With just 61 NCAA D1 hockey teams, there is more teams in March Madness alone than all of college hockey. However, this number has been growing slowly over the last few years with the additions of Arizona State and most recently Long Island University.
We will also be seeing two other programs join the division-I ranks over the next couple of seasons. The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota is slated to transition from division-III next season where they will compete in the revived CCHA. The CCHA was disbanded after Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State left to play in the Big Ten Conference. St. Thomas will join seven schools in the CCHA such as Bemidji State, Ferris State, Minnesota State, and a number of others. Lindenwood University, which already has a division I women’s team, will be adding a men’s team during the 2022 season. The small school just outside of St. Louis has already turned it’s ACHA program into a powerhouse since its inception in 2003. Not to mention, St. Louis has become a hotbed for talent throughout college hockey and the NHL.
There are a number of hurdles these schools must overcome in order to field a division-I program. Some of these factors include money, arena size, and title 9. But, as we’ve seen with ASU and other programs, sometimes these challenges can be overcome rapidly and seemingly out of nowhere.
With the NCAA Tournament starting this Friday, let’s take a look at some teams that could potentially become division-I programs in the near future.
University of Illinois
Illinois has been one of the more popular schools mentioned when it comes to expansion of D1 hockey. They would fit nicely into the Big Ten Conference which currently only has seven teams. The state of Illinois is also one of the top producers of talent for division-I hockey programs. In addition, there are USHL and NAHL programs located in close proximity to the Illinois campus. The Illini have a successful ACHA D1 program as well as a rink located on campus which consistently sells out for home games. The big hurdle right now seems to be coming from local government officials delaying the construction of a bigger rink in Champaign, but it seems to be almost a lock that the Fighting Illini will have a division I program within the next few seasons.
Adrian College
Adrian College is a powerhouse program within the ACHA as well as at the division-III level. The Bulldogs currently have the 6th ranked D-III team in the country and the 2nd ranked team for ACHA Men’s D1. Adrian’s rink is relatively small, but it has top notch facilities and a unique atmosphere. With some upgrades and additional seating the Arrington Ice Arena could be a competent D-I barn. Adrian could also fit nicely the revived CCHA conference as it will contain four other teams from the state of Michigan.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa would be a unique addition to the Big Ten Conference. Iowa is not exactly known as a hockey hotbed, but the state does tout high end professional and junior-level hockey. The Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL team, plays in Des Moine while the state also houses four USHL teams. Iowa City, where the university is located, is also only about a three-hour drive from Chicago and is bordered by Minnesota and Michigan. A new building named Xtreme Arena recently opened up in nearby Coralville, IA and will house an expansion ECHL franchise as well. It’s starting to make almost too much sense for the University of Iowa to make the jump to the NCAA ranks and give the Big Ten another new member (hopefully alongside the University of Illinois).
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island could be an awesome fit as an addition to the division-I ranks. URI would likely slot into the Hockey East and give the conference a twelfth team. Not only that, but the Rams would be a natural rival for Providence College and be another flagship New England school with a division-I program. URI has a 2,500 seat rink on campus as well.
UNLV
Out of all the teams out west the UNLV Rebels might be the most exciting potential addition to the NCAA. The Golden Knights have taken the NHL by storm and a D1 program at UNLV could be a perfect complement to grow the game even further on the west coast. The Rebels play out of City National Arena which is the practice arena for the Vegas Golden Knights. UNLV also has one of the higher end social media presences in all of the ACHA. They have a large following and put out awesome content such as hype videos and footage from practices and games. The Rebels would also make a logical opponent for the Arizona State Sun Devils and any other team out west such as Air Force or Denver. UNLV could be another program similar to ASU that has huge draw for recruits and makes a seamless transition into the NCAA D1 ranks.
University of Colorado at Boulder
Who could be the next Pac 12 school to get D1 hockey after Arizona State paved the way? It just might be CU Boulder. There are a number of enticing options from this conference such as Arizona, USC, Oregon, and Washington. But, the program that is probably furthest along the path to getting an NCAA DI team is Colorado. The University of Arizona is a close second as they play in ACHA D1 and in a professional sized rink. The differentiating factor is Colorado’s potential to either join the NCHC or maybe even the Big Ten. The Buffs would be right in the mix of things location wise while Arizona would have to likely initially be road warriors as we’ve seen with ASU. The Buffaloes do have a rink on campus, but would need to be updated in order to house an NCAA program.
Liberty University
Liberty may be one of the most promising options on this list. They already have a beautiful 4,000 seat arena along with what seems to be an unlimited supply of money. Liberty currently has 5 teams across ACHA D1, D2, and D3 and has seen success at all levels. Their men’s ACHA D1 program is consistently a top-ranked team and even beat D-I NCAA team LIU earlier this season. It seems feasible that they would be able to add both men’s and women’s programs. Also, Liberty could slot in well to the Atlantic Hockey Conference alongside teams like Mercyhurst and Robert Morris.
Syracuse University
Syracuse University already has a division-I women’s program and would likely have numerous conference options if they were to add a men’s program. The Orange could potentially join the ECAC or Atlantic Hockey as they would add another reputable academic and athletic university to these conferences. The Oncenter War Memorial Arena is also nearby and is capable of holding over 6,000 fans. Syracuse is in close proximity to ECAC members like Union College, Cornell, and various other college teams.
Other Potential Schools: Navy, Ohio University, Penn, Delaware
