We got a request via email the other day to publish what the conference structure will look like in 2013-14, when the Big Ten and National Collegiate Hockey Conference begin play. The situation is still fluid, of course, but let’s take a look at what we have at the moment.<\/p>\n
One caveat: I left the CCHA as it stands even though you have to think the likelihood that the league exists in 2013-14 is smaller than small. I did that because I don’t want to assume anything with the three CCHA teams that have yet to announce their intention. (We all know that Notre Dame won’t be there, but bear with me.)<\/p>\n
So here it is:<\/p>\n
ATLANTIC HOCKEY (12 teams, unchanged)<\/b>
\nAir Force *
\nAmerican International #
\nArmy *
\nBentley #
\nCanisius *
\nConnecticut *
\nHoly Cross *
\nMercyhurst #
\nNiagara *
\nRochester Institute of Technology ^
\nRobert Morris *
\nSacred Heart *<\/p>\n
BIG TEN (6 teams, new)<\/b>
\nMichigan (from CCHA) *
\nMichigan State (from CCHA) *
\nMinnesota (from WCHA) *
\nOhio State (from CCHA) *
\nPenn State (from independent) *
\nWisconsin (from WCHA) *<\/p>\n
CCHA (3 teams, loses 8)<\/b>
\nBowling Green *
\nNotre Dame *
\nWestern Michigan *<\/p>\n
ECAC HOCKEY (12 teams, unchanged)<\/b>
\nBrown *
\nClarkson ^
\nColgate *
\nCornell *
\nDartmouth *
\nHarvard *
\nPrinceton *
\nQuinnipiac *
\nRensselaer ^
\nSt. Lawrence ^
\nUnion ^
\nYale *<\/p>\n
HOCKEY EAST (10 teams, unchanged)<\/b>
\nBoston College *
\nBoston University *
\nMaine *
\nMassachusetts *
\nMassachusetts-Lowell #
\nMerrimack #
\nNew Hampshire *
\nNortheastern *
\nProvidence *
\nVermont *<\/p>\n
NCHC (6 teams, new)<\/b>
\nColorado College (from WCHA) ^
\nDenver (from WCHA) *
\nMiami (from CCHA) *
\nMinnesota-Duluth (from WCHA) #
\nNebraska-Omaha (from WCHA) *
\nNorth Dakota (from WCHA) *<\/p>\n
WCHA (9 teams, loses 7, adds 4)<\/b>
\nAlaska (from CCHA) #
\nAlaska-Anchorage #
\nBemidji State #
\nFerris State (from CCHA) #
\nLake Superior State (from CCHA) #
\nMichigan Tech #
\nMinnesota State #
\nNorthern Michigan (from CCHA) #
\nSt. Cloud State #<\/p>\n
INDEPENDENT (1 team)<\/b>
\nAlabama-Huntsville #<\/p>\n
* – Schools at Division I level in all sports (38, 64 percent)
\n# – Schools at Division II level in most sports but Division I for hockey (15, 25 percent)
\n^ – Schools at Division III level in most sports but Division I for hockey (6, 10 percent)<\/p>\n