Friday, July 8, 2011

Report: 'Super League' a Reality

The future of the WCHA is in serious doubt Thursday after the news, first reported by the Grand Forks Herald, that North Dakota will be leaving the league to join a rumored start up league beginning with the 2013-14 season.

According to Schlossman, details will be officially announced next week, but it is believed fellow WCHA schools Denver, Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha and defending national champion Minnesota Duluth will also join the new league, along with Miami of the CCHA.

Notre Dame and Western Michigan could be added later in the summer.

The future landscape of college hockey has been in question since the Big Ten announced earlier this year they would be forming a league of their own. Minnesota and Wisconsin were the first schools to leave the WCHA and were joined by Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State from the CCHA. They will be joined by upstart Penn State, which begins play in 2012-12. That league will begin play in 2013-14 as well.

The formation of the new league will leave the WCHA with just five teams: Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State.

The CCHA is left with Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan.

Both leagues are one team short of qualifying for an automatic NCAA tournament bid, so the joining of the two leagues would appear to be the next step.

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