Bowling Green’s hockey team is still exploring its options for league membership.
The Falcons appear to have another choice to consider.
Officials from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and representatives of four schools from
Atlantic Hockey will meet Tuesday to discuss future league membership, CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch
said Wednesday.
The Atlantic Hockey schools attending the meeting are Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Robert Morris.

Pletsch called the talks "exploratory." He declined further comment.
BG has been considering its options since the CCHA has lost five schools in the last four months, and
could lose as many as three more before college hockey’s realignment is completed. All of the
realignments take effect ater the 2012-13 season.
BG athletics director Greg Christopher is continuing to meet with officials other leagues, university
director of athletic communications Jason Knavel said Wednesday.
Knavel added BG hasn’t ruled out any of its options.
Rumors of the Atlantic Hockey schools joining the CCHA or forming a new league with the CCHA’s leftover
schools immediately surfaced after Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State announced in late March they
were leaving the CCHA to form the Big Ten hockey conference.
Those rumors intensified after Miami left the CCHA to form the National Collegiate Hockey Conference that
was officially announced July 9 and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association said Friday it will
approve CCHA member Northern Michigan as its sixth member. Northern’s move to the WCHA was made official
Wednesday.
The CCHA still could lose Notre Dame, Western Michigan and Alaska (Fairbanks).
Notre Dame is mulling a move to the NCHC or Hockey East, or scrapping league play entirely to compete as
an independent. Alaska is rumored to be interested in joining the WCHA.
Western is hoping to follow Notre Dame to whatever league it joins, but there are no guarantees Western
would be accepted by the NCHC or Hockey East.
That could leave BG, Ferris State and Lake Superior as the only CCHA schools.
Christopher already has had discussions with officials of schools in both the NCHC and the WCHA. A merger
of the CCHA and WCHA also has been rumored.
More could be known following the CCHA’s annual summer meetings in mid-August.
"We know schools across the country are exploring their options," said Pletsch, whose son will
be a freshman forward on the Falcon hockey team this fall.
The four Atlantic Hockey schools are expected to act as a group, meaning they come as a package deal or
not at all.
The four are believed to be looking to leave Atlantic Hockey because the league only allows 12
scholarships, six fewer than the NCAA and CCHA maximum. Atlantic Hockey rejected an increase to 13
scholarships earlier this year.
"We don’t want to lose anybody," Atlantic Hockey commissioner Bob DeGregorio told College
Hockey News (www.collegehockeynews.com). "This year, there’s 12 teams committed and moving forward.
As far as I’m concerned, nothing has changed. But you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that
any movements that take place, will be happening in a couple years.
"Each program has the right to explore their options and determine what’s in the best interest for
their institution. The only caveat is that I ask to keep me informed. I respect that, and if they feel
it’s important for them to leave, it’s OK."
But the four may opt not to join the CCHA schools if Alaska (Fairbanks) is a part of the new league
because of travel costs.
Alabama-Huntsville, an independent, also continues to look for a league home after it was rejected by the
CCHA two years ago. Although Huntsville would be a long trip for the four Atlantic Hockey schools, it
still could survive and be included in the league.
Canisius and Niagara are in Buffalo, while Mercyhurst is in Erie, Pa., and Robert Morris is in
Pittsburgh.
"Why would I want to prevent it? Why would I want someone in our league that doesn’t want to be
there?" DeGregorio said. "But those programs have to look in the mirror and do what’s best for
their institutions. They have to be aware of their alumni, and their financial situation and budget. And
they have to digest whether it’s better to be in Atlantic Hockey or the CCHA."
Pletsch hopes the CCHA or a new league that includes the CCHA leftovers would consist of at least eight
teams. Six teams leave a league vulnerable to losing its NCAA automatic bid if it loses one of its
members, while seven (or any odd number) makes scheduling difficult.
Still to be worked out are the CCHA’s television contract and where the CCHA Championships will be played
starting in 2014. The league’s championship weekend is held at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, the home of
the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
But with Joe Louis’ capacity of about 21,000, Michigan and MSU leaving the league and the location of the
remaining schools, Detroit would be an unlikely site to host the event.
The CCHA’s TV contract currently includes Fox Sports Net Detroit and Comcast Detroit, but the bulk of the
games those networks televised included Michigan, MSU, Notre Dame and OSU.
Atlantic Hockey’s other members are Air Force, American International, Army, Bentley, Connecticut, Holy
Cross, Rochester (N.Y.), Institute of Technology and Sacred Heart.
But Air Force is staying in Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons finished second in the league and won the league
playoff title to advance to the NCAA playoffs. Air Force was 20-12-6 overall and 14-7-6 in the league.

"We’re winning championships, we’re going to NCAA tournaments, we’re filling our
building," Air Force coach Frank Serratore told the Denver Post. "Going to the NCHC, the WCHA
or CCHA will not make us more money or save us money or help us win any more games. Why would we want to
change that formula?"