Colorado College will have a pair of new rivals beginning in the 2010-11 season, after the Western Collegiate Hockey Association voted Friday to add Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said the league was looking out for college hockey as a whole when it voted for the expansion. Bemidji State’s league, College Hockey America, will dissolve after next season.

The league also adds a couple of intriguing programs. Bemidji State was a Frozen Four participant last season. Nebraska-Omaha recently showed its commitment to becoming a major player in college hockey by hiring Dean Blais as its head coach. Blais won two national championships with North Dakota, in 1997 and 2000.

“Obviously I feel good we were able to find a home for Bemidji State – it’s good for college hockey,” CC athletics director Ken Ralph said. “I think Nebraska-Omaha is an exciting program that has the potential to become a big presence in college hockey.”

Early this year the WCHA lifted its moratorium on expansion. Bemidji State was the only team that applied, and at the WCHA meetings in late April, league members decided they didn’t want an 11-team league. WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod was instructed to aggressively find a partner to join the league with Bemidji State.

Alaska-Fairbanks was also included in discussions, but Nebraska-Omaha’s facilities and proximity to most of the league made it a natural fit. McLeod said the vote was 9-0-1, with one school abstaining because of questions about the process, not due to problems with either program.

Bemidji State sounded grateful for the new home, giving the program solid footing for the foreseeable future.

“I think what it all came down to is it’s the right thing to do,” Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore said about the WCHA voting in the two teams. “And the two programs add value to the league.”

Scheduling changes with a 12-team league and a new playoff model still have to be finalized. McLeod said a likely scenario is all 12 teams will participate in the playoffs and the six series winners will advance to St. Paul, with the top two teams getting byes.

Nebraska-Omaha and the WCHA negotiated the past couple days, although McLeod wouldn’t say what terms -- including entrance fees and how playoff money will be distributed -- were agreed upon.

There is now a void in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association with Nebraska-Omaha leaving, but Alabama-Huntsville has applied to be included in the league. Going to the WCHA allows Nebraska-Omaha to grow as a program.

“We believe we’re well positioned, with the help of the WCHA, to continue growing our program,” Nebraska-Omaha athletics director Trev Alberts said.