WCHA Hockey: Alabama-Huntsville to subsidize other WCHA schools

A financial stumbling block for Alabama-Huntsville to join the WCHA was taken care of before the conference schools unanimously voted them in, according to College Hockey News.

UAH will be paying a subsidy to WCHA teams, similar to the Alaska schools, for travel.

— College Hockey News (@chnews) January 18, 2013

(Full disclosure: I also write for College Hockey News in addition to Western College Hockey.)

The issue of travel subsidies, which both Alaska schools have done as members of the WCHA and CCHA (in return universities get to play two more games although that's a NCAA rule), came about as schools like Northern Michigan, as Matt Wellens of the Marquette Mining Journal had issues over the distance from the Upper Pennisula to Huntsville.

The WCHA and Alabama-Huntsville also still have to finalize details for travel subsidies that the Chargers will pay to league teams visiting Huntsville. Alaska-Anchorage has had a similar arrangement since joining the league in 1993 and Alaska will as well when it becomes a member next season.

"We were asked to provide a subsidy to schools," Brophy said. "We felt that was very fair."

And if the votes were any indication, so did the rest of the WCHA.

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