Alaska Anchorage, with assistance of head coach Brush Christiansen, promoted its ice hockey program to varsity status in 1979.

The experiment lasted just three years but it did give the two Alaska schools a greater profile in college hockey and eventually led to both joining other more established conferences.

When Alaska Anchorage joined the WCHA in 1993, it caused the number of meeting between the two schools to drop but they continued to play one another each season.

In order to continue the relevance of the rivalry, the 93–94 season was the inaugural year that the Governor's Cup was awarded.

[3] Fundraising efforts did eventually succeed in allowing Alaska Anchorage to announce its return for the 22–23 season.