Per a surprising announcement on Wednesday morning, St. Thomas is bolting the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) ahead of the 2026-27 season. The announcement coincides with the rapid ascension of the Tommies from D3 status several years ago to a full-fledged Division I athletics program. Now, they will join the toughest, most successful hockey conference in the country.
The addition of St. Thomas falls on the heels of Arizona State joining the conference and brings the NCHC membership to ten teams – University of Denver, Colorado College, Arizona State, Miami University, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Western Michigan and now, St. Thomas.
As Chair of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled to welcome @TommieAthletics to the NCHC! https://t.co/p5m9mTbrle
— Chancellor Dr. Joanne Li (@UNO_Chancellor) May 15, 2024
The move also adds a third team from Minnesota to the conference and places the NCHC into the state’s largest metro area and TV market, Minneapolis/St. Paul.
According to the NCHC release, “The NCHC is excited to welcome the University of St. Thomas to our ranks in 2026-27. During our annual NCHC meetings in Naples, the athletics directors engaged in robust conversation about the Conference’s vision and goals in the current NCAA landscape, including membership. St. Thomas’s institutional vision and commitment to nationally competitive hockey, as well as their central location in our footprint and new facility, make them an ideal fit,” NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems said. “The window of opportunity arose quickly, and we worked efficiently with our Board of Directors, Athletics Council, and the University of St. Thomas to achieve expansion. I want to thank St. Thomas President Rob Vischer and Vice President and Director of Athletics Phil Esten for their vision and investment in hockey. We expect they will compete well against our current members and only strengthen the depth and quality of the NCHC.”
Astute observers might notice the increased crossover between the NCHC and Summit League with now four athletic programs competing in both conferences. After the rumors that swirled in recent years about a ‘merger’ of sorts, it’s only natural that those rumors are going to continue to gain steam. But for now, those rumors will remain just that.
I like this move – St. Thomas is a good private school with what will be a new, on-campus arena. It gives the NCHC a team in the Twin Cities, which is the 15th largest TV market in the country, an easy flight road trip and now 10 overall members to help in scheduling. It’s also a hedge against a future defections.
This makes a lot of sense from many perspectives.
I only see 4 overlap NCHC/Summit teams: DU, UND, UNO, and St. Thomas. Which school am I missing?
Corrected.