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HOUGHTON -- The reports last week of a new college hockey conference turned out to be true. 

Wednesday afternoon (7/13) defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth, along with Colorado College, Denver, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will join current Central Collegiate Hockey Association member Miami of Ohio to form the new National Collegiate hockey conference beginning play in the 2013-2014 season.

The league still needs to hire a commissioner, and the NCHC says they'd like to add more teams.  Notre Dame has talked with NCHC conference officials as well as Hockey East.  The Irish have yet to announce future plans for that school's hockey program, although remaining in the CCHA seems unlikely.

Western Michigan has also been rumored to be leaving the CCHA for the new NCHC, but they, too, have been mum on future plans.

Five teams remain in the WCHA including Michigan Tech, who says they remain committed to their current conference.  "We were surprised by the changes, by five schools leaving the WCHA," said Tech Athletics Director Suzanne Sanregret.  "This really is an opportunity for Michigan Tech to strengthen our position.  We're excited about the opportunities to schedule some non-conference games against some good in-state rivals.  I think that moving forward, we all (remaining WCHA athletic directors) are going to view this as an opportunity to impact our programs, specifically Michigan Tech. We have a real opportunity to be successful."

All five school remaining in the WCHA will send their athletic directors to a meeting Friday (7/15) in Minnesota to discuss the conferences future.

Sanregret says they plan to add a sixth school right away.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod has said the conference wants to add one to three new teams for the 2013-2014 season.  An NCAA hockey conference needs at least six teams to have an automatic bid.

Northern Michigan will discuss its hockey future tomorrow (7/14) morning at a meeting with its Board of Trustees.