DU Announces NCHC Affiliation To Alumni & Fans

From:
Peg Bradley-Doppes, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation
Jeff Howard, Director of Alumni Relations

We are excited to inform you that the University of Denver hockey program is joining a newly-formed conference which will begin play in the 2013-2014 season. As one of the founding members of this new organization, the University of Denver will be joined by Colorado College, the University of North Dakota, Miami University (Ohio), the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. DU will remain in the WCHA for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons.

As you may know, the collegiate athletic climate has been particularly volatile in recent years, with conference realignments affecting a number of different sports and universities. Our top priority throughout this turbulence has been to secure conference affiliations that will ensure the University of Denver is surrounded by academic and athletic excellence. DU has become a nationally-recognized bastion of scholastic achievement; it is my responsibility to ensure that our athletic teams play in prominent forums that can provide exposure for such academic accomplishments.
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Our move to the nationally-recognized Western Athletic Conference for the majority of our sports was a major first step towards this end. While we greatly appreciated the relationships and rivalries formed during our years in the WCHA, this new conference affiliation will provide a venue of elite competition for our seven-time national champion program. We are excited about the opportunities for national exposure that lie ahead with this newly-formed organization.

The University of Denver has committed generous resources, both financial and otherwise, to every aspect of our hockey program to enable the pursuit of championships. Few other programs in the country have allocated comparable amounts to hockey. We are proud of our championship tradition at DU, however, and believe that such high commitments of resources are justified by the exposure that prominent athletics can bring to the entire institution. The fellow members of this new organization have also made significant commitments to excellence in hockey, and we are excited about the outstanding caliber of competition that lies ahead.

We are proud of the standards of greatness our alumni have established for the University of Denver. As athletics are highly visible forums to showcase all aspects of this wonderful institution, we will continue to pursue success at the highest level. Thank you for all of your support and hard work to make the University of Denver such a special place.