Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi turned down a request to be interviewed to be commissioner of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, according to a story on the Duluth News-Tribune's web site.
The NCHC, an eight-team league, was formed on July 9, 2011 with six teams and later two others joined it. It will begin conference play in 2013-14.
Maturi told the Duluth News-Tribune he was flattered to be considered for the job, but the timing was not right. He is still under contract to be the the U of M athletic director through June.
Maturi, 66, has been the Gophers AD since July of 2002.
The original members of the NCHC were Colorado College, Denver, Miami, Minnesota Duluth, Nebraska Omaha and North Dakota. St. Cloud State and Western Michigan accepted invitations to join those six on Sept. 22.
