St. Thomas hockey to follow Arizona State into NCHC, as league expands to 10 teams

Updated May. 15, 2024 9:08 p.m. ET

Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The University of St. Thomas will join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for the 2026-27 season as the 10th member, the men's hockey league announced Wednesday.

The NCHC will formally add Arizona State this summer for the 2024-25 season, joining defending NCAA champion Denver, Colorado College, Omaha, North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State, Miami of Ohio and Western Michigan. The NCHC began play in the 2013-14 season amid a major shuffle of conference alignments in college sports and has accounted for six national titles in its 11 seasons.

St. Thomas, which is located in St. Paul, Minnesota, moved its entire athletic program from Division III to Division I in 2021 and has played its first three seasons in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Tommies will continue in the CCHA for two more years before moving to the NCHC. After going 3-32-1 in their Division I debut, they tied for second place in the CCHA in 2023-24 and went 15-20-2 overall.

St. Thomas is scheduled to open a new 4,000-seat arena on campus next year. The women's team plays in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

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