It seems weird but that's the beauty of college hockey, everything you thought about college athletics gets thrown out the window. Where Division II and Mid Majors are powerhouses and the presence of the Big 10 actually hurts the sport.
Unless a major curve ball comes and the B10 pick anyone besides the independent Arizona State the domino effect won't be that huge. Hockey East picks a ECHA team like Quinnipiac (if they actually accept), ECHA picks a Atlantic Hockey team, and all those conferences will be at a even number. Or HE just picks a Atlantic Hockey team and we are still even.