The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments.
The ACHA currently has five divisions (three men's and two women's) with 450 teams from across the United States. Teams offer no athletic scholarships and typically receive far less university funding. ACHA teams attract considerable on-campus attention and the quality of play is considered quite high, especially in the top division.[1]
The ACHA offers an opportunity for college hockey programs who struggle with large budgets and title IX issues an alternative to the NCAA structure .
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is a chartered non-profit corporation.
ACHA Men's Division 1 comprises 54 teams. There are six conferences along with Independent teams that compete annually for the Murdoch Cup awarded to the Men's ACHA Division 1 National Champion. Sixteen teams compete in the national tournament. These teams are selected by the National Coaches poll.
Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL)
Lindenwood, Ohio University, Iowa State, Robert Morris, Illinois, Indiana, Kent State
College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA)
Slippery rock, West Virginia, Indiana PA, Pittsburgh, Youngstown State, Duquesne, Washington & Jefferson, John Carroll
Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA)
Stony Brook, Navy, Drexel, Lehigh, Villanova, Scranton, Townson, Penn State-Berk
Eastern Collegiate Hockey League (ECHL)
Canton, Univ at Buffalo, Mercyhurst, Niagara, Rochester IT, U of Rochester, Canisius
Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL)
Rhode Island, Delaware, Penn State, Robert Morris PA, West Chester
Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL)
Adrian, Davenport, Oakland, W Michigan, E Michigan
Northeast Collegiate Hockey League (NECHL)
Rutgers, Syracuse, Binghamton, Oswego, Cornell, Ithaca, Cortland, St Bonaventure
ACHA Men's Division 2 is currently the largest division in the ACHA, it includes 200 teams in ten conferences and Independents. These teams are divided into four Regions (Northeast, Southeast, Central, West). A total of 16 teams qualify for the National Championship tournament, four from each region. The top two seeds from each region earn an automatic berth into Nationals. Seeds 3-10 compete in the regional tournament with the two teams who win both of their games also earning a Nationals berth.
Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL)
Great Midwest Hockey League (GMHL)
Great Northeast Collegiate Hockey Conference (GNCHC)
Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA)
Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA)
Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA)
Pacific 8 Intercollegiate Hockey Conference (PAC-8)
Super East Collegiate Hockey League (SECHL)
Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League (TSCHL)
Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association (WCCHA)
West Coast Hockey Conference (WCHC)
ACHA Men's Division 3 consists of 140 teams in ten conferences and Independents. These teams are also divided into four Regions (Atlantic, North, South, Pacific). A total of 16 teams qualify for the national tournament in the same manner as Division II.
Blue Ridge Hockey Conference (BRHC)
College Hockey Association (CHA) (Contains Non-ACHA members)
College Hockey East (CHE)
Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC)
Empire Collegiate Hockey Conference (ECHC)
Mason-Dixon Collegiate Hockey Association (MDCHA)
Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC) (Contains Non-ACHA members)
Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC)
Midwestern Collegiate Hockey Conference (MWCHC)
Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA)
Southeastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC)
Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association (PCHA)
Note: There are also many independent teams at all three divisions that do not belong to a conference or league.
