| Central Collegiate Hockey Association NCAA Division I Conference | |
 | |
| Founded: | 1971 (reestablished in 2020) |
|---|---|
| Number of teams: | 8 (in 2021–22) |
| Commissioner: | Don Lucia |
| Defending champions (men): | Michigan Wolverines |
| Website: | http://ccha.cstv.com/ |
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is the name of two different NCAA Men's Division I conferences. The first CCHA, which was one of the Big Four Division I men's conferences, existed from 1971 to 2013. The formation of the second CCHA was announced in February 2020, with play scheduled to begin in 2021.
Original CCHA
The original league was forced out of existence with the NCAA Division I men's hockey realignment of the 2010's. The formation of the Big Ten Conference in hockey caused the league to lose three members. The formation of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference had the league lose two more members. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association was decimated even worse being down to four teams after losses to the same two new conferences. The WCHA offered membership to the remaining membership of the CCHA in order to keep the conference with enough teams to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. All but Notre Dame accepted the offer join the WCHA. Notre Dame joined Hockey East.
The member teams at the end of the original CCHA were (and where they ended up) :
- Alaska Nanooks (to WCHA)
- Bowling Green Falcons (to WCHA; will join the revived CCHA in 2021)
- Ferris State Bulldogs (to WCHA; will join the revived CCHA in 2021)
- Lake Superior Lakers (to WCHA; will join the revived CCHA in 2021)
- Miami RedHawks (to NCHC)
- Michigan Wolverines (to Big Ten)
- Michigan State Spartans (to Big Ten)
- Northern Michigan Wildcats (to WCHA; will join the revived CCHA in 2021)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (to Hockey East; later joined Big Ten hockey)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (to Big Ten)
- Western Michigan Broncos (to NCHC)
final season commemorative logo
Other former members
- University of Illinois at Chicago, 1982–1996
- Kent State University, 1992–1994
- Michigan Technological University, 1981–1984, now in the WCHA; joining the revived CCHA in 2021
- University of Nebraska at Omaha 1999-2010, now in the NCHC under its current athletic identity of "Omaha"
- Ohio University, 1971–1973
- Saint Louis University, 1971–1979
With the exception of Michigan Tech and Omaha, all former members dropped varsity hockey.
Revival
In June 2019, seven of the 10 WCHA's men's members, all in the Midwestern U.S., announced that they would leave the WCHA after the 2020–21 season. Four of the seven schools—Bowling Green (which had kept ownership of the CCHA name), Ferris State, Lake Superior State, and Northern Michigan—had played in the final season of the original CCHA, and a fifth school, Michigan Tech, had briefly been a CCHA member in the 1980s.
On February 18, 2020, the seven schools announced they would organize as a new CCHA, with play starting in the 2021–22 season.[1]
Don Lucia was announced as commissioner for the conference on June 17, 2020[2]
On July 29, 2020 it was announced that the St. Thomas Tommies (NCAA) men's ice hockey team would be officially announced as joining the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for the 2021-22 season.[3] The team was jumping up from NCAA Division III play in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The members of the revived CCHA will be:
- Bemidji State Beavers
- Bowling Green Falcons
- Ferris State Bulldogs
- Lake Superior Lakers
- Michigan Tech Huskies
- Minnesota State Mavericks
- Northern Michigan Wildcats
- St. Thomas Tommies
Team profiles
- Alaska Nanooks
- Bowling Green Falcons
- 5-time CCHA tournament champions (1973, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988)
- 7-time CCHA champions (1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987)
- 1-time NCAA champions (1984)
- Ferris State Bulldogs
- 2-time CCHA champions (2003, 2012)
- Lake Superior State Lakers
- 4-time CCHA tournament champions (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995)
- 4-time CCHA champions (1974, 1988, 1991, 1996)
- 3-time NCAA champions (1988, 1992, 1994)
- 2-time NAIA champions (1972, 1974)
- Miami RedHawks
- 4-time CCHA champions (1993, 2006, 2010, 2013)
- 1-time CCHA tournaent champion (2011)
- Michigan Wolverines
- 9-time CCHA tournament champions (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010)
- 11-time CCHA champions (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011)
- 9-time NCAA champions (1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1996, 1998)
- Michigan State Spartans
- 11-time CCHA tournament champions (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006)
- 7-time CCHA champions (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2001)
- 3-time NCAA champions (1966, 1986, 2007)
- Northern Michigan Wildcats
- 2-time CCHA tournament champions (1980, 1981)
- 2-time CCHA champions (1980, 1981)
- 1-time NCAA champions (1991)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- 3-time CCHA tournament champions (2007, 2009, 2013)
- 2-time CCHA champions (2007, 2009)
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- 2-time CCHA tournament champions (1972, 2004)
- 1-time CCHA champions (1972)
- Western Michigan Broncos
- 2-time CCHA tournament champions (1986, 2012)
List of CCHA Champions
- See also: CCHA Tournament
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Conference arenas
| School | Hockey Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Carlson Center | 4,500 |
| Bowling Green | BGSU Ice Arena | 5,000 |
| Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena | 2,641 |
| Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena | 4,000 |
| Miami | Goggin Ice Center | 3,842 |
| Michigan | Yost Ice Arena | 6,637 |
| Michigan State | Munn Ice Arena | 6,470 |
| Northern Michigan | Berry Events Center | 3,902 |
| Notre Dame | Joyce Center Rink | 2,763 |
| Ohio State | Value City Arena | 17,500 |
| Western Michigan | Lawson Arena | 3,667 |
| Tournament | Joe Louis Arena | 20,066 |
See also
References
- ↑ Johnson, Randy (February 18, 2020). CCHA will be new name for seven teams leaving WCHA in 2021-22. Star Tribune. Retrieved on April 22, 2020.
- ↑ https://www.uscho.com/2020/06/17/ccha-tabs-proven-leader-and-winner-lucia-as-revamped-conferences-first-commissioner/
- ↑ https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29561090/new-ccha-men-hockey-league-adds-st-thomas
External links
- Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Official Athletic Site
- Maps to CCHA arenas
- website with historical CCHA standings
| NCAA Division I hockey conferences | |
|---|---|
| Current | Atlantic Hockey - Big Ten Conference - Central Collegiate Hockey Association - College Hockey America (women's) - ECAC Hockey - Hockey East - National Collegiate Hockey Conference - New England Women's Hockey Alliance - Western Collegiate Hockey Association (women's) - Independents |
| Former | College Hockey America (men's) - Great West Hockey Conference - Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - Tri-State League - Western Collegiate Hockey Association (men's) |
| Championships: Men / Women | |