PARK RIDGE, Ill. (AP) — Big Ten athletic directors are proposing a men’s hockey league that would start competition in 2013-14.
The proposal will be sent to the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors in June.
The Big Ten hockey league would be made up of Central Collegiate Hockey Association members Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State and Western Collegiate Hockey Association members Minnesota and Wisconsin. Penn State starts its program in 2012.
There would be a 20-game conference schedule. A postseason tournament would determine the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The athletic directors said in a statement Monday that the Big Ten would work to maintain a strong schedule of non-conference competition with remaining CCHA and WCHA teams.
Now if we could have a new league for the NCAA Women’s hockey teams. I know that cost plays a big part of scheduling but it would be nice if Mercyhurst, Cornell, Boston U. and Boston College could play in the same league along with other teams of course. That might help to level the teams who play the tough CWHA division out of the Midwest area.