NCAA Division I independent schools are teams that compete inNCAAice hockey but are not members of aconference. There are several current schools who, at one time or another, competed asDivision I independents. Beginning in the 2025–26 season, the independent schools will compete for theUnited Collegiate Hockey Cup, an end-of-season tournament that will function as a de facto conference championship.
| Institution | Team | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Years | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island University | Sharks[1] | Brooklyn &Brookville,New York | 1926 | Private | 15,197[a] | 2020–present | Northeast Conference |
| University of Alaska Anchorage | Seawolves | Anchorage,Alaska | 1954 | Public | 15,174 | 1984–1985 1988–1993 2022–present | GNAC |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Nanooks | Fairbanks,Alaska | 1917 | Public | 6,813 | 1925–1985 1988–1993 2021–present | GNAC |
| Lindenwood University | Lions | St. Charles,Missouri | 1827 | Private | 6,491 | 2022–present | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Stonehill College | Skyhawks | Easton,Massachusetts | 1948 | Private | 2,500 | 2022–present | Northeast Conference |
| Institution | Team | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Years | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State University | Tigers[2][3] | Nashville,Tennessee | 1912 | Public (HBCU) | 8,198 | TBA | Ohio Valley Conference |
Alaska played infrequently as an independent program prior to 1985. It returned to independent status after theGreat West Hockey Conference dissolved in 1988 and then joined theCCHA in 1995. The team was one of two final members of the men's division of theWCHA in 2021 and formally dissolved the men's side of the conference in 2021 (the WCHA remains in operation as a women-only league).[4]
Alaska-Anchorage first moved to D1 status in hockey in 1984, and played its first couple years as an independent before joining the newly founded GWHC alongside the Nanooks. After it dissolved, the Seawolves also played as an independent before joining the WCHA in 1994, around the same time Alaska joined the nearby CCHA. In 2020, the University of Alaska announced that UAA hockey would be cut after the 2020-21 season due to a reduction in state funding unless the program could raise 3 million dollars, and the program went on hiatus that year while its future was uncertain.[5] Ultimately, the program was saved, and it returned to play in the 2022-23 season as an independent, following the dissolution of the men's side of its former conference, the WCHA.[6]
The LIU Sharks launched their men's program for the 2020–21 season, a year after starting a women's ice hockey program.
With the 2020–21 season dramatically impacted byCOVID-19, LIU was in ascheduling alliance with a Division I conferences for that season,Atlantic Hockey.[1]
In 2021–22, Lindenwood fielded two separate men's club teams, each playing at a different level of theAmerican Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), which governs the sport at club level. On March 23, 2022, Lindenwood announced that it would launch a Division I men's varsity program starting in the 2022–23 season, while maintaining its ACHA program. This announcement came shortly after the school announced it was starting a transition from Division II to Division I in July 2022, joining the non-hockeyOhio Valley Conference.[7]
On April 5, 2022, Stonehill, then a member of the D-IINortheast-10 Conference (NE-10), announced it was joining theNortheast Conference (which also does not sponsor ice hockey) that July, starting its own transition to D-I. Before this announcement, Stonehill had been one of seven NE-10 members that played men's ice hockey under Division II regulations, despite the NCAA not sponsoring a championship event at that level. (All other D-II schools with varsity men's ice hockey play under D-I regulations.)[8]
No women's program has competed as an independent in the National Collegiate division of women's ice hockey, the de facto equivalent of Division I in that sport, since the 2018–19 season. The NCAA has never sponsored aDivision II championship in the sport, although it does sponsor aDivision III championship.
Five schools competed as independents in the 2018–19 season, all participating in the nascentNew England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA), which had originally been established in 2017 as a scheduling alliance among all of the then-current National Collegiate independents. The NEWHA initially included six schools, butHoly Cross left after the inaugural 2017–18 NEWHA season to joinHockey East. The NEWHA officially organized as a conference in advance of the 2018–19 season,[9] but was not officially recognized by the NCAA as a Division I league until the 2019–20 season, by which time the newly launchedLIU program had joined as the sixth member.[10]
The newest National Collegiate hockey school isAssumption, which joined the NEWHA for administrative purposes in 2022 but did not start conference play until launching its varsity team a year later.[11] Also,Robert Morris, which had dropped the sport after the 2020–21 season due toCOVID-19 impacts, resumed play in 2023–24, returning to its previous conference ofCollege Hockey America (CHA).[12] After the 2023–24 season, CHA merged with the men-onlyAtlantic Hockey Association, which RMU had rejoined in 2023, to formAtlantic Hockey America. RMU continues to field both teams in the merged conference.
| School | Years | Subsequent conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force Falcons[13] | 1968–1999 | CHA | Joined theAtlantic Hockey Association in 2006. After the 2024 merger of the Association and CHA, now plays inAtlantic Hockey America. |
| Arizona State Sun Devils[14] | 2015–2023 | NCHC | Joined theNational Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in 2024. |
| Army Black Knights[15] | 1903–1961 1991–1999 | ECAC CHA | Joined theAtlantic Hockey Association in 2000. After the 2024 merger of the Association and CHA, now plays inAtlantic Hockey America. |
| Bemidji State Beavers[16] | 1947–1950 | dropped program | Bemidji returned to Division I in 1999 as a charter member ofCollege Hockey America, and moved to theWCHA for 2010–11. The Beavers were among the schools that revived the CCHA in 2021. |
| Boston College Eagles[17] | 1917–1961 | ECAC | Currently competes in Hockey East. |
| Boston University Terriers[18] | 1917–1943 1945–1961 | suspended program ECAC | Currently competes in Hockey East. |
| Brown Bears[19] | 1897–1906 1926–1961 | dropped program ECAC | |
| Clarkson Golden Knights[20] | 1920–1950 | Tri-State League | Clarkson was a member of the Tri-State League concurrently withECAC from 1961 until the Tri-State's dissolution in 1972. |
| Colgate Raiders[21] | 1915–1917 1920–1950 1957–1961 | dropped program Tri-State League ECAC | Colgate dropped their program in 1951 due to the lack of an indoor facility but returned to the ice in 1957. |
| Colorado College Tigers[22] | 1937–1951 1958–1959 | MCHL WCHA | Joined theNational Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in 2013. |
| Cornell Big Red[23] | 1900–1903 1906–1916 1920–1931 1933–1948 1957–1961 | dropped program suspended program suspended program dropped program ECAC | |
| Dartmouth Big Green[24] | 1905–1918 1919–1961 | suspended program ECAC | |
| Denver Pioneers[25] | 1949–1951 1958–1959 | MCHL WCHA | Joined the NCHC in 2013. |
| Harvard Crimson[26] | 1897–1917 1918–1943 1945–1961 | suspended program suspended program ECAC | |
| UMass Minutemen[27] | 1908–1939 1947–1951 1953–1961 1993–1994 | dropped program dropped program ECAC Hockey Hockey East | JoinedECAC 2 in 1964. Dropped program from 1979 until 1993. |
| Merrimack Warriors[28] | 1956–1961 | ECAC Hockey | JoinedECAC 2 in 1964. Returned toDivision I in 1985 as a D1 independent then joinedHockey East in 1989. |
| Miami RedHawks[29] | 1978–1980 | CCHA | Joined the NCHC in 2013. |
| Michigan Wolverines[30] | 1922–1951 | MCHL | Was also a member of the Big Ten from 1958 through 1981. Moved toCCHA in 1981. Joined the new Big Ten men's hockey league in 2013. |
| Michigan State Spartans[31] | 1921–1930 1949–1951 | dropped program MCHL | Was also a member of the Big Ten from 1958 through 1981. Moved toCCHA in 1981. Joined the new Big Ten men's hockey league in 2013. |
| Michigan Tech Huskies[32] | 1919–1951 1958–1959 | MCHL WCHA | Played in theCCHA from 1981–84. Re-joined the WCHA in 1984; became part of the revived CCHA in 2021. |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers[33] | 1921–1951 | MCHL | Was also a member of the Big Ten from 1958 through 1981. Joined the new Big Ten men's hockey league in 2013. |
| Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs[34] | 1930–1932 1946–1949 1961–1965 | dropped program MIAC WCHA | Joined the NCHC in 2013. |
| Minnesota State Mavericks[35] | 1996–1999 | WCHA | After moving up from Division II and before joining the WCHA. Became a member of the revived CCHA in 2021. |
| New Hampshire Wildcats[36] | 1924–1961 | ECAC | Currently competes inHockey East. |
| Niagara Purple Eagles[37] | 1997–1999 | CHA | Niagara began varsity hockey in 1997, and became a charter member of the CHA in 1999. They moved to theAtlantic Hockey Association for 2010–11, and became members ofAtlantic Hockey America upon the Association's merger with CHA after the 2023–24 season. |
| North Dakota Fighting Hawks[38] | 1929–1936 1946–1951 1958–1959 | dropped program MCHL WCHA | Joined the NCHC in 2013. |
| Northeastern Huskies[39] | 1929–1961 | ECAC Hockey | Currently competes inHockey East. |
| Northern Michigan Wildcats[40] | 1976–1977 | CCHA | Joined the WCHA in 2013; joined the revived CCHA in 2021. |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish[41] | 1912–1927 1968–1971 1984–1991 | dropped program WCHA CCHA | Left the CCHA in 2013 for Hockey East; moved to the Big Ten in 2017. |
| Ohio State Buckeyes[42] | 1963–1971 1973–1975 | CCHA CCHA | Joined the new Big Ten men's hockey league in 2013. |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | 1940–1944 1946–1947 2012–2013 | suspended program dropped program Big Ten | In September 2010, Penn State announced they would add men's and women'sNCAA Division I hockey programs in 2012, competing in their first season as an independent.[43] In March 2011, the Big Ten Conference announced that Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State would leave theCCHA, and Minnesota and Wisconsin announced that they would leave theWCHA to form aBig Ten hockey conference to begin play in the 2013–14 season.[44] |
| Princeton Tigers[45] | 1899–1961 | ECAC | |
| Providence Friars[46] | 1926–1927 1952–1954 1955–1961 | dropped program Northeast League ECAC | Currently competes inHockey East. |
| RPI Engineers[47] | 1901–1950 | Tri-State League | Rensselaer was a member of the Tri-State League concurrently withECAC from 1961 until the Tri-State's dissolution in 1972. |
| RIT Tigers[48] | 2005–2006 | Atlantic Hockey | Played first year of its probation period after joining Division I as an independent. Became members ofAtlantic Hockey America after Atlantic Hockey's merger with CHA in 2024. |
| Sacred Heart Pioneers[49] | 1993–1998 | MAAC | Became founding members of theAtlantic Hockey Association when it spun off from the MAAC after the 2002–03 season. Sacred Heart's membership transferred toAtlantic Hockey America upon the Association's 2024 merger with CHA. |
| St. Cloud State Huskies[50] | 1931–1942 1946–1961 1987–1990 | dropped program College Division WCHA | Dropped their program duringWorld War II. Relegated to second-tier level when the division was formalized in 1961. Joined the NCHC in 2013. |
| St. Lawrence Saints[51] | 1925–1930 1938–1950 | dropped program Tri-State League | St. Lawrence was a member of the Tri-State League concurrently withECAC from 1961 until the Tri-State's dissolution in 1972. |
| Union Dutchmen[52] | 1903–1904 1905–1911 1919–1920 1921–1942 1947–1949 | dropped program dropped program suspended program suspended program dropped program | Resumed playing in 1975 withECAC 2. Returned to Division I in 1991 withECAC Hockey. |
| Wisconsin Badgers[53] | 1921–1935 1963–1969 | dropped program WCHA | Joined the new Big Ten men's hockey league in 2013. |
| Yale Bulldogs[54] | 1895–1961 | ECAC | Yale is the oldest active NCAA program. |
| School | Years | Subsequent conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkson Golden Knights[55] | 2003–2004 | ECAC | Played the first year of their program as an independent before joining theECAC. |
| Franklin Pierce Ravens | 2017–2019 | NEWHA | Moved from the Division IIINEHC in 2017, joining the NEWHA.[56] Left independent status upon NCAA recognition of the NEWHA. |
| Holy Cross Crusaders[57] | 2017–2018 | Hockey East | After playing as a de facto Division III program from the varsity program's creation in 1999–2000, joined the NEWHA at its formation in 2017–18 before moving to Hockey East the following season. |
| Lindenwood Lady Lions | 2011–2012 | CHA | The university competed as an independent for the 2011–12 season during the transition process of joining theNCAA fromNAIA, during which, the team was reclassifying fromACHA Division I toNCAA Division I. Lindenwood placed an application in Fall 2011 and was accepted as a member ofCHA starting in the 2012–13 season.[58] After the 2023–24 season, CHA merged with the men-onlyAtlantic Hockey Association to create the currentAtlantic Hockey America. |
| Post Eagles | 2017–2019 | NEWHA | Played inaugural women's hockey season of 2016–17 as a Division III independent ineligible for postseason play.[59] Joined the NEWHA at its formation in 2017 and left independent status upon NCAA recognition of the NEWHA. |
| Quinnipiac Bobcats[60] | 2002–2004 | CHA | Left the ECAC after 2002 and spent two years playing as an independent before joining the CHA. They returned to the ECAC after one season in the CHA. |
| RPI Engineers[61] | 2005–2006 | ECAC | Moved up from Division III (where they were a member of theECAC East) in 2005. |
| Sacred Heart Pioneers[62] | 2003–2019 | NEWHA | Moved from the Division IIIECAC East in 2003. Founding member of the NEWHA in 2017; left independent status upon NCAA recognition of that league. |
| Saint Anselm Hawks | 2017–2019 | NEWHA | Moved from the Division IIINEHC in 2017, joining the NEWHA.[63] Left independent status upon NCAA recognition of the NEWHA. |
| Saint Michael's Purple Knights | 2017–2019 | NEWHA | Moved from the Division IIINEHC in 2017, joining the NEWHA.[64] Left independent status upon NCAA recognition of the NEWHA. |
| UConn Huskies[65] | 2000–2001 | ECAC | Played the first year of their program as an independent before joining theECAC, and moved toHockey East in 2002. |
| School | Years | Subsequent conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama–Huntsville Chargers[66] | 1987–1992 1998–1999 2010–2013 | Division II CHA WCHA | The Chargers first competed as aDivision I independent between stints inDivision II. After winning 2 championships and finishing as runners-up twice more, UAH returned to Division I in 1998, spending one season as an independent before becoming a charter member ofCollege Hockey America. Following the demise of the men's side of CHA, and being denied entry to theCCHA,[67] the Chargers were independent for three seasons (2010–11 to 2012–13)[68] until joining theWestern Collegiate Hockey Association beginning in the 2013–14 season.[69] The team was temporarily suspended in 2021. The university currently plans to bring the program back when they secure placement in a Division I conference. |
| Carnegie Tech Tartans[70] | 1905–1909 1920–1921 | Intercollegiate League dropped program | The program was suspended after 1910 when the Intercollegiate League collapsed. The team resurfaced in 1937 in thePenn-Ohio League but discontinued the program in 1940. |
| Case Rough Riders | 1909–1911 | dropped program | The team resurfaced in 1938 in thePenn-Ohio League but discontinued the program after the collapse of the conference in 1941. |
| Columbia Lions | 1896–1915 1920–1923 1937–1938 | dropped program dropped program dropped program | |
| Johns Hopkins Blue Jays | 1894–1898 | dropped program | Johns Hopkins played the first two intercollegiate games against Yale in 1896.[71] |
| Kent State Golden Flashes[72] | 1985–1992 | CCHA | Program folded in 1994. |
| Illinois Fighting Illini[73] | 1937–1943 | dropped program | |
| UIC Flames[74] | 1981–1982 | CCHA | Moved up from Division II in 1981. Program folded in 1996. |
| MIT Engineers[75] | 1900–1961 | ECAC | The program joined the lower-tier division in 1964 and was dropped in 1975. |
| Northern Arizona Lumberjacks[76][77] | 1980–1985 | GWHC | Folded their program after one season in the GWHC due to rink problems. |
| Penn Quakers[78] | 1896–1899 1900–1901 1908–1911 1919–1924 1928–1930 1958–1967 | suspended program dropped program dropped program dropped program dropped program ECAC | Program ended after the 1977-78 season. |
| Pittsburgh Panthers[79] | 1906–1909 | Intercollegiate League | Began play in theWPHL. The program was dropped when the Intercollegiate League collapsed in 1910. The team restarted with the inception of thePenn-Ohio League in 1937 but was suspended after just two seasons. |
| Saint Louis Billikens[80] | 1970–1971 | CCHA | St. Louis was a founding member of the CCHA and continued with the conference until the program was demoted to club status in 1979. They currently play as an unrecognized Division II team. |
| Syracuse Orange[81] | 1911–1913 1923–1928 1939–1940 | dropped program dropped program dropped program | |
| US International Gulls[77][82] | 1979–1985 | GWHC | Dropped their program in 1988. |
| Villanova Wildcats[83][84] | 1929–1932 | dropped program | Returned as a Division III team and later dropped their program again after the 1997–1998 season forTitle IX reasons. |
| Western Reserve Red Cats | 1909–1911 | dropped program | The team resurfaced in 1937 in thePenn-Ohio League but discontinued the program after the collapse of the conference in 1941. |
| School | Years | Subsequent conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Fighting Hawks[85] | 2002–2004 | WCHA | Played the first years of their program as an independent before joining the WCHA. Dropped women's ice hockey after the 2016–17 season.[86] |
