>With the recent influx of new teams into both the WCHA and CCHA the past few >years, I have been wondering........(without opening up too big a can of worms) >how league affiliations are determined when a new school seeks a membership. **=========Snip! Slash! Carve!===========** In the case of UAF, UAA, and Notre Dame, much of the impetus for conference affiliation came from the Good Ol' Boys at the NCAA. In their usual great wisdom, they decided that they would eliminate the traditional slot in the NCAA playoffs which had been reserved for Division I independent programs. Since you now needed to be in a conference to have a shot at post-season play, all three teams elected to pursue league affiliations. The ND/CCHA match was a natural, on the basis of geography and traditional rivalries in other sports with teams like UM, MSU, and OSU. As far as UAA and UAF, there was a rather delicate ballet in which the teams sent out vibes as to their hopes, and the conferences (CCHA and WCHA) sent out vibes as to their abilities and desires to expand. Once the vibes had been adequately interpreted and everybody knew where everybody stood, the schools made application to the conference which had expressed willingness, desire, or a duty to accept that application. After a variable period of affiliate membership (talk about dancing with your sister!), the final deals were done. The appropriateness of the league alignments is for others to decide. There is, obviously, much precedent for realignment, if that's what parties decide to do. --Jeff Partnow ([log in to unmask]) --Fairbanks, where UAF begins full membership in the CCHA in '95-'96 HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.