Travel issues? UNO is no farther than UAH. Want to take a bus? It's a shorter drive than UNO for most CCHA schools. Want to fly? Get yourself to Detroit, Chicago, or Cincinnati and hop on a direct flight to Huntsville.

Financial issues? Not likely when UAH agreed to give every visiting CCHA school an estimated $10K travel subsidy.

Arena issues? The CCHA was told by the staff of the 7000-seat Von Braun Center that UAH would receive the highest priority.

Attendance issues? Even with a 6-win and 5-win season the past two years, it was higher than 5 current CCHA squads, and would be higher with a regular conference schedule and high-profile teams.

Recruiting issues? Mere conference affiliation would boost UAH's profile to the point where it could compete. But there is a special recruiting angle when you tell recruits that they can go play a hockey game and then enjoy the sunshine and warm weather 11 months a year.

Competitive issues? UAH has never had a problem playing against CCHA squads over the years, collecting wins over BGU, Miami, the directional Michigan schools, Ohio State, and others. Sure, they didn't win them all, but they sure didn't play poorly.

Apparently all those things and more, but the real kicker is that the CCHA questioned UAH's "commitment" to college hockey. Right. Because UAH didn't make every effort… why didn't they just go ahead and spit on them while they're at it?

Ultimately, the CCHA has made its decision whether we agree with it or not. Personally, I don't.

What remains to be seen is if there is any desire by the other NCAA schools to ensure that UAH hockey remains a viable entity as an independent, which is what it would be facing next year. Because in all likelihood, it would appear unlikely that the CCHA would suddenly reverse course, a year later, and grant UAH immediate entry into the conference. A year may bring BGU into greater financial clarity, but it certainly doesn't change any of the CCHA's "problems" with UAH.

So, really, this issue no longer hangs on the heads of the CCHA schools, even if the pricks could have resolved this situation very easily. Now, it's on the heads of all NCAA hockey schools that decide against scheduling UAH as an independent.

Encourage your schools to schedule UAH as an opponent, whoever you are. Call the CCHA Commissioner and ask the conference to reconsider. Donate to the UAH Blue Line Club. Join the Save UAH hockey facebook group.

Give the school a fighting chance to survive.

It's a shameful day to be a CCHA fan. I wish my school had been smart enough to jump on the WCHA train when it stopped in town last spring.

Nicely written, btw.