We all knew this was going to be a big week for Bemidji State. With the annual coaches meetings down in Florida this week, obviously Bemidji to the WCHA was going to be a hot topic.Yesterday, Bemidji gave an hour long presentation to the WCHA. It sounds like it went over pretty well.
“Bemidji State University’s presentation to the league at the annual meeting on April 27 was very professional and well received,” said Bruce McLeod, WCHA Commissioner. “The BSU student body, faculty, alumni, and the entire community should know that the league membership came away impressed with the University’s commitment to the student-athlete, both on and off the ice, the long track record of success their hockey program has achieved, the breaking of ground for the new Bemidji State Regional Events Center, and the degree of excitement throughout the community and northern Minnesota for the future of BSU Hockey.”
There was talk that the leagues member schools might vote today on whether or not to allow Bemidji into the WCHA. Well they didn't. What they did do, was vote to explore the move to a 12 team WCHA.
“The Western Collegiate Hockey Association membership today took a positive step forward in their decision to embrace possible expansion,” said McLeod, “and we will continue to explore we may expand once we have completed further studies and once we have been able to identify potential members that fit the league’s criteria for membership. Obviously, there are numerous issues involved in expansion, just a few of which include the transformation from a 10-team, 28-game conference schedule to an expanded 12-member team format that would still enable us to protect our natural rivalries as best as possible, and to make certain we safeguard our successful flagship event – the WCHA Final Five."
The best possible scenario for all things considered would be to allow either Nebrska-Omaha or Northern Michigan into the WCHA, with Alabama-Huntsville going to the CCHA. It's been talked about a million times so I'm not going to regurgitate that to you again.
Was it a good day for Bemidji? Hard to say, but it certainly could have been worse.
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