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The local paper in BG, the Sentinel-Tribune, had an interesting mini article in it this weekend. It said that offcials from Northern Michigan, namely the head coach and AD, had talked about possibly leaving the WCHA for the CCHA in a couple of years. They are concerned that they are losing name recognition in the south part of Michigan, and that the future addition of Mankato State, and possibly a new program at Nebraska-Omaha to the WCHA, would create travel problems. Nobody is cited from Michigan Tech, but it is implied by what the NMU said, that Tech would join the CCHA as well should one school leave. Nobody from the CCHA is cited anywhere, except for Buddy powers, who is asked about his thoughts. Buddy is cited as saying he hoped that if NMU and MTU join the CCHA, that UAF would join the WCHA and join their sister school in Alaska, saying that travel for the rest of the CCHA would be much easier. The article ends by noteing that a 12 team CCHA would lead to divisional play, and Buddy indicates that scheduleing could be made workable. I had been wondering when something like this was going to come up. I tend to think that it would make sense for the CCHA to pursue such an expansion. These are just odd thoughts, but it seems to me that with divisional play. It would establish the CCHA as the first "Super Conference," and might lead to even more expansion in the future. IT could lead to a 14 team CCHA if other programs upgraded and wanted to join. In any case it would position the CCHA as the 500 pound monster in college hockey. The implications of such developments are endless. Some good, and others, in the eyes of some, bad. If UAF didn't leave the CCHA for the WCHA, we may see Oakland step up to Div. 1 and join the CCHA. It has been mentioned that they are considering making the jump. And it would even the numbers out division wise. I have to admit, it might be nice to see a divisional champion banner every year, or at least more often than not! :) But I thought I'd toss the news out. Nathan W.L. Boyle HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.