Western Collegiate Hockey Association Explained

Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Color:
  1. 000000;
Font Color:white
Current Season:2024–25 WCHA women's ice hockey season
Founded:1951
Association:NCAA
Division:Division I
Teams:8
Sports:Ice hockey
Mens:no
Womens:yes
Region:Midwestern United States
Formerly:Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (1951–53)
Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (1953–58)
Headquarters:Bloomington, Minnesota
Commissioner:Michelle McAteer[1]
Website:http://www.wcha.com
Map:Map - College Hockey - WCHA states2.svg
Map Size:200px

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college ice hockey conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's-only conference.

From 1951 to 1999, it operated as a men-only league, adding women's competition in the 1999–2000 season. It operated men's and women's leagues through the 2020–21 season; during this period, the men's WCHA expanded to include teams far removed from its traditional Midwestern base, with members in Alabama, Alaska, and Colorado at different times. The men's side of the league officially disbanded after seven members left to form the revived Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA); the WCHA remains in operation as a women-only league.[2]

WCHA member teams won a record 38 men's NCAA hockey championships, most recently in 2011 by the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. A WCHA team also finished as the national runner-up a total of 28 times.[3] WCHA teams also won the first 13 NCAA women's titles, which were first awarded in 2001.[4]

History

The league was founded in 1951 as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL),[5] then was known as the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (WIHL) until 1958. The WIHL disbanded in 1958 after Minnesota and the three Michigan schools withdrew in protest of Colorado College, Denver and North Dakota recruiting overage Canadians. While this didn't violate NCAA rules, the four "M" schools felt it violated the spirit of intercollegiate athletics.[5] The current Western Collegiate Hockey Association was founded for the 1959–60 season after the former WIHL schools concluded that the region needed a strong league. Despite this, Denver and Minnesota would not play each other until 1973, when the league took over scheduling from the individual members.[5] The 2005 NCAA Frozen Four hockey tournament finals were noteworthy when all four teams came from the WCHA.

WCHA teams also won the first 13 NCAA women's titles, which were first awarded in 2001. In 2006, WCHA member Wisconsin was the first school to capture both the men's and women's Division I ice hockey championships in the same season.[6]

The men's regular season conference champion was awarded the MacNaughton Cup,[7] while the league's tournament champion winning the WCHA Final Five took home the Broadmoor Trophy.[8]

2013 realignment

On March 22, 2011, Minnesota and Wisconsin announced that their men's teams planned to leave the league in order to form a hockey Big Ten Conference in 2013–14, along with Penn State, which would start a varsity hockey program in 2012–13, and Central Collegiate Hockey Association members Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State.[9]

In response to the creation of the Big Ten men's hockey conference, Denver, Colorado College, North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State left the WCHA to join Miami University and Western Michigan of the CCHA to create the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.[10] [11] Facing membership at 4 teams for the 2013–14 season, the WCHA conference added one of its former members, Northern Michigan of the CCHA, on July 15, 2011.[12]

On August 25, 2011, the WCHA announced that it had invited the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State to join beginning in the 2013–14 season. On August 26, 2011, Alaska-Fairbanks, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State accepted their invitations and joined Northern Michigan in the WCHA in 2013.[13] After much deliberation, on October 4, 2011, Bowling Green decided to join the WCHA as well in 2013.[14] On January 17, 2013, the WCHA admitted Alabama–Huntsville to the league, effective in the 2013–14 season.[15]

This realignment activity only affected the men's side of the WCHA. Even after Penn State took the ice with both men's and women's teams, the Big Ten still had only four members with varsity women's hockey (Michigan and Michigan State field only men's teams). This meant that the women's side of the WCHA remained intact for the immediate future.

After realignment

See also: 2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment. The next change in the conference membership came shortly after the 2016–17 season, when North Dakota announced that it would drop women's hockey.[16]

During the 2019 offseason, the future of the men's side of the WCHA fell into serious doubt when its seven Midwestern members—Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, and Northern Michigan—notified the WCHA that they would leave the league after the 2020–21 season, potentially forming a new men's hockey conference.[17] In February 2020, these seven schools announced they would form a new CCHA.[18]

At the time the seven Midwestern members announced their plans to leave, the two Alaska teams were facing a crisis following the veto by state governor Mike Dunleavy of over $100 million in funding for the University of Alaska system, a move that was seen as potentially ending intercollegiate athletics entirely at both the Anchorage and Fairbanks campuses.[19] The cuts led the UA system to start the process of consolidating the three-campus system into a single accredited institution (though retaining the existing campuses), with the system president telling local media that a single accreditation would likely lead to the Anchorage and Fairbanks athletic programs being combined into a single program. While both campuses continued to sponsor men's ice hockey in the 2019–20 season, the future of at least one of the teams beyond that point was then seen as uncertain at best.[20] Later developments saw many of the budget cuts pulled back, as well as a temporary halt to work on a single UA system accreditation; this led the UA system to announce that athletics at both campuses would continue as is through the 2020–21 school year.[21]

In November 2019, Alabama–Huntsville submitted a withdrawal letter to the WCHA, stating that it also planned to leave after the 2020–21 season. At the time, UAH was discussing potential future options with the two Alaska campuses.[22] However, UAH subsequently dropped hockey effective immediately on May 22, 2020, due to the financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on its athletic department. [23] On May 29, 2020, UAH President Darren Dawson announced that men's hockey would return for the 2020–21 season after more than $750,000 in private contributions were made in the week prior.[24] This reprieve proved temporary, as the school and its hockey supporters agreed that the continuation of the sport beyond 2020–21 would be contingent on finding a new conference home; when no conference move materialized, the hockey program was dropped again (although UAH officially called it a "suspension").[25]

In August 2020, Alaska Anchorage announced that it would drop hockey after the 2020–21 season.[26] The University of Alaska Board of Regents offered the hockey team a chance at reinstatement in September if they could raise 2 seasons worth of expenses, approximately $3 million, by February 2021. The fundraising was divided into 2 parts: $1.5 million in cash, and the remainder in firm pledges. As of December 2020, the team had begun fundraising for the needed money.[27]

The men's WCHA would fold after the 2020–21 season,[2] but the women's WCHA announced a further expansion effective in 2021–22 with the arrival of St. Thomas, a Twin Cities school that received NCAA approval to directly transition from Division III to Division I. St. Thomas had been expelled from its longtime D-III home of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference effective with the end of the 2020–21 school year due to perceptions by many members that it had grown too strong for that conference in multiple sports.[28] [29] The Summit League offered the Tommies a D-I home, and backed the school's bid to directly transition from D-III.[30]

Members

The now women-only WCHA has 8 members following the 2021 arrival of St. Thomas. The men's side of the conference had 10 members in its final season of 2020–21, at which time only two schools, Bemidji State and Minnesota State, had both men's and women's teams in the conference.

scope=colInstitutionscope=colLocationscope=colFoundedscope=colJoinedscope=colAffiliationscope=colEnrollmentscope=colNicknamescope=colColorsscope=colNCAA women's
Championship
scope=colPrimary conference
Bemidji State UniversityBemidji, Minnesota19191999Public5,198Beavers0Northern Sun (D-II)
Minneapolis & Saint Paul, Minnesota1851199951,848Golden Gophers6Big Ten
Duluth, Minnesota1947199911,168Bulldogs5Northern Sun (D-II)
Minnesota State University, MankatoMankato, Minnesota1867199914,712Mavericks0Northern Sun (D-II)
Ohio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio1870199959,837Buckeyes2Big Ten
1869199914,615Huskies0Northern Sun (D-II)
Saint Paul, Minnesota18852021Private9,878Tommies0Summit League
Madison, Wisconsin18481999Public43,820Badgers7Big Ten

Final men's members

scope=colInstitutionscope=colLocationscope=colFoundedscope=colJoinedscope=colAffiliationscope=colEnrollmentscope=colNicknamescope=colColorsscope=colNCAA men's
Championship
scope=colPrimary conferencescope=colCurrent
conference
Huntsville, Alabama19502013Public9,736Chargers0Gulf South (D-II)
Anchorage, Alaska1977199315,819Seawolves0Great Northwest (D-II)Independent
Fairbanks, Alaska191720137,744Nanooks0Great Northwest (D-II)Independent
Bemidji, Minnesota19192010 (men)5,198Beavers0Northern Sun (D-II)CCHA
Bowling Green, Ohio1910201317,357Falcons1MACCCHA
Big Rapids, Michigan1884201313,798Bulldogs0GLIAC (D-II)CCHA
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan194620131,963Lakers3GLIAC (D-II)CCHA
Houghton, Michigan18851951–1981
1984
7,319Huskies3GLIAC (D-II)CCHA
Mankato, Minnesota1867199914,712Mavericks0Northern Sun (D-II)CCHA
Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, Michigan18991984 - 1997
2013
7,612Wildcats1GLIAC (D-II)CCHA

Other former men's members

scope=colInstitutionscope=colCityscope=colStatescope=colJoinedscope=colLeftNCAA championshipsSubsequent
conference
Current
conference
scope=rowColorado CollegeColorado SpringsColorado195120132 (1)NCHC
scope=rowDenverDenverColorado1951201310 (7)NCHC
scope=rowMichiganAnn ArborMichigan195119819 (5)CCHABig Ten
scope=rowMichigan StateEast LansingMichigan195119813 (1)CCHABig Ten
scope=rowMinnesotaMinneapolis & St. PaulMinnesota195120135 (5)Big Ten
scope=rowMinnesota DuluthDuluthMinnesota196620133 (1)NCHC
scope=rowNebraska OmahaOmahaNebraska201020130 (0)NCHC
scope=rowNorth DakotaGrand ForksNorth Dakota195120138 (7)NCHC
scope=rowNotre DameNotre DameIndiana197119810 (0)CCHABig Ten
scope=rowSt. Cloud StateMinnesota199020130 (0)NCHC
scope=rowWisconsinMadisonWisconsin196920136 (6)Big Ten

Former women's member

scope=colInstitutionscope=colCityscope=colStatescope=colJoinedscope=colLeftNCAA championshipsNote
scope=rowNorth DakotaGrand ForksNorth Dakota200420170 (0)North Dakota terminated its women's ice hockey program.

Membership timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyyImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20Period = from:01/01/1950 till:07/01/2025TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5AlignBars = late

Colors = id:men value:rgb(0.6,0.6,1) legend:men id:women value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) legend:women id:both value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.8) legend:both id:lightgrey value:gray(0.8) id:line value:black id:bg value:white

PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:Wolverines color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/1981 text:Michigan (1951–1981) bar:Spartans color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/1981 text:Michigan State (1951–1981) bar:Tigers color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/2013 text:Colorado College (1951–2013) bar:Pioneers color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/2013 text:Denver (1951–2013) bar:MTUHuskies color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/1981 text:Michigan Tech (1951–1981, 1984–2021) bar:MTUHuskies color:men from:07/01/1984 till:07/01/2021 bar:Gophers color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/1999 text:Minnesota (1951–present) bar:Gophers color:both from:07/01/1999 till:07/01/2013 bar:Gophers color:women from:07/01/2013 till:end bar:Sioux color:men from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/2004 text:North Dakota (1951–2017) bar:Sioux color:both from:07/01/2004 till:07/01/2013 bar:Sioux color:women from:07/01/2013 till:07/01/2017 bar:Bulldogs color:men from:07/01/1966 till:07/01/1999 text:Minnesota–Duluth (1966–present) bar:Bulldogs color:both from:07/01/1999 till:07/01/2013 bar:Bulldogs color:women from:07/01/2013 till:end bar:Badgers color:men from:07/01/1969 till:07/01/1999 text:Wisconsin (1969–present) bar:Badgers color:both from:07/01/1999 till:07/01/2013 bar:Badgers color:women from:07/01/2013 till:end bar:Irish color:men from:07/01/1971 till:07/01/1981 text:Notre Dame (1971–1981) bar:Wildcats color:men from:07/01/1984 till:07/01/1997 text:Northern Michigan (1984–1997, 2013–2021) bar:Wildcats color:men from:07/01/2013 till:07/01/2021 bar:StCHuskies color:men from:07/01/1990 till:07/01/1999 text:St. Cloud State (1990–present) bar:StCHuskies color:both from:07/01/1999 till:07/01/2013 bar:StCHuskies color:women from:07/01/2013 till:end bar:Seawolves color:men from:07/01/1993 till:06/30/2021 text:Alaska–Anchorage (1993–2021) bar:Beavers color:women from:07/01/1999 till:07/01/2010 text:Bemidji State (1999–present) bar:Beavers color:both from:07/01/2010 till:07/01/2021 bar:Beavers color:women from:07/01/2021 till:end bar:MMavericks color:both from:07/01/1999 till:07/01/2021 text:Minnesota State (1999–present) bar:MMavericks color:women from:07/01/2021 till:end bar:Buckeyes color:women from:07/01/1999 till:end text:Ohio State (1999-present) bar:NMavericks color:men from:07/01/2010 shift:(-30) till:07/01/2013 text:Nebraska-Omaha (2010–2013) bar:UAH color:men from:07/01/2013 shift:(-50) till:06/30/2021 text:Alabama–Huntsville (2013–2021) bar:Fairbanks color:men from:07/01/2013 shift:(-41) till:06/30/2021 text:Alaska–Fairbanks (2013–2021) bar:BGFalcons color:men from:07/01/2013 shift:(-25) till:07/01/2021 text:Bowling Green (2013–2021) bar:FerrisSt color:men from:07/01/2013 shift:(-11) till:07/01/2021 text:Ferris State (2013–2021) bar:LakeState color:men from:07/01/2013 shift:(-48) till:07/01/2021 text:Lake Superior State(2013–2021) bar:StThomas color:women from:07/01/2021 shift:(-48) till:end text:St. Thomas (2021–present)

bar:Names color:lightgrey width:15 from:07/01/1951 till:07/01/1958 bar:Names color:lightgrey width:15 from:07/01/1959 till:end at:01/01/1951 shift:(-4) text:MCHL at:07/01/1953 mark:(line,black) shift:(10) text:WIHL at:07/01/1959 text:WCHA

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1950

Legend = orientation:vertical left:58 top:150

Conference arenas

SchoolArenaCapacity
Bemidji StateSanford Center4,700
MinnesotaRidder Arena3,400
Minnesota DuluthAMSOIL Arena6,764
Minnesota StateMayo Clinic Health System Event Center5,280
Ohio StateOhio State University Ice Rink1,415
St. Cloud StateHerb Brooks National Hockey Center5,763
St. ThomasSt. Thomas Ice Arena1,000
WisconsinLaBahn Arena2,273

Awards (men's)

At the conclusion of each regular season schedule the coaches of each WCHA team vote which players they choose to be on the two to four All-Conference teams:[31] first team and second team with a rookie team added in 1990–91 and a third team added in 1995–96. Additionally they vote to award up to 5 individual trophies to an eligible player at the same time. The WCHA also awards a Most Valuable Player in Tournament, which is voted on at the conclusion of the conference tournament. Only the Coach of the Year award has been bestowed in each year of the WCHA's existence, making it the oldest continually-awarded conference award in Division I ice hockey.[32]

All-Conference teams

AwardInaugural year
First Team1959–60
Second Team1959–60
Third Team1995–96
Rookie Team1990–91
All-Tournament Team1988

Individual awards

AwardInaugural year
Player of the Year1960–61
Defensive Player of the Year1991–92
Goaltender of the Year1987–88
Sophomore of the Year1959–60
Rookie of the Year1969–70
Coach of the Year1959–60
Student-Athlete of the Year1986–87
Most Valuable Player in Tournament1988

Team awards

AwardInaugural year
MacNaughton Cup1951–52
Broadmoor Trophy1985

National Championships

WCHA schools have won 37 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey National Championships.

Year School
1951* Michigan
1952* Michigan
1953* Michigan
1955* Michigan
1956* Michigan
1957* Colorado College
1958* Denver
1960 Denver
1961 Denver
1962 Michigan Tech
1963 North Dakota
1964 Michigan
1965 Michigan Tech
1966 Michigan State
1968 Denver
1969 Denver
1973 Wisconsin
1974 Minnesota
1975 Michigan Tech
1976 Minnesota
1977 Wisconsin
1979 Minnesota
1980 North Dakota
1981 Wisconsin
1982 North Dakota
1983 Wisconsin
1987 North Dakota
1990 Wisconsin
1991 Northern Michigan
1997 North Dakota
2000 North Dakota
2002 Minnesota
2003 Minnesota
2004 Denver
2005 Denver
2006 Wisconsin
2011 Minnesota Duluth

WCHA schools have won 19 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey National Championships.

Year School
2001 Minnesota Duluth
2002 Minnesota Duluth
2003 Minnesota Duluth
2004 Minnesota
2005 Minnesota
2006 Wisconsin
2007 Wisconsin
2008 Minnesota Duluth
2009 Wisconsin
2010 Minnesota Duluth
2011 Wisconsin
2012 Minnesota
2013 Minnesota
2015 Minnesota
2016 Minnesota
2019 Wisconsin
2021 Wisconsin
2022 Ohio State
2023 Wisconsin

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WCHA Announces Michelle McAteer as Commissioner . August 8, 2024 . WCHA.com . Western Collegiate Hockey Association . August 16, 2024.
  2. News: WCHA's men's hockey era officially ends after 70 years . Joe . Christensen . Star Tribune . Minneapolis . July 2, 2021 . July 3, 2021.
  3. Web site: All-Time Championship Tournament records and results. PDF. . 2009-02-23.
  4. Web site: National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Champions . National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey History . NCAA . 2010-11-25.
  5. Web site: History of the WCHA . Kurt . Stutt . USCHO . https://web.archive.org/web/20080521173313/http://www.uscho.com/m/wc/?data=history . 2008-05-21 . 2010-11-26.
  6. News: Schmoldt . Eric . UW’s championship celebration continues at rally . . Madison, Wisconsin . University of Wisconsin . 2006-04-10 . 2010-11-25.
  7. Web site: Julien . Connie . MacNaughton Cup Winners . CC Hockey History . 2009 .
  8. Web site: WCHA Unveils New Playoff Format and Broadmoor Trophy, Welcomes Bemidji State and Nebraska Omaha . Media Center . Western Collegiate Hockey Association . 2010-03-20 . 2010-11-26.
  9. Web site: Big Ten Officially Announces Hockey Conference. College Hockey News. July 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716043026/http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2011/03/21_big_ten_officially_announces.php. July 16, 2011. March 21, 2011. live.
  10. News: Paisley. Joe. Schools confirm new college hockey 'super league'. July 15, 2011. July 9, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120829105934/http://www.gazette.com/sports/schools-121249-college-hockey.html. dead. August 29, 2012.
  11. Web site: St. Cloud St., W. Michigan join league. September 22, 2011.
  12. Web site: WCHA set to add Northern Michigan as sixth member for 2013–14. U.S. College Hockey Online. July 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110720191219/http://www.uscho.com/2011/07/15/wcha-set-to-add-northern-michigan-as-sixth-member-for-2013-14/. July 20, 2011. July 15, 2011. live.
  13. News: Sipple. George. Detroit Free Press. Ferris State becomes third CCHA team to accept WCHA invitation. August 26, 2011. August 26, 2011.
  14. News: Wagner. John. Toledo Blade. Falcons make switch to WCHA. October 4, 2011. October 5, 2011.
  15. Web site: WCHA accepts Alabama-Huntsville for 2013-14 season. USCHO.com. January 17, 2013. January 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130119174452/http://www.uscho.com/2013/01/17/wcha-accepts-alabama-huntsville-for-2013-14-season/. January 19, 2013. live.
  16. Deep budget cuts force UND to eliminate three varsity sports . March 29, 2017 . North Dakota Fighting Hawks . April 1, 2017.
  17. Statement Regarding Hockey League Affiliation . Bowling Green Falcons . June 28, 2019 . June 29, 2019.
  18. News: CCHA will be new name for seven teams leaving WCHA in 2021-22 . Randy . Johnson . . . February 18, 2020 . April 22, 2020.
  19. Web site: 7 of 10 WCHA Teams Announce Plans to Leave . College Hockey News . June 28, 2019 . June 29, 2019.
  20. News: As University of Alaska moves toward consolidation, two athletic programs might become one . Beth . Bragg . . August 2, 2019 . August 11, 2019.
  21. News: Alaska Schools Cleared to Play in 2020-21 . College Hockey News . November 11, 2019 . December 6, 2019.
  22. News: Could UAA and UAF be the last hockey teams left in the WCHA? . Beth . Bragg . Anchorage Daily News . November 20, 2019 . April 22, 2020.
  23. Web site: COVID-19 Forcing UAH to Take Steps for More Budget Reductions . UAH Athletics . May 22, 2020 . May 23, 2020.
  24. Web site: UAH announces hockey will return after private funds raised to support program . AL.com . May 29, 2020 . May 29, 2020.
  25. News: UAH drops hockey program for 3rd time after empty search for conference . Paul . Gattis . . May 5, 2021 . July 3, 2021.
  26. UAA announces reconfiguration of athletics programs . Alaska Anchorage Seawolves . August 19, 2020 . September 10, 2020.
  27. News: Bragg. Beth. https://www.adn.com/sports/uaa-athletics/2020/10/19/uaa-hockey-supporters-launch-save-seawolf-hockey-fundraising-campaign/. UAA hockey supporters launch Save Seawolf Hockey fundraising campaign. Anchorage Daily News. October 19, 2020. December 1, 2020.
  28. News: Campbell . Dave . MIAC ousts original member St. Thomas for being too strong . July 15, 2019 . Star Tribune . Associated Press . May 22, 2019.
  29. Athletics Conference Update . University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) . October 4, 2019 . October 4, 2019.
  30. NCAA Ruling Allows D-III St. Thomas to Make Unprecedented Leap to D-I . St. Thomas Tommies . July 15, 2020 . July 16, 2020.
  31. News: Head Coaches Tab Denver as MacNaughton Cup Favorite in Annual Grand Forks Herald WCHA Pre-Season Poll. WCHA.com. 2009-09-30. 2013-08-26.
  32. News: WCHA Awards. College hockey Historical Archive. 2013-08-26.