UMD Among Four Other Schools Leaving The WCHA
This should make things interesting for college hockey in the future.
Members of a new six-team Division I men’s conference officially let the rest of the hockey world in on the news Saturday. A joint press release announced the yet-to-be-named league, which will start in 2013-14 and include Minnesota Duluth. A noon news conference Wednesday, at a Colorado Springs, Colo., hotel, will provide further details with coaches and athletic directors from each school attending.
The formation of the dubbed Super League was reported Thursday by a number of media outlets. UMD, North Dakota, Colorado College, Denver and Nebraska-Omaha will play two more seasons in the 12-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association before joining the new league, along with Central Collegiate Hockey Association power Miami University of Oxford, Ohio.
Although not mentioned in the release, it is believed Notre Dame of the CCHA has been asked to join the Super League and may be added. Western Michigan of Kalamazoo, Mich., also of the CCHA, didn’t appear to be in the Super League’s plans but may be part of the equation, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.
The Super League joint statement reads:
“We are pleased to announce that six top NCAA Division I hockey programs will become founding members of a newly formed conference, which will begin competition for the 2013-14 season. The six institutions are Colorado College, University of Denver, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha and University of North Dakota.
“We understand and appreciate the widespread interest in developments relating to the formation of the new hockey conference. More information will be provided about the initiatives that have been undertaken, as well as the next steps involved, at a news conference in Colorado Springs this Wednesday. Our programs look forward to continued associations with our current leagues, the WCHA and CCHA, for the next two seasons.”
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