The six-game exhibition game limit in the AUS really puts a damper on building the Pete Kelly Cup back up, but it could be done if the teams cooperated on schedules. Bring in say UdeM, UQTR, and Ottawa or McGill. It is expensive though covering all the hosting costs, which is why I believe it was downsized.
It is really, really expensive bringing in the NCAA Div I teams. They want similar dollars to their net gate for a home game, plus all the travel costs. And they can only leave the States once every 4 years, and sometimes guard that one slot so carefully they never use it. Meanwhile teams like BC are flying to Ireland now.
But I think the biggest factor is the NCAA schedule change, which I believe means that the US roadtrip is no longer a preseason roadtrip. And the Ivy League schools want to play in January.