Northern Collegiate Hockey Association
AssociationNCAA
Founded1980
CommissionerG. Steven Larson (since 2013)
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams10
HeadquartersDuluth, Minnesota
RegionMidwestern United States
Official websitewww.nchahockey.org
Locations
Location of teams in (({title))}

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.

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 amount 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

School Location
(Population) 		Nickname Founded Affiliation Enrollment Colors Year Joined Primary Conference
Adrian College Adrian, Michigan
(20,645) 		Bulldogs 1859 Private 1,400     Men: 2013
Women: 2009 		Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Aurora University Aurora, Illinois
(180,542) 		Spartans 1893 Private 4,400     Men: 2015
Women: 2017 		Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin
(25,142) 		Falcons 1880 Private/Lutheran (LCMS) 1,600     Men: 2013
Women: 2007 		Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa
(59,667) 		Spartans 1852 Private/Presbyterian (PC USA) 2,190     Men: 2023
Women: 2023 		American Rivers Conference
Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois
(19,367) 		Foresters 1857 Private 1,417       Men: 1992–2009, 2013
Women: 2000 		Midwest Conference
Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin
(75,644) 		Vikings 1847 Private 1,469     Men: 2013 Midwest Conference
Marian University Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
(44,678) 		Sabres 1936 Private/Catholic 1,411     Men: 2013
Women: 2009 		Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(577,222) 		Raiders 1903 Private 2,300     Men: 2013 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin
(25,410) 		Green Knights 1898 Private/Catholic 2,015     Men: 1994
Women: 2010 		Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Trine University Angola, Indiana
(9,340) 		Thunder 1884 Private 2,000       Men: 2017
Women: 2017 		Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Former

School Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Teams Year Joined Year Left Subsequent
Conference 		Current
Conference
Bemidji State University Bemidji, Minnesota Beavers 1919 Public Men Men: 1980 Men: 1999 CHA (D-I) CCHA (D-I)
Finlandia University Hancock, Michigan
(4,501) 		Lions 1896 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) Both Men: 2013
Women: 2003 		Both: 2023 N/A (Closed in 2023)
Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota Mavericks 1868 Public Men Men: 1980 Men: 1992 D-II Independent CCHA (D-I)
Northland College Ashland, Wisconsin Lumberjacks 1906 Private/United Church of Christ Both Men: 2013
Women: 2016 		Men: 2019
Women: 2019 		WIAC
St. Cloud State University St. Cloud, Minnesota Huskies 1868 Public Men Men: 1980 Men: 1987 D-I Independent NCHC (D-I)
The College of St. Scholastica Duluth, Minnesota Saints 1912 Private/Catholic Both Men: 1983–1991, 1994
Women: 2010 		Men: 2021
Women: 2021 		MIAC
University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Eau Claire, Wisconsin Blugolds 1916 Public Both Men: 1980
Women: 2000 		Men: 2013
Women: 2013 		WIAC
University of Wisconsin–River Falls River Falls, Wisconsin Falcons 1874 Public Both Men: 1980
Women: 2000 		Men: 2013
Women: 2013 		WIAC
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Stevens Point, Wisconsin Pointers 1894 Public Both Men: 1986
Women: 2000 		Men: 2013
Women: 2013 		WIAC
University of Wisconsin–Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin Blue Devils 1891 Public Both Men: 1996 Men: 2013 WIAC
University of Wisconsin–Superior Superior, Wisconsin Yellowjackets 1893 Public Both Men: 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 University

Champions

Main article: NCHA Men's Tournament

Men[edit]

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

Women[edit]

Season Regular Season Tournament
2000–01 UW–Superior UW–River Falls
2001–02 UW–Stevens Point UW–Stevens Point
2002–03 UW–River Falls UW–River Falls
2003–04 UW–Superior UW–Stevens Point
2004–05 UW–Stevens Point UW–Stevens Point
2005–06 UW–Stevens Point UW–Stevens Point
2006–07 UW–Superior UW–Stevens Point
2007–08 UW–Superior UW–Superior
2008–09 UW–River Falls UW–River Falls
2009–10 Lake Forest UW–River Falls
2010–11 UW–River Falls Adrian
2011–12 UW–River Falls UW–River Falls
2012–13 UW–River Falls St. Norbert
2013–14 Lake Forest Lake Forest
2014-15 Adrian Lake Forest
2015–16 Adrian Adrian
2016–17 Adrian Adrian
2017-18 Adrian Adrian
2018-19 Adrian Adrian
2019-20 Adrian Adrian
2020-21 St. Scholastica Adrian

^ Won National Championship

Arenas

School Arena Capacity
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.

External links

Northern Collegiate Hockey Association
NCAA Division III ice hockey conferences
Category