Western Collegiate Hockey Association

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a group of colleges and universities in the Midwestern United States that play NCAA Division I women's ice hockey against one another every season. The champion is automatically invited to the NCAA Division I women's hockey tournament. When the WCHA ran a men's league, the men's champion was also automatically invited to the Division I men's tournament.

The University of North Dakota playing hockey against the University of Denver

Founded in 1951 as a men's hockey league, the WCHA added a women's division in the 1999–2000 season. The league would expand far beyond its traditional Midwestern base, adding teams in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, and Indiana at different times. The WCHA shut down its men's division after the 2020–21 season when seven of its 10 members left to start a new Central Collegiate Hockey Association.^[1]

Today, eight schools are members of the now women-only WCHA.

Current members

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Main conference
Bemidji State University	Bemidji, Minnesota	1919	1999 (women)	Public	5,198	Beavers	Northern Sun (D-II)
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis & Saint Paul, Minnesota	1851	1999 (women)		51,848	Golden Gophers	Big Ten
University of Minnesota Duluth	Duluth, Minnesota	1947	1999 (women)		11,168	Bulldogs	Northern Sun (D-II)
Minnesota State University, Mankato	Mankato, Minnesota	1867	1999		14,712	Mavericks	Northern Sun (D-II)
Ohio State University	Columbus, Ohio	1870	1999		59,837	Buckeyes	Big Ten
St. Cloud State University	St. Cloud, Minnesota	1869	1999 (women)		14,615	Huskies	Northern Sun (D-II)
University of St. Thomas	Saint Paul, Minnesota	1885	2021	Private	9,878	Tommies	Summit League
University of Wisconsin–Madison	Madison, Wisconsin	1848	1999 (women)	Public	43,820	Badgers	Big Ten

Former members

Final men's members

Ten schools were members of the WCHA men's league in its final season.

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Main conference	Current hockey conference
University of Alabama in Huntsville	Huntsville, Alabama	1950	2013	Public	9,736	Chargers	Gulf South (D-II)	N/A (program suspended)
University of Alaska Anchorage	Anchorage, Alaska	1977	1993		15,819	Seawolves	Great Northwest (D-II)	Independent
University of Alaska Fairbanks	Fairbanks, Alaska	1917	2013		7,744	Nanooks	Great Northwest (D-II)	Independent
Bemidji State University	Bemidji, Minnesota	1919	2010 (men)		5,198	Beavers	Northern Sun (D-II)	CCHA
Bowling Green State University	Bowling Green, Ohio	1910	2013		17,357	Falcons	MAC	CCHA
Ferris State University	Big Rapids, Michigan	1884	2013		13,798	Bulldogs	GLIAC (D-II)	CCHA
Lake Superior State University	Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan	1946	2013		1,963	Lakers	GLIAC (D-II)	CCHA
Michigan Technological University	Houghton, Michigan	1885	1951–1981 1984		7,319	Huskies	GLIAC (D-II)	CCHA
Minnesota State University, Mankato	Mankato, Minnesota	1867	1999		14,712	Mavericks	Northern Sun (D-II)	CCHA
Northern Michigan University	Marquette, Michigan	1899	1984–1997 2013		7,612	Wildcats	GLIAC (D-II)	CCHA

Other former men's members

Institution	Location	Joined	Left	Nickname	Next hockey conference	Current hockey conference
Colorado College	Colorado Springs, Colorado	1951	2013	Tigers	NCHC
University of Denver	Denver, Colorado	1951	2013	Pioneers	NCHC
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, Michigan	1951	1981	Wolverines	CCHA	Big Ten
Michigan State University	East Lansing, Michigan	1951	1981	Spartans	CCHA	Big Ten
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis & Saint Paul, Minnesota	1951	2013	Golden Gophers	Big Ten
University of Minnesota Duluth	Duluth, Minnesota	1966	2013	Bulldogs	NCHC
University of Nebraska Omaha[lower-alpha 1]	Omaha, Nebraska	2010	2013	Mavericks	NCHC
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks, North Dakota	1951	2013	Fighting Sioux[lower-alpha 2]	NCHC
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, Indiana	1971	1981	Fighting Irish	CCHA	Big Ten
St. Cloud State University	St. Cloud, Minnesota	1990	2013	Huskies	NCHC
University of Wisconsin–Madison	Madison, Wisconsin	1969	2013	Badgers	Big Ten

1. Now known for sports purposes as Omaha.
2. Now nicknamed Fighting Hawks.

Former women's member

Institution	Location	Joined	Left	Nickname	Next hockey conference	Current hockey conference
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks, North Dakota	2004	2017	Fighting Hawks	Dropped women's ice hockey

References

1. Christensen, Joe (July 2, 2021). "WCHA's men's hockey era officially ends after 70 years". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved July 3, 2021.

• "Western Collegiate Hockey Association". wcha.cstv.com. Retrieved 2012-02-17.