NMU won’t be part of WCHA expansion

By Craig Remsburg

MARQUETTE - Scratch Northern Michigan University as a potential new member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

"We evaluated all the pros and cons and decided it's not the best for us," NMU athletic director Ken Godfrey said Wednesday. "We made the decision about two weeks ago."

The WCHA Tuesday, at its annual meeting in Marco Island, Fla., indicated the 10-team league will expand to 12 starting in 2011-12 with the addition of Bemidji (Minn.) State and one other unnamed school yet to be selected.

Nebraska-Omaha and NMU had been rumored to be in the WCHA's expansion sights.

But Godfrey said after six weeks of evaluation, he and NMU president Les Wong decided it would not be prudent for Northern to rejoin the WCHA.

He said WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod, whom he had been in contact with several times, has been formally told of NMU's decision.

The Wildcats played in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association from 1976-77 to 1983-84, switched to the WCHA from 1984-85 to 1996-97 and returned to the CCHA in 1997-98.

Godfrey cited increased travel costs as the primary reason for rejecting the WCHA.

"We would have to fly to Denver and Colorado College," he noted, adding flights to the ones the Wildcats currently take.

Missed class days, no immediate benefits from WCHA tournament play and "in excess" of $60,000 in league entry fees each year for the first three were other factors, Godfrey said.

First contacted by WCHA member Michigan Tech about switching leagues, Godfrey admitted expanding regular season play with the Huskies by a game or two was enticing.

So was playing Wisconsin and Minnesota.

"Wisconsin is a good draw for us. So is Minnesota," he said. "A lot of teams (in the WCHA) would be attractive to our fans."

But Godfrey said changing leagues "most likely" would also result in losing Michigan and Michigan State University on the Wildcats' schedule.

"We'd (also) lose some media exposure in Michigan," the A.D. said. "And we always have an excellent (alumni) following when we go to Joe Louis Arena (for CCHA tournament play)."

Godfrey added rebuffing the WCHA was not a snap decision.

"We took our time with it," he said. "We went through a lot of different things."

Current WCHA members are Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado College, Denver University, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota St., North Dakota, St. Cloud (Minn.) State and Wisconsin.

As a member of the WCHA, Northern posted a 198-200-27 record over 13 seasons. It took the 1990-91 regular season title, three league tournament crowns (1989, '91 and '92) and the 1990-91 NCAA Division I championship.