BOWLING GREEN — Quarantine has changed the methods for the new Central Collegiate Hockey Association, but so far, its offseason plans remain the same.

Seven schools, including Bowling Green State University, plan to revive the league and plan to begin play during the 2021-22 hockey season.

The next step for the conference is to hire a commissioner that will take office on July 1.

The CCHA originally planned to hold meetings this month, but the coronavirus outbreak has brought travel to a crawl.

Even so, the league still plans to hire a commissioner in the coming months.

"We're still on that track," Bowling Green director of athletics Bob Moosbrugger said. "However, those interviews might be virtual. It may be delayed a week or two, but we still need to progress because we need a commissioner to move the league forward."

The seven universities all currently play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and announced their intention to leave the conference and form another in June, 2019.

Bowling Green, an original member of the CCHA, maintained ownership of the conference's rights and properties after its dissolution in 2013, and the group of seven schools chose to bring back the brand earlier this year.

The Falcons will be joined by former CCHA peers Northern Michigan, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State, as well as Michigan Tech, which briefly competed in the CCHA from 1981-84.

Two Minnesota schools — Bemidji State and Minnesota State — will round out the seven-team conference.

The anticipated move would leave behind three remaining members of the WCHA: Alaska, Alaska-Anchorage, and Alabama-Huntsville.

In the search for a new commissioner, the seven schools are being advised by consultant Morris Kurtz, the former director of athletics at St. Cloud State (Minn.) who also helped Penn State on its route to fielding a Division I hockey team.

Kurtz, who could not be reached for comment, said in a statement earlier this year that the announcement to revive the CCHA was "well-received" as the league began to make its most important hire so far.

"That good news provides a foundational platform that can be leveraged in moving ahead and as we look for someone to step in and take the reins as our new Commissioner,” he said.

Kurtz said at the time that he believed the new league would receive significant interest from commissioner candidates.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity for someone to step in and write the next chapter in the CCHA’s storied tradition," he said. "... I am excited about what lies ahead for these institutions as they seek to leave an indelible mark on the college hockey landscape.”

Only 60 schools play Division I hockey, but the conference landscape has seen significant upheaval during the past decade.

The Big Ten — which formerly did not compete in hockey — announced it would field a league in 2011 thanks to Penn State's move up to D-I.

The creation of the Big Ten pulled Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State from the CCHA, and took Wisconsin and Minnesota from the WCHA.

The movement sent many programs fleeing for new leagues. Miami and Western Michigan left the CCHA for the new NCHC, while five members of the CCHA, including Bowling Green, ended up in the WCHA.

First Published April 5, 2020, 2:00 p.m.