NCHC releases 2026-27 conference schedules
Miami and Western Michigan get their in-league assignments ahead of next season.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference released their 2026-27 conference slate on Tuesday afternoon, highlighting a planned 120 games of action on the ice next season.
There will be no changes to the number of conference games for NCHC members despite the addition of St. Thomas [MN] to the conference effective July 1st, with each member team expected to play 24 conference games (12 home, 12 away), but there are a number of changes with associated travel partners which will alter the schedule.
New pairs of "travel partners" include: Colorado College and Denver; Miami and Western Michigan; Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota; Arizona State and Omaha; and St. Cloud State and St. Thomas.
These travel partners will finish the regular season against one another, alternating hosting duties, and play each other four times per season with a home and away series each. Under the new schedule, all teams will play each other at least once.
Miami draws the following schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Oct. 30-31, 2026 | St. Thomas (MN) |
| Nov. 6-7, 2026 | @ Minnesota-Duluth |
| Nov. 13-14, 2026 | Omaha |
| Nov. 20-21, 2026 | @ Colorado College |
| Dec. 4-5, 2026 | @ Western Michigan |
| Holiday Break | Holiday Break |
| Jan. 8-9, 2027 | North Dakota |
| Jan. 15-16, 2027 | @ St. Cloud State |
| Jan. 22-23, 2027 | Arizona State |
| Feb. 5-6, 2027 | @ St. Thomas (MN) |
| Feb. 12-13, 2027 | Denver |
| Feb. 19-20, 2027 | @ North Dakota |
| Feb. 26-27, 2027 | Western Michigan |
Western Michigan draws the following schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Nov. 6-7, 2026 | @ North Dakota |
| Nov. 13-14, 2026 | Colorado College |
| Nov. 20-21, 2026 | @ Omaha |
| Dec. 4-5, 2026 | Miami |
| Dec. 11-12 | @ Arizona State |
| Holiday Break | Holiday Break |
| Jan. 8-9, 2027 | Denver |
| Jan. 15-16, 2027 | Omaha |
| Jan. 22-23, 2027 | @ St. Thomas (MN) |
| Feb. 5-6, 2027 | St. Cloud State |
| Feb. 12-13, 2027 | @ Colorado College |
| Feb. 19-20, 2027 | Minnesota-Duluth |
| Feb. 26-27, 2027 | Miami |
The NCAA begins its ice hockey season on Oct. 2nd, 2026, with NCHC league play officially staring on Oct. 30th, 2026, and concluding on Feb. 27th, 2027. The NCHC will then host first-round series games of the "Frozen Faceoff" on campus sites on the weekend of March 5th, 2027 before hosting a single-game elimination quarterfinal at the site of the #1 seed.
The semi-finals will take place on Saturday, March 13th, 2027 at the top two seeds' home ice, with the following weekend hosting the NCHC Championship on the top seed's campus.
NCAA Regionals start on March 25th, with the Frozen Four semi-finals and national title game to take place in Washington, D.C., from Thursday, April 8th to Saturday, April 10th, 2027.
The NCHC has won the NCAA Frozen Four two years in a row, with the University of Denver winning earlier this month. Western Michigan was the defending champion this season after winning in the 2024-25 campaign.
