Conference timeline
This is a list of seasons and results of collegiate ice hockey seasons since the inception of the NCAA tournament in 1947.
Though U.S. colleges had been fielding men's ice hockey teams since 1895, [1] the NCAA did not have a formal tournament in place to decide a champion until after World War II. [2] Starting with the 1947-48 season, the NCAA tournament invited the four top-ranked teams to Colorado Springs, Colorado to compete for the NCAA Championship.
| No. | Season | Tournament | No. of teams in tournament | Start | Finish | NCAA Champion (number) | Champion Conference | Champion Record | Championship Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1947–48 | 1948 | 4 [a 1] | March 20 | Michigan | None | (20–2–1) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 2 | 1948–49 | 1949 | 4 [a 2] | March 19 | Boston College | None | (21–1–0) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 3 | 1949–50 | 1950 | 4 | March 18 | Colorado College | None | (18–5–1) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 4 | 1950–51 | 1951 | 4 [a 3] | March 17 | Michigan (2) | None | (22–4–1) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 5 | 1951–52 | 1952 | 4 | March 15 | Michigan (3) | MCHL | (22–4–0) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 6 | 1952–53 | 1953 | 4 | March 14 | Michigan (4) | MCHL | (22–4–0) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 7 | 1953–54 | 1954 | 4 | March 13 | Rensselaer | Tri-State League | (18–5–0) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 8 | 1954–55 | 1955 | 4 | March 12 | Michigan (5) | WIHL | (18–5–1) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 9 | 1955–56 | 1956 | 4 | March 17 | Michigan (6) | WIHL | (20–2–1) | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| 10 | 1956–57 | 1957 | 4 | March 16 | Colorado College (2) | WIHL | (25–5–0) | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
After spending 10 years at one location, the NCAA began to move the Division I ice hockey tournament to different sites. Over the next 14 years, the tournament was held in 11 different venues and, more importantly to the northeast teams, was held in New England eight times. While the rotations stopped briefly in 1972, they resumed after 1974 and the tournament has not been held in the same city for consecutive years since.
For the 30th season of the tournament, which had become the de facto possession of the WCHA and ECAC, the NCAA instituted a new rule by which they were able to add up to four additional teams to the tournament if they saw fit. This policy essentially became a vehicle allowing the CCHA champion to play with the lone exception coming in 1978. For the 1981 tournament the NCAA altered the rule to guarantee a full quarterfinal round and started including true 'at large' teams for the first time. Between 1981 and 1987 the quarterfinals consisted of two games where the team that scored the most goals in the two games would advance to the "Frozen Four". Between 1977 and 1987 Detroit, Michigan and Providence, Rhode Island would each host the tournament 4 separate times.
| No. | Season | Tournament | No. of teams in tournament | Start | Finish | NCAA Champion (number) | Champion Conference | Champion Record | Championship Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1976–77 | 1977 | 5 | March 26 | Wisconsin (2) | WCHA | (37–7–1) | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 31 | 1977–78 | 1978 | 6 | March 25 | Boston University (3) | ECAC | (30–2–0) | Providence, Rhode Island | |
| 32 | 1978–79 | 1979 | 5 | March 24 | Minnesota (3) | WCHA | (32–11–1) | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 33 | 1979–80 | 1980 | 5 | March 29 | North Dakota (3) | WCHA | (31–8–1) | Providence, Rhode Island | |
| 34 | 1980–81 | 1981 | 8 | March 28 | Wisconsin (3) | WCHA | (27–14–1) | Duluth, Minnesota | |
| 35 | 1981–82 [c 1] | 1982 | 8 | March 27 | North Dakota (4) | WCHA | (35–12–0) | Providence, Rhode Island | |
| 36 | 1982–83 | 1983 | 8 | March 26 | Wisconsin (4) | WCHA | (33–10–4) | Grand Forks, North Dakota | |
| 37 | 1983–84 | 1984 | 8 | March 24 | Bowling Green | CCHA | (34–8–2) | Lake Placid, New York | |
| 38 | 1984–85 [c 2] | 1985 | 8 | March 30 | Rensselaer (2) | ECAC | (35–2–1) | Detroit, Michigan | |
| 39 | 1985–86 | 1986 | 8 | March 29 | Michigan State (2) | CCHA | (34–9–2) | Providence, Rhode Island | |
| 40 | 1986–87 | 1987 | 8 | March 28 | North Dakota (5) | WCHA | (40–8–0) | Detroit, Michigan |
With 4 major conferences and a myriad of independent programs competing at the Division I level, the tournament was expanded to 12 teams beginning with the 1987-88 season. The first round followed the same pattern as the quarterfinals with teams playing two games against a single opponent and the one with a higher goal total after the series advancing. The rest of the tournament retained the earlier format. One year later the goal-total format was abandoned and replaced by a best-of-three series for the opening round and quarterfinals. In 1992 the entire tournament was switched to a single-elimination format and divided into two regional locations that would feed into the "Frozen Four". For the first time, in 1999, the championship was held in a region without a local Division I program when the championship round was awarded to Anaheim, California.
After the addition of two more conferences around the turn of the century (MAAC and CHA, neither of which now sponsors men's hockey) bringing up the total number to 6, and with each receiving an at-large bid starting in 2001 and 2003 respectively, the tournament was again expanded by 4 teams. Two additional regional groups were added (Northeast and Midwest) and byes into the quarterfinals were eliminated. Additionally the "Frozen Four" was seen as a vehicle to increase both revenue and the popularity of college hockey, as such the apex of the tournament began to move around to non-traditional college hockey areas, usually in the buildings of NHL teams.
The first decade of the 21st century saw significant changes to hockey's conference landscape. After the 2002–03 season, the MAAC hockey programs split from the league to form the Atlantic Hockey Association. CHA stopped sponsoring men's hockey after the 2009–10 season, but continued to operate as a women's league through the 2023–24 season.
| No. | Season | Tournament | No. of teams in tournament | Start | Finish | NCAA Champion (number) | Champion Conference | Champion Record | Championship Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 2002–03 | 2003 | 16 | October 4 | April 12 | Minnesota (5) | WCHA | (28–8–9) | Buffalo, New York |
| 57 | 2003–04 | 2004 | 16 [e 1] | October 3 | April 10 | Denver (6) | WCHA | (27–12–5) | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 58 | 2004–05 | 2005 | 16 | October 3 | April 9 | Denver (7) | WCHA | (32–9–2) | Columbus, Ohio |
| 59 | 2005–06 | 2006 | 16 | October 7 | April 8 | Wisconsin (6) | WCHA | (30–10–3) | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 60 | 2006–07 | 2007 | 16 | October 6 | April 7 | Michigan State (3) | CCHA | (26–13–3) | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 61 | 2007–08 | 2008 | 16 | October 7 | April 12 | Boston College (3) | Hockey East | (25–11–8) | Denver, Colorado |
| 62 | 2008–09 | 2009 | 16 | October 10 | April 11 | Boston University (5) | Hockey East | (35–6–4) | Washington, D.C. |
| 63 | 2009–10 | 2010 | 16 | October 8 | April 10 | Boston College (4) | Hockey East | (29–10–3) | Detroit, Michigan [e 2] |
| 64 | 2010–11 | 2011 | 16 [e 3] | October 2 | April 9 | Minnesota–Duluth | WCHA | (26–10–6) | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 65 | 2011–12 | 2012 | 16 | October 1 | April 7 | Boston College (5) | Hockey East | (33–10–1) | Tampa, Florida |
| 66 | 2012–13 | 2013 | 16 | October 6 | April 13 | Yale | ECAC | (22–12–3) | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
In 2010, Terry Pegula, an alumnus of Pennsylvania State University, donated $102 million to his alma mater for the express purpose of building a brand-new hockey arena and to fund the upgrade of both the men's and women's ice hockey programs from club level to Division I. [6] This began a chain of events that caused a massive amount of conference realignment, the founding of two new conferences, and the ending of one of the oldest conferences in the NCAA. Penn State's rise to the D-I ranks gave the Big Ten its sixth university that sponsored varsity men's ice hockey, a number significant for two reasons. First, Big Ten bylaws dictate that the conference can only sponsor a sport if it has at least six participating members. More significantly, NCAA rules on conference formation dictate that at least six teams must be present for a conference to receive an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. In short order the other five teams announced their intention to leave their conferences (WCHA and CCHA). In response several members of the WCHA, including traditional powerhouses Denver and North Dakota, split to form a new conference, the NCHC. The NCHC quickly grew to 8 member teams, leaving the WCHA with only 4 remaining schools and the CCHA with 6. Five of the remaining CCHA schools then proceeded to join the WCHA, along with the Independent Alabama-Huntsville, bringing the WCHA up to 10 member schools. The remaining CCHA team, Notre Dame, joined Hockey East. In essence all of the universities that changed conferences were not significantly harmed by the upheaval because no team was left without a conference by the start of the 2013–14 season. However, the shift did create one more automatic qualifier for the tournament, reducing the chance to receive an at-large bid for all schools across the nation. [7]
In November 2019, the seven Midwestern schools among the 10 members of the men's WCHA jointly announced they would leave the league after the 2020–21 season, citing the league's extended geographic footprint as a reason for this move. [8] On February 18, 2020, these seven schools announced they would start play in a new CCHA in the 2021–22 season. [9] In July of that year, the revived CCHA announced that St. Thomas, which had just received NCAA approval to move directly from Division III to Division I starting in July 2021, would join the league upon its arrival in D-I. [10]
The 2020 tournament was canceled on March 12, 2020, just before the start of most conference postseason tournaments, due to concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]
After the 2023–24 season, the Atlantic Hockey Association merged with the women's College Hockey America to form Atlantic Hockey America. The predecessor conferences had operated with a single commissioner and office staff since 2010. [12]
| No. | Season | Tournament | No. of teams in tournament | Start | Finish | NCAA Champion (number) | Champion Conference | Champion Record | Championship Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 2013–14 | 2014 | 16 [f 1] | October 4 | April 12 | Union | ECAC Hockey | (30–6–4) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 68 | 2014–15 | 2015 | 16 | October 4 | April 13 | Providence | Hockey East | (26–13–2) | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 69 | 2015–16 | 2016 | 16 | October 3 | April 9 | North Dakota (8) | NCHC | (34–6–4) | Tampa, Florida |
| 70 | 2016–17 | 2017 | 16 | October 1 | April 8 | Denver (8) | NCHC | (33–7–4) | Chicago, Illinois |
| 71 | 2017–18 | 2018 | 16 | October 1 | April 7 | Minnesota–Duluth (2) | NCHC | (25–16–3) | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 72 | 2018–19 | 2019 | 16 | October 6 | April 13 | Minnesota–Duluth (3) | NCHC | (29–11–2) | Buffalo, New York |
| 73 | 2019–20 | 2020 | Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic [11] | Detroit, Michigan | |||||
| 74 | 2020–21 | 2021 | 16 | November 14 | April 10 | Massachusetts | Hockey East | (20–5–4) | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 75 | 2021–22 | 2022 | 16 | October 2 | April 9 | Denver (9) | NCHC | (31–9–1) | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 76 | 2022–23 | 2023 | 16 | October 1 | April 8 | Quinnipiac | ECAC Hockey | (34–4–3) | Tampa, Florida |
| 77 | 2023–24 | 2024 | 16 | October 6 | April 14 | Denver (10) | NCHC | (30–9–3) | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
Since 1947-48, as of 2022
Single Season Points
| Career Points
|
Single Season Goals
| Career Goals
|
Single Season Goals Against Average*
* At least 1/3 of team's minutes played | Career Goals Against Average^
^ Minimum 30 games played |
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the current CCHA recognizes as part of its history, existed from 1971 to 2013. Four of its nine members are located in the state of Michigan, with three in Minnesota and one each in Ohio and South Dakota. It has also had teams located in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska over the course of its existence.
College Hockey America (CHA) was a college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The conference's final membership featured six women's teams, with three in Pennsylvania; two in New York, and one in Missouri.
The 2001 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament involved 12 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college ice hockey.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference for teams in the Midwestern United States. The league was formed on July 9, 2011 and began playing for the 2013–14 season, the same season that the Big Ten Conference began competition, as a combination of six previous members of the WCHA and two of the CCHA. The league is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 3, 2003 and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament's championship game on April 10, 2004 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts. This was the 57th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 110th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team. The 2003-04 season was the inaugural year for the Atlantic Hockey Association after the discontinuation of Division I ice hockey sponsorship by the MAAC at the conclusion of the previous season.
The 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 4, 2002, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 12, 2003, at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. This was the 56th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 109th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team. The 2002–03 season was the final year for the MAAC hockey conference when Iona and Fairfield ended their programs at the conclusion of the season.
The 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 5, 2001, and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 6, 2002, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This was the 55th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 108th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 6, 2000 and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 7, 2001 at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York. This was the 54th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 107th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 1, 1999, and concluded with the 2000 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 8, 2000, at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. This was the 53rd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 106th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 3, 1998, and concluded with the 1999 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on April 3, 1999, at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. This was the 52nd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 105th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2013 and ended with the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game in April 2014. This was the 67th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 120th year overall in which an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2014 and ended with the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game in April 2015. This was the 68th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 121st year overall in which an NCAA school fielded a team.
The 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2016 and ended with the 2017 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament's championship game in April 2017. This was the 70th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and the 123rd year overall in which an NCAA school iced a team.
The 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 2017 and ended with the Frozen Four in April 2018. This was the 71st season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and US college hockey's 124th year overall.
The 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 5, 2019, and was intended to conclude with the Frozen Four in April 2020. This would have been the 73rd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 126th year overall. However, the postseason tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on November 14, 2020, and concluded with the Frozen Four on April 10, 2021. Due to the cancellation of the previous year's tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic, this was the 73rd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 127th year overall.
The 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 2, 2021, and concluded with the NCAA championship on April 9, 2022. This was the 74th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 128th year overall.
The 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 1, 2022, and concluded with the NCAA championship on April 8, 2023. This was the 75th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held, and was US college hockey's 129th year overall.
The 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began on October 6, 2023, and concluded with the NCAA championship on April 13, 2024. This was the 76th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship is being held, and is US college hockey's 130th year overall.