North Dakota players celebrate with the 1980 National Championship trophy. The Sioux won 5-2 over Northern Michigan in the title game in Providence, RI.

ncaa championships

No collegiate conference – in any sport – can top the impressive list of national scale accomplishments of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and its member teams.

Since 1951, teams representing the WCHA have earned a record 37 men's national championships (NCAA Frozen Fours), finished as the runner-up another 27 times, and qualified for at least one berth in the national championship round (Frozen Four) in 55 of 59 seasons overall.

first-class educations

The 12 universities and colleges that make up the WCHA family are among the finest institutions of higher learning in the country. They offer the very best in both educational and athletic environments for the more than 300 student-athletes who compete annually in the league. The members of the men's WCHA, with student enrollments, are: University of Alaska Anchorage (20,242), Bemidji State University (5,171), Colorado College (2,000), University of Denver (11,842), Michigan Technological University (6,957), University of Minnesota (50,067), University of Minnesota Duluth (11,800), Minnesota State University (14,995), University of Nebraska at Omaha (15,448), University of North Dakota (14,194), St. Cloud State University (18,319) and University of Wisconsin (42,099).

college hockey's biggest crowds

WCHA home attendance reached a record 1,734,275 in 2010-11 while surpassing the 1.5 million mark for a record ninth straight season and the one million mark for a record 18th straight year. The average attendance per home game at the league's 12-member team arenas was 6,937.

In addition, seven WCHA member teams ranked among the nation's (Div. 1) top 10 hockey schools in average home attendance in the most recent season of 2010-11. Wisconsin was No. 1 at 13,226 per game, North Dakota was No. 3 at 11,756 per game, Minnesota was No. 4 at 9,544 per game, Nebraska Omaha was No. 5 at 7,994 per game, Colorado College was No. 6 at 6,687 per game, St. Cloud State was No. 8 at 5,935 per game and Minnesota Duluth was No. 9 at 5,811 per game. Other WCHA teams ranked in the top 25 included Denver (No. 12 at 5,291 per game), Bemidji State (No. 17 at 3,876), Minnesota State (No. 19 at 3,711) and Alaska Anchorage (No. 22 at 3,319).

the red baron™ wcha final five

The conference's annual playoff championship, known as Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five, continues to be among the most successful post-season collegiate tournaments in the country.

The Red Baron WCHA Final Five is held annually in mid-March following the first round of WCHA playoffs, with the first round winners playing for the Broadmoor Trophy and the league's automatic berth into the national tournament.

Held the past 11 consecutive seasons at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn., the WCHA Final Five has drawn 1,266,368 in 19 years overall for an average attendance of 13,330 per game. In 2011, the WCHA Final Five saw the debut of a new six-team format, drawing nearly 71,000 fans to five games for an average crowd of 14,181. The record attendance total for a WCHA Final Five came in 2007 at Xcel Energy Center when 88,900 fans were on hand, including a record 19,463 for the championship game.

Click here for more information on the Red Baron ™ WCHA Final Five

At the 2012 Red Baron WCHA Final Five, set for March 15-17 in Saint Paul, there will be two games played on Thursday featuring the No.5 seeded team vs the No. 4 seeded team and the No. 6 seed vs the No. 3 seed. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeded teams for the Final Five will receive byes. On Friday there will be two semi-final matchups, followed by the Broadmoor Trophy championship contest on Saturday evening.

Wisconsin's Blake Geoffrion was named the 2010 Hobey Baker Award winner.

The WCHA also leads the way in Hobey Baker Memorial Award winners. Presented annually to the top player in Div. 1 men's college hockey, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award has gone to a WCHA-member team student-athlete 14 times since it's inception for the 1980-81 season. WCHA winners, by year, have been: 1981 - Neal Broten, F, UM; 1984 - Tom Kurvers, D, UMD; 1985 - Bill Watson, F, UMD; 1987 - Tony Hrkac, F, UND; 1988 - Robb Stauber, G, UM; 1994 - Chris Marinucci, F, UMD; 1996 - Brian Bonin, F, UM; 2002 - Jordan Leopold, D, UM; 2003 - Peter Sejna, F, CC; 2004 - Junior Lessard, F, UMD; 2005 - Marty Sertich, F, CC; 2006 - Matt Carle, D, DU; 2007 - Ryan Duncan, F, UND; and 2010 - Blake Geoffrion, F, UW.

all-americans, scholar-athletes

On the ice, over 330 WCHA players have earned All-American honors over the past 59 years, including more than 40 over the past seven seasons alone. For the most recent season of 2010-11, the WCHA had seven All-American honorees, including four First Teamers in Chay Genoway (D, UND), Justin Schultz (D, UW), Jack Connolly (F, UMD) and Matt Frattin (F, UND). Named to the All-American Second Team were Aaron Dell (G, UND), Jake Gardiner (D, UW) and Mike Connolly (F, UMD).

Off the ice, and in the most recent season of 2010-11 alone, a record total of 140 players, representing all 12 teams, earned recognition to the men's All-WCHA Academic Team while another 55 earned the most prestigious WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award. WCHA Scholar-Athlete award honorees must have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 (4.0 scale) for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or an overall GPA of at least 3.50.

the wcha, The nhl and international hockey

Since it's founding in 1951, the WCHA has been a leader in producing both professional skaters and players for international teams. Just a few of the more than 400 past and present NHLr's who have roots in the WCHA include the likes of Tony Esposito, Glenn Anderson, Lou Angotti, Bill 'Red' Hay, Eddio Mio, Glenn 'Chico' Resch, Keith Magnuson, Red Berenson, Bill Masterton, Lou Nanne, Curt Giles, Bill Masterton, Mark Johnson, James Patrick, Mike Richter and Brett Hull.

In the most recently completed NHL season of 2010-11, a total of 93 WCHA alums saw on-ice action in hockey's top professional league. Included in that group were the likes of Jonathan Toews (Chicago), Thomas Vanek (Buffalo), Joe Pavelski (San Jose), Phil Kessel (Toronto), Dany Heatley (San Jose), David Backes (St. Louis), Paul Stastny (Colorado), Drew Stafford (Buffalo), Rene Bourque (Calgary), Alex Goligoski (Dallas), Derek Stepan (NY Rangers), Blake Wheeler (Atlanta), Curtis Glencross (Calgary) and Mason Raymond (Vancouver). In the 2009-10 season, 87 WCHA alums played in the NHL.

The WCHA also owns an enviable reputation for providing top-notch international playing and coaching opportunities for it's member student-athletes and coaches. More than 110 WCHA alumni have Olympic playing experience with teams that include the United States, Canada, Italy, Norway, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Finland and France, and conference-member teams and players have also received additional international exposure on a regular basis since 1951. Over the years, the WCHA has hosted touring teams from the USSR, Canada, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, England and France and the league has sent men's WCHA All-Star Teams to Europe in both 1998 (Switzerland) and 2000 (Norway).

In the most recent 2010 Winter Olympic Games held in Vancouver, 10 WCHA alums played for the U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team, two played for Gold Medal-winning Canada in Jonathan Toews and Dany Heatley, and one played for Finland. Seven WCHA players also won Gold medals playing for Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, and in the summer of 2010, WCHA-member Michigan Tech traveled to Germany for a series of international games.

Exposure

In terms of exposure, more than 200 WCHA mens' games are televised annually, including all five games live from the annual Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five by Fox Sports North.

'This Week in the WCHA,' the league's unique weekly radio show, will mark it's 15th season in 2011-12. The five to seven-minute show, broadcast throughout the conference's five time zones by member team flagship stations, features audio game highlights, interviews and misc. league-related items.

The league's official web site – wcha.com – was completely re-designed and re-launched for the 2010-11 campaign and now includes such new features as live web and mobile scoreboards, a full-line of automated team and individual statistics, automated standings, automated box scores, individual player pages with complete statistics, team rosters, and automated team and league schedules.

The league's comprehensive on-line store – TheWCHAShop.com – features a full range of product from all men's and women's member schools, as well as USA Hockey and international merchandise, NCAA Frozen Four items, and historical DVDs.

the tradition continues

Under the guidance of longtime and highly-successful Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, the WCHA continues to stand atop the college hockey world. With a great brand, great history and tradition, a great product, great fans, great teams and great rivalries, this Association clearly stands second to none.