The Western Collegiate Hockey Association will add the Bulldogs to its revamped lineup for the 2013-14 season -- the Ferris State Bulldogs.
Ferris State University of Big Rapids, Mich., accepted an invitation to join the WCHA on Thursday. Ferris was one of five members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association extended invitations to join the WCHA; Lake Superior State and Alaska-Fairbanks also have accepted.
"Hockey is a very important sport to Ferris State University and to our fans," Ferris State president David L. Eisler said. "In joining the WCHA, Ferris remains firmly committed to a program of the highest standards of national competition with continued great success by our student-athletes and coaches. The unanimous support of the presidents in the WCHA in extending this invitation is sincerely appreciated. We look forward to working with them and our CCHA colleagues to make this a conference that builds on the great traditions of our programs and institutions."
After 2012-13, at this point, the WCHA will have nine teams -- Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State-Mankato, St. Cloud State, plus Northern Michigan, Ferris State, Alaska-Fairbanks and Lake Superior State. Northern Michigan, another school currently in the CCHA, previous accepted an invite to join the WCHA.
The WCHA is waiting to hear from two other CCHA schools invited to join the league -- Bowling Green and Western Michigan.
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The WCHA will operate for two more seasons as a 10-team league, while the CCHA will operate as an 11-team league.
After the 2012-13 season, Minnesota and Wisconsin of the WCHA, will join Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State of the CCHA, along with Penn State in the Big Ten hockey conference.
Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, Denver and Colorado College of the WCHA will join Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, of the CCHA in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Notre Dame and Western Michigan of the CCHA may yet join the NCHC.
As a condition of this potential membership process moving forward, the WCHA-member presidents established a 30-day response timeline for acceptance.
