The National Collegiate Hockey Conference is moving on without Notre Dame.
The startup league said as much Sunday afternoon when it announced that it will begin as an eight-team conference in 2013-14.
Member schools will be UND, Colorado College, Denver, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, Western Michigan and Miami.
The league also wanted Notre Dame to join the mix, but the two sides were unable to come together. Notre Dame asked for significant control of the league's television operations and other concessions that the league was not considering giving the Irish.
Notre Dame is expected to go to Hockey East, which will expand from its current 10-team format. A second school is likely to be added to Hockey East to make it a 12-team league.
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The South Bend Tribune reported Sunday night that an announcement was likely for Wednesday.
"We are very confident with our decision and excited to move forward as a strong, eight-team conference," UND athletic director Brian Faison said. "As we have stated many times, it is our goal to establish the NCHC as the premier conference in men's hockey and there's no question in our minds that we are well positioned to do so with our membership.
"We conducted a deliberate and exhaustive process that included consideration of adding more institutions. In the end, we determined it is in the best interest of the conference to proceed with our eight outstanding programs."
UND will play this season and the next as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which will lose eight of its 12 schools in 2013.
Reach Schlossman at (701) 780-1129; (800) 477-6572, ext. 129; or send e-mail to bschlossman@gfherald.com .
