Ever since Arizona State elevated its Hockey program to varsity status in 2015, the milestones have quickly followed from a historic NCAA Tournament berth to having Mullet Arena built just last year. Today's announcement, though, of the Sun Devils joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and becoming its ninth member may be the most significant development.
"This will go down as one of the most influential days in the history of Sun Devil Hockey," said ASU head coach Greg Powers in a statement. "To be accepted as a member into such a tremendous conference like the NCHC with such historic college hockey programs is an honor we will never take for granted."
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 currently compose the NCHC's membership.
This conference has captured five of the last seven NCAA National Championships, a remarkable feat for a league that has existed for only ten years. NCHC teams have combined to make 13 Frozen Four appearances in conference history, as well as 35 NCAA Tournament berths.
"The ability to develop rivalries in a conference where hockey is paramount to all its members, chase the Penrose Cup, and compete in postseason championships is going to be a welcomed challenge for our student-athletes and fans," Powers commented. "We can't wait to get started and do our part in contributing to the NCHC, the greatest single-sport conference in college athletics."
The ASU's program stature has never been higher than it is currently. In its first year at Mullett Arena, the Sun Devils averaged more than 4,600 fans per game (in a 5,000-seat capacity venue), which ranked an impressive 12th nationally in average attendance. The NCHC teams are known for their rabid fan bases that travel well, which could lead to even higher attendance numbers in two years and beyond.
Four alumni have signed NHL contracts in the last four years, including two (Joey Daccord with Ottawa and Brinson Pasichnuk with San Jose) who have made NHL debuts. The conference is second to none in terms of the exposure its players get from NHL scouts. Off the ice, ASU has also seen success with 100 percent graduation success rates in two of the last three seasons. Seven Sun Devils earned Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll this past season.
"On behalf of the entire NCHC Board, I am thrilled to welcome Arizona State University to the elite conference in college hockey," said NCHC Chair of the Board and University of North Dakota President Andy Armacost. "ASU's commitment to excellence on the ice, in the classroom, and in the lives of student-athletes reflects the ideals of the NCHC, and we couldn't be more pleased to have them as our newest member."
In 2024-25 the conference will continue to have a 24-game schedule. The new schedule model and rotation 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 every season (eight games).
The three-team pods are: ASU, Colorado College, and Denver; Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State; and Miami, Omaha, and Western Michigan.
The remaining 16 conference games will be played against the six 'non-pod' teams, with four opponents only being played in one series (eight games), home or away, and two 'non-pod' opponents being played in both home and away series (eight games). The 'non-pod' teams that are played either once or twice in a series will rotate over three seasons. The complete 2024-25 schedule will be released next spring.
The NCHC's postseason format with nine teams for the 2024-25 season and beyond is still being evaluated and will be finalized and announced in the coming months.
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