So I've come up with a new wrinkle to add to collegiate play in EHM...
The way the NCAA is setup, due to team limitations in a single league, each conference in the NCAA is its own league. Which is fine and dandy for conference standings and conference championships but teams also play out-of-conference games each year.
Prior to now, that was only possible via manual management of a team and setting up pre-season games for your specific club. But I've created a new "league" which is essentially out-of-conference schedule for all 72 NCAA teams and all 36 U Sports teams (remember, in NHLX, U Sports is fully playable). You simply select the new "Collegiate Exhibition Games" league during the setup menu where you select other leagues. You also don't have to select it to play NCAA or U Sports but it's a fun new wrinkle.
The games happen in late August and September before actual league schedules. With 108 total teams, I've divided the teams in 12 groups of 9. Each group players round-robin so your total out-of-conference schedule is 8 games. The groups have been diversified with not duplicate conference teams in any group, each group has 6 NCAA and 3 U Sports teams and I've tried to balance the traditional powers throughout all the groups.
Now - you'll be in the same group each year, there's no way to randomize it - but 8 OOC games is better than none and I love the ability to put U Sports teams up against NCAA teams.
You will get full league standings and player stats although no "league champion" history is recorded and there are no awards - you can win your group but that's as far as it goes. Still neat to stack your team up with other clubs across the continent and since it is a "continental" competition, you will see a player's OOC stats in their profile under the "continental" games section.