BSU Men’s Hockey: New League Name Announced For Future Conference

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) will be the new name for the hockey league that the Bemidji State Men’s Hockey team along with six other prominent NCAA Division I hockey playing institutions will join in the 2021-2022 season.

The announcement was made today from Dr. Morris Kurtz, a noted athletics and hockey consultant, who has guided the members through legal incorporation, the creation of league bylaws and the establishment of a financial escrow fund. The six other institutions include Bowling Green State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, Minnesota State University, Mankato, and Northern Michigan University.

The first announcement of the seven hockey institutions wanting to explore a new Division I men’s hockey conference came in June of 2019. The CCHA was actually a hockey conference from 1971 to the 2012-2013 season before disbanding.

Kurtz, the group leader, says the league name is traditionally significant. “After extensive discussion and significant due diligence, it made sense to everyone involved to move in this direction. The name conveys the current geographic alignment of our members and the CCHA brand has a tremendous amount of equity and goodwill associated with it. What’s old is new again and we look forward to refreshing the brand and identity to fully capture the energy
and passion of the institutions it represents.”

According to Kurtz, the next steps will include development of league branding and logos and commencement of a search for the conference’s first Commissioner, who they hope to have in place no later than July 1.