The ever changing landscape of college hockey took another turn today. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced that the league has extended invitations to five Central Collegiate Hockey Association teams to join the conference in the 2013-14 season. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University and Western Michigan University received invitations to join the WCHA. They have 30 days to accept.

UPDATE: Alaska and Lake Superior State quickly accepted their invites while Ferris State has also said they’ll be joining the WCHA as well.

 "This is truly a significant and quite remarkable twist in what has been a period of great consternation and transition in the college hockey world," said WCHA Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod in a press release. "On behalf of the WCHA, we couldn’t be more excited and pleased to extend these invitations to Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Western Michigan." 

Currently the WCHA stands at 12 teams, including St. Cloud State, but for the 2013-14 season the league will fall to six teams. Minnesota and Wisconsin will leave to join the new Big Ten Hockey Conference and North Dakota, Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha will leave for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The WCHA has already accepted Northern Michigan’s application to reenter the league that year.

The WCHA and CCHA held a joint meeting Tuesday in Chicago. St. Cloud State was represented at the meeting by Gino Gasparini, who is an athletic special adviser to University President Earl Potter III.

The current structure of the WCHA begins play in early October, with St. Cloud State opening with a game at Alaska on October 7.