The CCHA is back, baby. In a move that made too much sense, the current members of the WCHA are ditching Alabama Huntsville, Alaska Anchorage, and Alaska Fairbanks to narrow down to a more midwest-friendly footprint and revive the CCHA for the 2021-2022 season. Although we'll all be quite sad to leave behind quite possibly the greatest mascot/hype video of all time (look up the Alaska Nanooks 2010 Hockey Intro on YouTube in your spare time, you won't be sorry you did), restricting travel is the right move to make. This rings even more true in the wake of COVID-19 as athletic departments feel the burden of lost revenue from ticket sales; getting a hockey team and all of their equipment up to Alaska or down to Alabama isn't exactly budget friendly. The "new" conference will consist of Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Northern Michigan, and the University of St Thomas.

Getting the band back together is great news! However, that band sure looks different than the last time we saw it. Gone are all of the Big Ten Schools, who are content to keep doing their thing in their own conference. Gone is Notre Dame, who is tagging along with the Big Ten. And most importantly, gone is Miami and Western Michigan, who are electing to stay in the NCHC. That's both bad for schools and the CCHA.

Let's start with Miami. In the CCHA the RedHawks had made the NCAA tournament 11 times including an impressive run of 8 consecutive tourney bids from 2006-2013. This run included two appearances in the Frozen Four and a runner-up finish in 2009. Since joining the NCHC they have made the NCAA tournament just once (2015). Western Michigan has not fared much better since leaving the CCHA, also making the NCAA tournament once (2017).

Aside from results on the ice, the geographic footprint of the NCHC makes no sense for Miami and WMU. Miami is by far the East-most team in the NCHC. Besides WMU, the next closest school is Nebraska Omaha at 700 miles away. 700 miles! And don't get me started on the fact that they're in the same conference as two schools, and the conference headquarters, over 1,000 miles away in Colorado.

Travel isn't much better for Western Michigan with their closest non-Miami school still over 600 miles away. These schools are electing to travel what amounts to tens of thousands of miles every season despite having another conference right in their backyard. The new-CCHA will have 4 teams in Michigan alone! Instead of traveling across the country to Denver they could just head straight up US 131 to play at Ferris State. Same goes for Miami and a straight shot up 75 to get them to Bowling Green.

So what does the CCHA have to gain by adding Miami and WMU back into the fold? Rivalries. Dr Morris Kurtz, a consultant for the CCHA realignment says it well with his quote, "As noted from inception, they have a real vision for where they are going with the new league, as they focus on improving regional alignment while building natural rivalries and enhancing the student-athlete and fan experience." The key there is natural rivalries. What could be more natural than adding two former members that already have a history with the teams in the league.? WMU-Ferris State and Miami-Bowling Green would once again mean more than just an out of conference series here and there with conference championship implications on the line every game. And although they have been down recently, it never hurts to have a traditional power like Miami in your conference.

Grabbing Western Michigan and Miami back from the clutches of the NCHC would be the right move for all parties involved. Heck, lets trade them for the Alaska schools.The only question is, will it ever happen?