The media will find out somehow. WCHA commish Bruce McLeod on Friday would not comment on what the admission price for University of Nebraska Omaha and Bemidji State was.

But it’s a safe bet that UNO got a better deal. The UNO Mavericks had a conference, were not necessarily looking to switch and were approached to leave the CCHA. That’s leverage.

Bemidji State practically got on its knees to get into the WCHA. The community, with state help, is building a Bemidji Regional Events Center but without a conference to form rivalries, attract recruits and get an NCAA tournament bid again, the Beavers might have trouble filling that new 4,000-seat arena.

BSU needed the WCHA much more than the conference needed the Beavers. No leverage there.

Bruce McLeod, WCHA commish, called it a watershed day. “The addition of these [teams] position us to bigger things in the future,” he said. “I am happy for all the parties involved.”

He called it a win-win situation all around. Even for the CCHA perhaps, which UNO left. “I hope their close in the CCHA can be filled by [Alabama-]Huntsville. But it’s not our decision. Then college hockey has done a great job of taking care of its down with the demise of the CHA.”

BSU and Alabama-Huntsville are two of the four remaining CHA teams. That league will fold after this coming season.

He said the WCHA schools did what they should have in voting 9-1, with one abstention on expansion.

“In the end, they all looked beyond self-interest and rose to the occasion,” McLeod said.

Joel Maturi, the Gophers AD, was chair of the WCHA’s structure committee. He said the conference had a half-dozen conference calls on expansion. “This was done diligently, thoroughly,” Maturi said. “It was win for the WCHA, college hockey, Bemidji State and Nebraska Omaha.”

Bemidji State AD Rick Goeb: ”We are gratefu and honored to be invited into the WCHA. It seemed to happen very quickly in the last few weeks. The whole membership opened up their arms to Bemidji State. They are doing what is best for college hockey. We are thrilled and excited. It’s a first-class conference.”

Trev Alberts, UNO AD: “We are proud to be part of a conference that stands for the absolute best. … We are commited to being a valued member of the WCHA. We appreciate the interest in Nebraska Omaha. All are efforts are being directed to help build this program to an elive level. And I think our association with the WCHA will help us do that.”

BSU coach Tom Serratore: “It’s an honor. I am humbled to be part of the WCHA, the most prestigious conference in Division I hockey.”

UNO coach Dean Blais: “I am happy to be back [in the WCHA] after five years of running around all over the country. … The CCHA, of course, is a great league. I was not sure where UNO would wind up” when I took this job.

Alberts said UNO tried to look longterm on what is best for the school in deciding on a conference. Travel costs were considered, he said. “Regional rivalries are important to us, to have fans at away sites is important to me,” Alberts said. ”Our conclusion was being a member institution of the WCHA was the best avenue to get to where we wated to be with respect to building an elite program.”

That’s a mouthful. Alberts already talks like an administrator.  

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