Events seem to be falling into place for Bemidji State University hockey.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees on Wednesday gave approval to BSU to continue negotiations on a lease for the use of the Bemidji regional events center, which is planned to be the home for BSU hockey.
Additionally, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's executive committee has decided to consider lifting its moratorium on expansion in January.
The events center has been planned to accommodate BSU hockey while meeting the standards for WCHA admittance. The arena will feature 4,000 seats with 25 private suites and 250 club-level seats.
It is scheduled to open in January 2011.
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The WCHA's executive committee, in a conference call Tuesday, agreed to place the moratorium on the league's meeting agenda Jan. 14-17, league commissioner Bruce McLeod confirmed Wednesday. The executive committee is made up of representatives from four member schools: North Dakota, Alaska-Anchorage, Denver and Minnesota.
Representatives from all 10 WCHA schools will vote on the issue in January.
BSU Athletic Director Rick Goeb on Wednesday said the move by WCHA was positive news for the university.
"The community and the athletic department are excited to share with the WCHA our story and all of our successes," Goeb said.
If the WCHA votes in January to allow some expansion, presentations from potential teams would be made in April, Goeb said.
The BSU women's hockey team is a member of the WCHA, but only the schools with men's programs will be able to vote on a potential expansion of the men's league.
The BSU men's program now plays in the College Hockey America conference, a league that went from six teams when it began play in 2001 to four teams for the 2008-09 season. Former CHA members Findlay of Ohio and Wayne State of Michigan have dropped their programs.
The lease between the city of Bemidji and BSU is still a work in progress.
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MnSCU on Wednesday authorized BSU to continue negotiations with the city for the lease under which the hockey programs would serve as the anchor tenant for the events center.
Once finalized, the lease would need to be signed by the Bemidji City Council and the MnSCU chancellor.
City Manager John Chattin on Wednesday said the negotiations between the city and university have gone smoothly.
City Attorney Al Felix said, "Everything seems to be going the way it needs to be going."
The city and the university signed a memorandum of understanding in January.
Some particulars of the potential lease agreement have changed since then, however.
Then, BSU hockey was going to use the events center to solely host its games.
Since then, the university has been working with the city to revise the terms of the agreement to allow for the center to serve as BSU's hockey home.
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Chattin said the city was willing to include amenities needed for BSU, but only if they kept the project within the budget.
The architects at Leo A. Daly and personnel with Cost, Planning & Management International, Inc., have reported that it can be done, Chattin noted.
Details are still being negotiated, but the university will pay more to the city due to higher use of the events center.
For instance, the university originally was required to pay $150,000 to the city if, for whatever reason, it chooses to no longer have a hockey program.
Now that figure is at $230,000, Chattin said.
Also, the city now is asking for a percentage of the revenue from the sale of premium seating, such as suites and club seats, he said.
The changes will likely provide the city with $80,000 to $100,000 more in revenue, Chattin noted.
