ASU hockey joining National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2024-25
Jul 5, 2023, 1:08 PM | Updated: 3:17 pm
Arizona State forward Robert Mastrosimone (94) skates with the puck during the second period a College Hockey game between the St. Thomas Tommies and the Arizona State Sun Devils on January 27th, 2023, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Arizona State Sun Devils hockey is joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference starting in the 2024-25 season, the two sides announced Wednesday.
ASU will mark the ninth program in a conference that includes Denver, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota once made an official member on July 1, 2024.
“Since the inception of NCAA Division I ice hockey at ASU, we’ve searched for a conference that embodies our commitment to the student-athlete experience, academics, championship performance and elite competition,” vice president for university athletics Ray Anderson said in a press release. “After a successful first season at Mullett Arena, the time is right to secure membership within a distinguished conference and we’re thrilled to join the NCHC.
“This membership further enriches and empowers our commitment to providing the best experience for our students, fans, alumni and community stakeholders. In exchange, we look forward to hosting our fellow NCHC member institutions and contributing to the standard of excellence set by the conference and its historic programs.”
The Sun Devils, who qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2019, have operated as an independent the past eight years. They were one of six schools under that category last year and finished with an 18-21-0 mark. That includes a 3-4-0 record against NCHC teams.
ASU now joins a conference already known for taking home the hardware, with five NCAA National Championships coming in its first 10 seasons. NCHC teams have also accounted for 13 Frozen Four appearances and 35 NCAA Tournament berths in conference history.
“This will go down as one of the most influential days in the history of Sun Devil hockey,” Arizona State head coach Greg Powers said in a release. “To be accepted as a member into such a tremendous conference like the NCHC with such historic college hockey programs is an honor we will never take for granted.
“The ability to develop rivalries in a conference where hockey is paramount to all its members, chase the Penrose Cup and compete in postseason championships is going to be a welcomed challenge for our student-athletes and fans. We can’t wait to get started and do our part in contributing to the NCHC, the greatest single-sport conference in college athletics.”
The complete NCHC schedule for the 2024-25 season is expected to be released next spring.
A full look at how the conference will look once ASU becomes an official member:
National Collegiate Hockey Conference
– Arizona State
– Colorado College
– Denver
– Miami
– Minnesota Duluth
– Nebraska Omaha
– North Dakota
– St. Cloud State
– Western Michigan
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