Colorado Springs, Colorado – Nearly a year after it was first announced, Arizona State University has officially become a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The NCHC first announced on July 5, 2023 that the Sun Devils would become the conference's newest member, but ASU today achieved full membership and voting rights effective July 1, 2024.
The addition of Arizona State University makes the NCHC a now nine-team conference, marking the first time the NCHC has expanded since play began in 2013-14. The conference is set to expand to 10 teams when the University of St. Thomas officially joins on July 1, 2026. Current members of the NCHC are Arizona State University, Colorado College, University of Denver, University of Miami, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University.
NCHC just got even hotter?? #Preserve tradition pic.twitter.com/45I72wtiD9
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) July 1, 2024
“The NCHC is pleased to officially welcome Arizona State University as a member,” said NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems. “Over the past year, we have had the opportunity to interact more frequently with Arizona State's coaches and administration and continue to be impressed with their men's hockey program and their commitment to success. As last season's results show, they will quickly join our established rivalry and enhance the competitiveness of the NCHC.”
“I also extend a special welcome to all of the Arizona State University students and Sun Devil College fans,” Weems added. “Our students and fans are the core of our NCHC program and we know you will all bring passion and excitement to the ice this year and for years to come.”
The Sun Devils enter the NCHC with a team-record 24 wins (24-8-6 ties) in 2023-24 and a 3-2-2-2 tie record against NCHC teams. Arizona State will play a tough non-conference schedule in 2024-25, hosting Michigan twice at home and playing a series in Providence. The Sun Devils will play their first conference games at Colorado College on Nov. 8-9 and their first home conference series at Omaha College on Nov. 15-16 at Mallet Arena.
“We have worked incredibly hard as a program for this milestone and the 2024-25 season will mark the second chapter for Sun Devil hockey at the NCAA level competing in the premier conference in college hockey,” said Sun Devil Hockey Head Coach . Greg Powers “I want to thank all of the players that have played and all of those who have built the foundation that has led us to this moment. I also want to thank the NCHC and its members for welcoming ASU. We will never take for granted for a day that we will be competing for the Penrose Cup.”
“Today is a monumental day for Sun Devil hockey, ASU fans and the Valley of the Sun hockey community. We have worked hard to grow our program and attract conference members, achieving one of the primary goals we set when we announced the launch of Division I hockey at ASU nearly 10 years ago,” said Graham Rossini, athletic director for Sun Devil athletics. “As part of the NCHC, we are committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience, further developing ASU's Novus Innovation Corridor and expanding our presence into new regions of the country. We are excited to be in the premier college hockey conference and compete against some of the best collegiate hockey programs in the country, and we look forward to the next chapter for Sun Devil hockey.”
The second chapter begins… Follow /// #Preserve tradition pic.twitter.com/7X3aEuITGE
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) July 1, 2024
The NCHC released its 2024-25 conference schedule in April, which is the first to feature a 108-game schedule, with each team still playing 24 conference games for the Penrose Cup. The NCHC's new nine-team schedule model is structured into three pods of three teams based on geography, with teams guaranteed to play a home-and-away series against the other two teams in their pod each season (eight games). The three-team pods are: Arizona State, Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Miami, Omaha and Western Michigan.
Arizona State also qualifies immediately for the NCHC Tournament, which also earns the NCHC an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. If the Sun Devils finish in the top four of the NCHC in 2024-25, they will host their quarterfinal series at Mallet Arena. As in past years, the four winners of the quarterfinal series will advance to Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the NCHC Frozen Faceoff final will be held March 21-22, 2025. Beginning in 2026, the NCHC will host playoffs at all-campus venues.
Mallet Arena is the home of Sun Devil hockey and is located on the campus of Arizona State University. Mallet Arena can seat 5,000 for hockey games (942 seats for students), and the NHL added a $19.7 million annex with state-of-the-art locker rooms, training rooms, and strength rooms. Arizona State averaged nearly 4,800 fans at home games last season, ranking 13th in the nation in capacity.
Arizona State fans looking to watch the Sun Devils in their debut NCHC season can do so on the conference's digital network, NCHC.tv. NCHC.tv will have over 170 live games and events available to watch throughout the 2024-25 season, including every home non-conference and exhibition game, and every home and away conference game, except for games nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. Arizona State fans can subscribe to NCHC.tv now before the price increases in September to access the Sun Devils' home non-conference games and nearly every conference game this season. For more information on NCHC.tv, including availability on mobile apps and OTT apps such as Roku, AppleTV and FireTV, click here.
The NCHC has won six NCAA national championships in its first 11 seasons (10 tournaments), with Denver (2017, 2022, 2024) winning three, including last season, Minnesota Duluth (2018, 2019) winning twice and North Dakota (2016) winning the NCHC's first national title. NCHC teams have made a total of 14 Frozen Four appearances and 39 NCAA Tournament appearances in conference history. Arizona State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019.
The 2024-25 season officially kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 5, with all nine NCHC teams competing. Arizona State will open the season at Air Force One as the Sun Devils make the first of two trips to Colorado Springs. The quest for the Penrose Cup begins on Nov. 8 with a four-conference series, when Arizona State makes its second trip to Colorado Springs to face Colorado College in its NCHC opener.
