NCAA Division I independent schools (ice hockey)

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Location of Division I
hockey independents

NCAA Division I independent schools are teams that compete in NCAA ice hockey but are not members of a conference. There are several current schools who, at one time or another, competed as Division I independents.

Current independent programs

Men

School	Years	Subsequent conference	Notes
Alabama–Huntsville Chargers	1987–1992 1998–1999 2010–2013	Division II CHA WCHA	The Chargers competed as a D-I independent between stints in Division II. After winning 2 championships and finishing as runners-up twice more, UAH returned to D-I in 1998, spending one season as an independent before becoming a charter member of College Hockey America. Following the demise of the men's side of CHA, and being denied entry to the CCHA, the Chargers have been independent since the 2010–11 season. UAH will join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association beginning in the 2013–14 season.
Penn State Nittany Lions	2012–2013	Big Ten	In September 2010 Penn State University announced they would transition their men's and women's ACHA Division I programs to NCAA Division I hockey in 2012. On March 21, 2011, the Big Ten Conference announced that Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State will leave the CCHA to join the Big Ten hockey conference to begin play in the 2013–2014 season. On March 22, 2011, Minnesota and Wisconsin announced that they plan on leaving the league in order to form a hockey Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten council is expected to vote for approval of the proposal in June.

Women

School	Years	Subsequent conference	Notes
Sacred Heart Pioneers	2003–present	–	The Pioneers moved up from Division III (where they were a member of the ECAC East) in 2003. Its men's team plays in a conference that does not sponsor women's hockey (Atlantic Hockey).

Current programs who were at one point independent

Men

School	Years	Subsequent conference	Notes
Air Force Falcons	1968–1999	CHA	Joined Atlantic Hockey in 2006
Alaska–Anchorage Seawolves	1979–1985 1988–1993	GWHC WCHA	The Seawolves competed as an independent following the demise of the Great West Hockey Conference. The school joined the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in 1993. UAA received NCAA tournament bids in 1990, 1991, and 1992 while an independent.
Alaska–Fairbanks Nanooks	1925–1926 1932–1973 1988–1994	dropped program Division II CCHA	The Nanooks re-joined Division I in 1985 in the Great West Hockey Conference, and went independent following the conference's demise. They joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in 1994. When the CCHA disbands in 2013 due to a major conference realignment, the Nanooks will join the WCHA.
American International Yellow Jackets	1948–1998	MAAC
Army Black Knights	1903–1961 1973–1984 1991–1999	ECAC ECAC CHA	Joined Atlantic Hockey in 2000
Bemidji State Beavers	1947–1950 1959–1967	dropped program Division III	Bemidji returned to Division I in 1999 as a charter member of College Hockey America, and moved to the WCHA for 2010–11.
Boston College Eagles	1917–1961	ECAC	Currently competes in Hockey East
Boston University Terriers	1917–1961	ECAC	Currently competes in Hockey East
Brown Bears	1897–1961	ECAC
Clarkson Golden Knights	1920–1961	ECAC
Colgate Raiders	1915–1917 1920–1961	dropped program ECAC
Colorado College Tigers	1937–1951 1958–1959	MCHL WCHA	Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to become a charter member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).
Cornell Big Red	1900–1901 1902–1903 1906–1961	dropped program dropped program ECAC
Dartmouth Big Green	1905–1961	ECAC
Denver Pioneers	1949–1951 1958–1959	MCHL WCHA	Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to become a charter member of the NCHC.
Harvard Crimson	1897–1961	ECAC
Holy Cross Crusaders	1966–1998	MAAC
Lake Superior State Lakers	1966–1972	CCHA
Maine Black Bears	1977–1984	Hockey East
UMass Minutemen	1908–1961 1993–1994	Division II Hockey East	Dropped program from 1979 until 1993
Merrimack Warriors	1984–1989	Hockey East	Moved up from Division II in 1984. Merrimack received an NCAA tournament invitation in 1988 while an independent.
Miami RedHawks	1978–1980	CCHA	Will leave the CCHA in 2013 to become a charter member of the NCHC.
Michigan Wolverines	1922–1951 1958–1959	MCHL WCHA	Moved to CCHA in 1981. Will leave the CCHA in 2013 to join the new Big Ten men's hockey league.
Michigan State Spartans	1921–1930 1949–1951 1958–1959	dropped program MCHL WCHA	Moved to CCHA in 1981. Will leave the CCHA in 2013 to join the new Big Ten men's hockey league.
Michigan Tech Huskies	1919–1951 1958–1959	MCHL WCHA	Played in the CCHA from 1981–84
Minnesota Golden Gophers	1921–1951 1958–1959	MCHL WCHA	Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to join the new Big Ten men's hockey league.
Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs	1930–1932 1946–1965	dropped program WCHA	Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to become a charter member of the NCHC.
Minnesota State Mavericks	1996–1999	WCHA	after moving up from Division II and before joining the WCHA.
New Hampshire Wildcats	1924–1961 1964–1966	ECAC ECAC	Currently competes in Hockey East
Niagara Purple Eagles	1997–1999	CHA	Niagara began varsity hockey in 1997, and became a charter member of the CHA in 1999. They moved to Atlantic Hockey for 2010–11.
North Dakota (no nickname; formerly Fighting Sioux)	1929–1936 1946–1951 1958–1959	dropped program MCHL WCHA	Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to become a charter member of the NCHC.
Northeastern Huskies	1929–1961	ECAC	Currently competes in Hockey East
Northern Michigan Wildcats	1976–1977	CCHA	Will leave the CCHA in 2013 and join the WCHA.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish	1912–1927 1968–1971 1984–1991	dropped program WCHA CCHA	Will leave the CCHA in 2013 for Hockey East.
Ohio State Buckeyes	1963–1971 1973–1975	CCHA CCHA	Will leave the CCHA in 2013 to join the new Big Ten men's hockey league.
Princeton Tigers	1900–1961	ECAC
Providence Friars	1926–1927 1952–1954 1955–1961	dropped program Northeast League ECAC	Currently competes in Hockey East
RPI Engineers	1901–1950	Tri-State League	Moved to the ECAC in 1961
RIT Tigers	2005–2006	Atlantic Hockey	Played first year of its probation period after joining Division I as an independent.
Sacred Heart Pioneers	1993–1998	MAAC
St. Cloud State Huskies	1931–1942 1987–1990	dropped program WCHA	Dropped their program during World War II, resumed in 1946 in Division II. Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to become an invited inaugural member of the NCHC.
St. Lawrence Saints	1925–1930 1938–1961	dropped program ECAC
Union Dutchmen	1903–1949	dropped program	Suspended their program from 1949–1975, resumed in Division III, before moving back to Division I in the ECAC in 1991.
Wisconsin Badgers	1921–1935 1963–1969	dropped program WCHA	Will leave the WCHA in 2013 to join the new Big Ten men's hockey league.
Yale Bulldogs	1895–1961	ECAC

Women

School	Years	Subsequent conference	Notes
Clarkson Golden Knights	2003–2004	ECAC	Played the first year of their program as an independent before joining the ECAC
Connecticut Huskies	2000–2001	ECAC	Played the first year of their program as an independent before joining the ECAC, and moving to Hockey East in 2002.
Lindenwood Lady Lions	2011–2012	CHA	The university competed as an independent for the 2011–12 season during the transition process of joining the NCAA from NAIA, during which, the team was reclassifying from ACHA Division I to NCAA Division I. Lindenwood placed an application in Fall 2011 and was accepted as a member of CHA starting in the 2012–13 season.
North Dakota (no nickname, formerly Fighting Sioux)	2002–2004	WCHA	Played the first years of their program as an independent before joining the WCHA
Quinnipiac Bobcats	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	2005–2006	ECAC	Moved up from Division III (where they were a member of the ECAC East) in 2005.

Defunct teams

Men

School	Years	Subsequent conference	Notes
Boston State Warriors	1962–1982	dropped program	Program dropped when school merged with UMass Boston, who field a Division III team, in 1982.
Carnegie Tech Tartans	1905–1910 1920–1921	dropped program dropped program
Illinois Fighting Illini	1937–1943	dropped program
Fairfield Stags	1974–1999	MAAC
UIC Flames	1981–1982	CCHA	Moved up from Division II in 1981. Program folded in 1996.
MIT Engineers	1906–1975	dropped program
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks	1980–1985	GWHC	Folded their program after one season in the GWHC.
Penn Quakers	1898–1930	dropped program
Syracuse Orange	1911–1913 1923–1928 1939–1940	dropped program dropped program dropped program
U.S. International Gulls	1979–1985	GWHC	Dropped their program when the GWHC folded in 1988.
Villanova Wildcats	1929–1932 1982–1998	dropped program	Dropped their program after the 1997–1998 season for Title IX reasons.
Iona Gaels	1967–2003 1998–2002	dropped program	Dropped their program after the 2002–2003 season after 5 seasons in Division I.

See also

• List of NCAA Division I ice hockey programs