a Div.I
athletic program in the first place....EXPOSURE TO POTENTIAL STUDENTS TO
BOOST ENROLLMENT (profits are secondary; not all programs are a big $$$ maker),
and ALUMNI PARTICIPATION/GIVING/SUPPORT, which is directly correlated to
population centers in Michigan as well.  If the alums live in these large
metropolitan areas, but can't go see their team, or can't brag that NMU or Tech
beat State, or the Wolverines, alums can lose interest in the hockey
program, and consequently, alumni giving.
 
IF YOU CARE, LOBBY THE RESPECTIVE AD'S OF THESE SCHOOLS TO REJOIN THE CCHA;
IT HAS BEEN A 12 YEAR EXPERIMENT THAT HASN'T WORKED.
 
The WCHA is a great hockey league, with great schools and great competition,
but the logistics of the other participating schools in relation to the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan doesn't make sense to help market the two universities.
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.