Karr said a lot of criteria were discussed Tuesday about Alabama-Huntsville’s application. He and other council members visited Huntsville earlier this summer, particularly the UAH campus and the Chargers’ home arena.

“Some people had concerns about a lack of commitment, a firm agreement with the facility down there and low attendance in recent years,” Karr said by cell phone during a layover at Detroit Metro Airport. The council meeting took place in nearby Dearborn, Mich.

Alabama-Huntsville averaged 2,688 fans in 10 home games last season in the Von Braun Center, which seats 6,602 for hockey.

The other concerns, Karr said, included “the institution not being in a major recruiting market, the general economic climate across the country and the student-athlete welfare (of other CCHA schools) because of missed class time due to long bus trips.”

He also said, “I hope this is not a death sentence for them, and I hope this is not the end of their program. The last thing anyone wants to see is the loss of any Division I college hockey program.”

If you ask me, Karr was just the messenger here. Reading between the lines, I think he would want us in the league, but was willing to go on the record with the concerns.

So when you contact folks at UAF, please address the concerns and also thank AD Karr for being willing to explain what our deficiencies were in the eyes of the CCHA. The press release just didn’t give us anything to go on.

Contact Information for Alaska:

Chancellor
Name: Brian Rogers
Address: PO Box 757500, Fairbanks, AK 99775
Phone: 907/474-7112
Fax: 907/474-6725
Email: chancellor AT uaf.edu

AD
Name: Forrest Karr
Address: PO Box 757990, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7400
Phone: 907/474-6812
Fax: 907/474-5162
Email: forrest.karr AT alaska.edu

FAR
Name: John Fox
Address: PO Box 757200, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7440
Phone: 907/474-7084
Fax: N/A
Email: ffjdf AT uaf.edu

Remember: be kind, be polite, be positive.