clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Huntsville Applies to CCHA

Alabama-Huntsville will formally apply to the CCHA today in an attempt to save their program once the CHA disbands. The University is also sending a "letter of intent" to the WCHA, letting them know that they'd be interested if their top priority, the CCHA doesn't work out.

Finding a conference was probably of more important to UAH than any of the other CHA schools since they would be quickest to die because nobody wants to play a non-conference in Alabama. The Chargers only played 10 home games this season, all conference games, and had to resort to scheduling Tennessee's club team just to get another home game on the schedule.

Geographically, it makes the most sense for UAH to end up in the CCHA, and again, the idea of drawing Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State would likely carry a lot of weight in Alabama.

They're also a fairly attractive option in that the Von Braun Center where they play is capable of holding 6800 people and the Chargers routinely draw a couple thousand people.

Then again, the CCHA repeatedly turned down applications from Wayne State and let that program die, and if nobody from the CCHA moves to the WCHA, the conference will still be at 12 teams, and it would be difficult to squeeze in a 13th. Much might depend on if Northern Michigan is interested in moving back to the WCHA, and so much, nobody really seems to have heard much on that. The only rumor I've really heard is someone saying NMU asked the WCHA for more information about a potential move, rather than a giving a flat out no.

If nobody from the CCHA moves, UAH and the WCHA might become a marriage of necessity. UAH desperately needs a conference, and the WCHA wants a 12th team to add to the conference with Bemidji State. The Von Braun Center is big enough by WCHA standards. The names Minnesota and Wisconsin have fairly big drawing power. There'd be travel problems, but really, no worse than the rest of the CCHA would have getting to Huntsville either. I'd be skeptical of UAH's ability to compete in the WCHA, and putting the WCHA at 12 teams limits possibilities for future expansion, but it may be better than the alternative.