The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, or WCHA is one of the Big Four conferences in the NCAA Men's Division I and is one of four conferences in Women's Division I. The league was established as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League in 1951. In 1953, the league was renamed the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League. The league played until 1958 when the league broke up over recruiting practices. The league was reorganized for the 1959-60 season, this time under the Western Collegiate Hockey Association name. Each team made its own schedule up until the league office took over scheduling in 1973.