Tennessee State to introduce college hockey (First HBCU school to do this)

[JMCx4]

Will they apply for Atlantic Hockey Association membership? CCHA?

I suspect TSU will remain independent for 2 or more seasons, mimicking other recent men's program promotions as the school-level organization gets its feet wet (or snowy) under DI play & business conditions. I also think the existing DI conference membership groups are fully occupied by the CHL-NCAA settlement, so the men's DI "conference shuffle" I alluded to above will be delayed by a couple of years. Presuming AHA ("Atlantic Hockey America" now) & CCHA even exist in their current forms by then.

 

[JMCx4]

In terms of location, CCHA is the best for them and the conference is going to lose St. Thomas to NCHC. However, if Long Island can't get into Atlantic Hockey, I am not sure TSU will be able to get into a more prestigious conference like CCHA.

You need to dig a little deeper in your casual internet searches. The current CCHA incarnation has never been a "more prestigious conference" in the men's DI hierarchy. The two conferences you referenced are simply hanging on - with a shared organizational structure to spare operating costs - hoping to survive on sheer determination & favors from the truly dominant conferences and the NCAA.