Garrett Raboin, shown here as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota, has been named head hockey coach at the CCHA’s newest member, Augustanta University, which will start playing in the 2023-24 season. (Photo courtesy Augustana University)

MARQUETTE — Despite officially forming less than a year ago, the eight-team Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced Tuesday that it has added a ninth member.

Augustana University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota — near the Minnesota border and about 200 miles southwest of Minneapolis — was unanimously accepted by the CCHA, which includes the seven schools that broke away from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association last summer and NCAA Division I newcomer St. Thomas of Minnesota.

That’s according to an emailed news release from the CCHA.

The WCHA breakaway schools are Northern Michigan University, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State and Ferris State in Michigan; Bowling Green State in Ohio; and Minnesota State-Mankato and Bemidji State in Minnesota.

The Vikings — who transitioned its name from Augustana College to Augustana University in 2015 — are an NCAA Division II institution in most other sports, similar to the four Michigan members of the CCHA, including NMU.

But Augustana officials said in the CCHA’s announcement that they are planning to join Division I in most or all sports through their strategic plan, named Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030. It includes goals related to athletics, specifically joining D-1, student-athlete support and community engagement.

Already, Augustana broke ground in October on Midco Arena, touted as a new, state-of-the-art hockey arena that will seat at least 3,000 with multiple suites and other premium seating options. This and the new hockey program is being funded by gifts from a number of donors, led by T. Denny Sanford, Midco and Sanford Health.

The announcement said that Augustana will not play hockey in the 2022-23 season, then play two years of a “transitional” schedule beginning in the fall of 2023 before playing a full CCHA schedule for 2025-26.

The Vikings have already hired a head coach, Garrett Raboin. Like NMU head coach Grant Potulny, Raboin is a former assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. The new Augustana coach just finished his fourth season with the Gophers after a six-year stint in the same position at another Minnesota university, St. Cloud State of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

NMU athletic director Forrest Karr, who is the CCHA Management Council chairman, was quite positive about the league’s expansion.

“Our planning is focused on what is good for the conference and what will advance the conference,” Karr said in the CCHA release. “Our site visit team went to Augustana University in November and we were impressed with the high-quality academic programs, exceptional athletic facilities and excellent community support.

“Augustana University is building a sustainable hockey program that will add value to the CCHA and position the conference for future success.”

Those sentiments were echoed by CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia and league Board of Directors Chairwoman Faith Hensrud, who is also president of Bemidji State.

“The CCHA supports the continued growth of college hockey and is excited to accept Augustana University as our ninth member,” Lucia said in the league email. “Sioux Falls is a proven hockey community and the commitment Augustana University is making to Division I hockey is impressive. Our members look forward to assisting Augustana University in their transition to college hockey and the CCHA over the next few years.”

As an example of the Sioux Falls area’s support for hockey, the Sioux Falls Stampede is a member of the 16-team U.S. Hockey League, listed as the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league that has had six consecutive years with at least 30 NHL draft picks and in 2021-22 had more than 400 NCAA D-I college commitments.

“We are very pleased to welcome Augustana University into the CCHA,” Hensrud said. “The commitment Augustana University has to academic excellence mirrors that of all the teams in the CCHA and will add to our overall excellence as a league.”

Augustana has a record of athletic success, with five NCAA national championships while competing in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, a mostly Minnesota league in NCAA Division II.

The Vikings have won four national titles since 2010 and finished in the top 20 of the Division II Learfield Director’s Cup standings for eight of the past nine years.

Academically, Augustana consistently leads the NSIC in all-academic honorees and has had 44 Academic All-America honors over the past decade, the CCHA release stated.

The CCHA also announced that Augustana becomes a full voting member immediately, and will play a transitional schedule in another year, starting in fall 2023 with 16 games — one series against each original CCHA member — in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 before playing a full league schedule for 2025-26.

“As Augustana launches the first college hockey program in South Dakota, we are grateful to the CCHA for welcoming our university, the city of Sioux Falls, and the entire state to NCAA Division I competition in this exciting sport,” Augustana President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said. “We are thrilled to join the CCHA — the league and its members are committed to excellence, player development and the experience of student-athletes and fans.”

“We began this academic year with three goals for our hockey program and with this invitation we have now accomplished all three — finalize the design of Midco Arena, hire a head coach and find a conference home,” Augustana athletics director Josh Morton said. “Joining a league that has quickly established itself as a nationally competitive conference means a lot and we look forward to adding to the excellence of the CCHA in 2023 as we bring the highest level of college hockey to Augustana University.”

Augustana was founded in 1860, has an enrollment of 2,100 and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Despite the same nickname as the nearby Minnesota Vikings NFL team, these Vikings’ school colors are navy blue and gold.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.