Arizona State Becomes Official Member of the NCHC Today - Arizona State University Athletics (2024)

Ice Hockey July 1, 2024

With the addition of ASU, NCHC moves to a nine-team conference as of July 1, 2024

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nearly one year after making the initial announcement, Arizona State University is officially a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The NCHC first revealed the Sun Devils would become the Conference's newest member on July 5, 2023, but ASU gained full membership and voting rights as of today, July 1, 2024.

With the addition of Arizona State, the NCHC is now a nine-team conference, marking the first time the NCHC has expanded since play began in 2013-14. The Conference is set to move to 10 teams when the University of St. Thomas officially joins on July 1, 2026. The NCHC's membership currently consists of Arizona State University,Colorado College, the University of Denver, Miami University, the University of Minnesota Duluth, the University of Nebraska Omaha, the University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State University and Western Michigan University.

The NCHC just got hotter ?? #BeTheTradition pic.twitter.com/45I72wtiD9

— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) July 1, 2024

"The NCHC is excited to officially welcome Arizona State University to our membership," NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems said. "Over the past year, we have had the opportunity to interact with ASU coaches and administrators more frequently and continue to be impressed with their men's hockey program and commitment to success. As demonstrated by last season's results, they will immediately add to our established rivalries and enhance the competitiveness of the NCHC.

"I also offer a special welcome to the ASU students and all Sun Devil fans," Weems added. "Our students and fans are the heart of our NCHC programs and we know you'll bring your own passion and heat to the ice this year and the years to come."

The Sun Devils enter the NCHC coming off a program-record 24-win season (24-8-6) this past 2023-24 campaign, including going 3-2-2 against NCHC teams. ASU will face a challenging non-conference schedule in 2024-25, including hosting Michigan for a pair and playing a series at Providence. The Sun Devils will play their first ever conference games on Nov. 8-9 at Colorado College, before welcoming Omaha to Mullett Arena on Nov. 15-16 for their first home conference series.

"We have worked incredibly hard for this milestone as a program. The 2024-25 season marks Chapter Two of Sun Devil Hockey at the NCAA level as we compete in the best conference in college hockey," Sun Devil Hockey head coach Greg Powers said. "I want to thank our past players and all the people who built the foundation to get us to this moment.I also want to thank the NCHC and its members for welcoming ASU. We won't take a day for granted competing for the Penrose Cup."

"Today is a monumental day for Sun Devil Hockey, ASU fans, and the hockey community in the Valley of the Sun as we officially join the NCHC. We have worked hard to grow our program and attract conference membership, fulfilling one of the key goals established nearly 10 years ago when we announced the launch of Division I hockey at ASU," Sun Devil Athletics Athletic Director Graham Rossini said."As part of the NCHC, we are committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience and further developing ASU's Novus Innovation Corridor as we expand our presence into a new part of the country.We are thrilled to join the premier college hockey conference, competing alongside some of the best college hockey programs in America, and we eagerly anticipate the next chapter of Sun Devil Hockey."

Chapter Two Begins... @thenchc /// #BeTheTradition pic.twitter.com/7X3aEuITGE

— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) July 1, 2024

The NCHC released its 2024-25 conference schedule back in April, which features a 108-game slate for the first time, with each team continuing to play 24 conference games for the Penrose Cup. The NCHC's new, nine-team scheduling model consists of three, three-team pods based on geography with teams guaranteed to play 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 and Denver; Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota and St. Cloud State; and Miami, Omaha and Western Michigan.

Arizona State is also immediately eligible for the NCHC Tournament and the NCHC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Should the Sun Devils finish in the top four in the NCHC in 2024-25, they would host a quarterfinal series at Mullett Arena. Like in past years, the four quarterfinal series winners then advance to Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. with the final NCHC Frozen Faceoff set to take place March 21-22, 2025. The NCHC will move to all campus sites for its playoffs starting in 2026.

Mullett Arena serves as the home for Sun Devil Hockey on the campus of ASU. Mullett Arena seats 5,000 people for hockey games (942 seats for students), with the NHL adding a $19.7 million annex onto it, which includes state-of-the-art locker rooms, a training room, a strength and conditioning room and more. ASU averaged nearly 4,800 fans per home game this past season, ranking 13thnationally in capacity percentage.

Arizona State fans looking to watch the Sun Devils in their debut season in the NCHC can do so on the Conference's digital network, NCHC.tv. NCHC.tv is home to more than 170 live games and events throughout the 2024-25 season, including every home non-conference and exhibition game and every conference game, home and away, except those televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. ASU fans can subscribe to NCHC.tv today to secure access to the Sun Devils home non-conference games and nearly every conference game this upcoming season before prices go up in September. To learn more about NCHC.tv, including availability on mobile 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 and 2024) winning three, including this past season, Minnesota Duluth (2018, 2019) winning two and North Dakota (2016) earning the NCHC's first national title. NCHC teams have combined to make 14 Frozen Four appearances in conference history, as well as 39 NCAA Tournament berths. Arizona State earned its first ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2019.

The 2024-25 season officially gets underway on Saturday, Oct. 5, with all nine NCHC teams in action, including Arizona State opening at Air Force in the first of two trips the Sun Devils will make to Colorado Springs. The pursuit of the Penrose Cup begins on Nov. 8 with four conference series, including ASU making its second trip to Colorado Springs to face Colorado College for its inaugural NCHC series.