Northern Collegiate Hockey Association

Last updated
Northern Collegiate Hockey Association
Northern Collegiate Hockey Association logo.svg
Association NCAA
Founded1980
CommissionerG. Steven Larson (since 2013)
Sports fielded
Division Division III
No. of teams10
Headquarters Duluth, Minnesota
Region Midwestern United States
Official website www.nchahockey.org
Locations
Map - College Hockey - D3 - NCHA states.svg

The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference.

Contents

The conference was formally approved in 1980 as an association of six schools in Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, though the teams' schedules would not be standardized until the following season. This led to some teams playing an unequal number of games in the 1980–81 season. As such, the 1981–82 season is considered the first official season of play. [1]

In the summer of 2012, the five schools in the University of Wisconsin System announced that they would leave the conference to begin playing hockey in their all-sports conference, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. [2] [3] The move would have left only two men's teams in the NCHA, leading St. Norbert and St. Scholastica to join the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). [4] In April 2013, the NCHA and MCHA announced a merger, where the NCHA would absorb the MCHA's teams (of the MCHA's 10 schools, all 7 who also sponsored women's hockey played in the NCHA). [5] The men's and women's sides will retain separate administrative structures, as well as their automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. [6]

Members

Current

SchoolLocation
(Population)		NicknameFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentColorsYear JoinedPrimary Conference
Adrian College Adrian, Michigan
(20,645)		Bulldogs1859Private1,400   Men: 2013
Women: 2009		 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Aurora University Aurora, Illinois
(180,542)		Spartans1893Private4,400   Men: 2015
Women: 2017		 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin
(25,142)		Falcons1880Private/Lutheran (LCMS)1,600   Men: 2013
Women: 2007		 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa
(59,667)		Spartans1852Private/Presbyterian (PC USA)2,190   Men: 2023
Women: 2023		 American Rivers Conference
Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois
(19,367)		Foresters1857Private1,417     Men: 1992–2009, 2013
Women: 2000		 Midwest Conference
Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin
(75,644)		Vikings1847Private1,469   Men: 2013 Midwest Conference
Marian University Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
(44,678)		Sabres1936Private/Catholic1,411   Men: 2013
Women: 2009		 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(577,222)		Raiders1903Private2,300   Men: 2013
Women: 2024		 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin
(25,410)		Green Knights1898Private/Catholic2,015   Men: 1994
Women: 2010		 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Trine University Angola, Indiana
(9,340)		Thunder1884Private2,000     Men: 2017
Women: 2017		 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Former

SchoolLocationNicknameFoundedAffiliationTeamsYear JoinedYear LeftSubsequent
Conference		Current
Conference
Bemidji State University Bemidji, Minnesota Beavers1919PublicMenMen: 1980Men: 1999 CHA (D-I) CCHA (D-I)
Finlandia University Hancock, Michigan
(4,501)		Lions1896Private/Lutheran (ELCA)BothMen: 2013
Women: 2003		Both: 2023N/A (Closed in 2023)
Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota Mavericks1868PublicMenMen: 1980Men: 1992D-II Independent CCHA (D-I)
Northland College Ashland, Wisconsin Lumberjacks1906Private/United Church of ChristBothMen: 2013
Women: 2016		Men: 2019
Women: 2019		 WIAC N/A (Closed in 2025)
St. Cloud State University St. Cloud, Minnesota Huskies1868PublicMenMen: 1980Men: 1987 D-I Independent NCHC (D-I)
The College of St. Scholastica Duluth, Minnesota Saints1912Private/CatholicBothMen: 1983–1991, 1994
Women: 2010		Men: 2021
Women: 2021		 MIAC
University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Eau Claire, Wisconsin Blugolds1916PublicBothMen: 1980
Women: 2000		Men: 2013
Women: 2013		 WIAC
University of Wisconsin–River Falls River Falls, Wisconsin Falcons1874PublicBothMen: 1980
Women: 2000		Men: 2013
Women: 2013		 WIAC
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Stevens Point, Wisconsin Pointers1894PublicBothMen: 1986
Women: 2000		Men: 2013
Women: 2013		 WIAC
University of Wisconsin–Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin Blue Devils1891PublicBothMen: 1996Men: 2013 WIAC
University of Wisconsin–Superior Superior, Wisconsin Yellowjackets1893PublicBothMen: 1980
Women: 2000		Men: 2013
Women: 2013		 WIAC

Membership timeline

Dubuque UniversityTrine UniversityAurora UniversityNorthland College (Wisconsin)Milwaukee School of EngineeringLawrence UniversityMarian University (Wisconsin)Adrian CollegeConcordia University WisconsinFinlandia UniversityUniversity of Wisconsin–StoutSt. Norbert CollegeLake Forest CollegeUniversity of Wisconsin–Stevens PointCollege of St. ScholasticaUniversity of Wisconsin–SuperiorUniversity of Wisconsin–River FallsUniversity of Wisconsin–Eau ClaireBemidji State UniversityMinnesota State University, MankatoSt. Cloud State UniversityNorthern Collegiate Hockey Association

Champions

Men

SeasonRegular SeasonTournament
1980–81 [a] Mankato State—
1981–82Bemidji State—
1982–83Bemidji State—
1983–84Bemidji State^—
1984–85Bemidji State—
1985–86Bemidji State
Mankato State		Bemidji State^
1986–87St. Cloud State
Mankato State		St. Cloud State
1987–88UW–River FallsUW–River Falls^
1988–89UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point^
1989–90UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point^
1990–91Bemidji State
Mankato State		UW–Stevens Point^
1991–92UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point
1992–93UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point^
1993–94UW–SuperiorUW–Superior^
1994–95Bemidji StateBemidji State
1995–96UW–River FallsUW–River Falls
1996–97St. NorbertUW–Superior
1997–98St. NorbertSt. Norbert
1998–99St. NorbertSt. Norbert
1999–2000UW–Stevens PointUW–Superior
2000–01UW–SuperiorUW–Superior
2001–02St. NorbertUW–Superior^
2002–03St. NorbertSt. Norbert
2003–04St. NorbertSt. Norbert
2004–05St. NorbertSt. Norbert
2005–06St. NorbertUW–Superior
2006–07St. Norbert
UW–River Falls
UW–Stout		St. Norbert
2007–08St. NorbertSt. Norbert^
2008–09UW–SuperiorUW–Stout
2009–10St. NorbertSt. Norbert
2010–11St. NorbertSt. Norbert^
2011–12St. NorbertSt. Norbert^
2012–13UW–Eau ClaireSt. Norbert
2013–14St. NorbertSt. Norbert^
2014–15AdrianAdrian
2015–16AdrianAdrian
2016–17AdrianSt. Norbert
2017–18AdrianSt. Norbert^
2018–19St. NorbertSt. Norbert
2019–20AdrianAdrian
2020–21AdrianMarian

Women

SeasonRegular SeasonTournament
2000–01UW–SuperiorUW–River Falls
2001–02UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point
2002–03UW–River FallsUW–River Falls
2003–04UW–SuperiorUW–Stevens Point
2004–05UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point
2005–06UW–Stevens PointUW–Stevens Point
2006–07UW–SuperiorUW–Stevens Point
2007–08UW–SuperiorUW–Superior
2008–09UW–River FallsUW–River Falls
2009–10Lake ForestUW–River Falls
2010–11UW–River FallsAdrian
2011–12UW–River FallsUW–River Falls
2012–13UW–River FallsSt. Norbert
2013–14Lake ForestLake Forest
2014–15AdrianLake Forest
2015–16AdrianAdrian
2016–17AdrianAdrian
2017–18AdrianAdrian
2018–19AdrianAdrian
2019–20AdrianAdrian
2020–21St. ScholasticaAdrian

^ Won National Championship

Arenas

SchoolArenaCapacity
Adrian Arrington Ice Arena 500
Aurora Fox Valley Ice Arena 3,500
Concordia Wisconsin Ozaukee Ice Center 1,000
Finlandia Houghton County Arena 1200
Lake Forest Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse 1,000
Lawrence Appleton Family Ice Center 1,200
Marian Blue Line Family Ice Center 2,000
Milwaukee Engineering Kern Center 800
Northland Bay Area Civic Center 1,000
St. Norbert Cornerstone Community Center 2,000
Trine Thunder Ice Arena 700

See also

References

  1. ↑ The NCHA formed in 1980, but team schedules would not be standardized until 1981.
  1. ↑ "A History of the NCHA". Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ Hodkiewicz, Weston (February 15, 2012). "Wisconsin state schools' move away from NCHA 'a shock to the system,' St. Norbert coach says". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ Staff (April 24, 2012). "WIAC schools to leave NCHA after 2012-13 season". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ Staff (June 20, 2012). "St. Norbert, St. Scholastica moving to MCHA for 2013-14 season". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  5. ↑ Carito, Katie (April 24, 2013). "NCHA is reborn". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "MCHA Renamed NCHA | New Structure Approved". Press release. Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
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