The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced Wednesday that its Board of Directors unanimously voted to allow the St. Thomas men’s hockey program to join the league for its inaugural 2021-22 season.

St. Thomas joins the CCHA’s other seven members: Bemidji State University, Bowling Green State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, Minnesota State University and Northern Michigan University.

“The University of St. Thomas has an outstanding tradition and a proven commitment to the future,” Faith Hensrud, CCHA board of directors chair and Bemidji State University president, said in a statement from the CCHA. “As we set our sights on the CCHA’s first season in 2021-22, we are excited to be adding one of NCAA Division I’s newest members and proud to be part of the growth of college hockey.”

Don Lucia, former University of Minnesota hockey coach and two-time national champion, was named the league’s commissioner earlier in the summer.

“The entire membership of the CCHA is excited to welcome the University of St. Thomas as a member for the 2021-22 inaugural season,” Lucia said in the statement. “St. Thomas has an outstanding academic and athletic tradition with experienced and proven leadership as they transition to Division I. St. Thomas fits nicely within the CCHA footprint and impressed us all with the level of commitment they have for their hockey program.”

St. Thomas’ addition to the CCHA now completes the Division I portfolio for the Tommies: the women’s hockey program will join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the football program will join the Pioneer League, with the rest of the programs joining the Summit League in 2021-22.

“We’re thrilled to receive an invitation from the CCHA, as it’s poised to create one of the most competitive hockey conferences nationally,” St. Thomas athletics director Phil Esten said in the statement. “This gives us an opportunity to create strong regional intra-conference rivalries, face off against some of the most storied programs in college hockey, and develop a program that can skate with anyone in the country.”

In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Lucia said his number one goal when hired as commissioner was to get St. Thomas into the conference.

“I thought they would be a perfect match for this new CCHA,” Lucia said. “(St. Thomas’ vision) is the exact same vision we have for the CCHA, and their presentation … was impressive to everybody involved.”

St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan noted her excitement to join the emerging conference.

“It’s thrilling to be a part of building something,” Sullivan said. “It’s even more thrilling to be a part of building something when there’s alignment among the leadership, there’s alignment among the members in terms of our values and our aspirations.”

Sullivan also is “thrilled to be joining a league with universities that have such deep and successful hockey traditions.

“I have no doubt that this will be a very successful league,” Sullivan said, “and that each one of the members will make the other members better by the quality of the rivalries and the competition.

Esten admitted that entering the CCHA will be “a journey” for the university.

“This is the building process for us,” Esten said. “I also believe that if we do this right, we can build a competitive program and be really a value added member in the league.”

Saint Thomas Ice Arena, the current home of St. Thomas hockey, has a capacity of 1,000 — the smallest in the league. This is followed by Ferris State University’s Ewigleben Ice Arena, which holds a capacity of 2,493. Other CCHA members have facilities ranging from a capacity of 3,800 to 5,000 fans.

Esten said that the rink will continue to serve as the home of Tommie hockey “while we search for what our future options are.”

“There may be a couple of options for us to play a game or two at a different venue that may require a larger capacity than what we have,” Esten said.

Esten also noted that the athletics department has started to think “in very, very early stages” of a potential new location for the hockey program.

(We’re) very early in that process, but certainly something that’s on our minds,” Esten said.

St. Thomas was approved by the NCAA on Wednesday, July 15 to begin its transition to Division I athletics. In May 2019, the university was ousted from the Division III MIAC and later received an invite to join the Division I Summit League in October 2019.

Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.