With all of the fanfare around the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, more popularly known as March Madness, it’s easy to forget that other college sports are wrapping up their own seasons.
That includes NCAA ice hockey, which has its own exciting championship tournament coming up: the NCAA Division I and Division III Ice Hockey Championships!
The tournament starts on March 27 and features the NCAA’s top 16 hockey teams going head-to-head to determine the national college ice hockey champion for the 2024-25 season. Last year, the University of Denver beat out Boston College for the title.
Ready to catch all of the action on the ice? Sign up for DIRECTV to make sure you’re ready to watch from the first face-off.
When is the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament?
The NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament officially starts on March 27, 2025. The bracket will be revealed on March 23.
The Frozen Four, the tournament’s main event to determine the championship matchup, will take place in St. Louis, Missouri on April 10 and 12.
How to Watch the Men’s NCAA Hockey Tournament
The 2025 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship will be broadcast by ESPN, including ESPNU, ESPN2 and ESPN+. Here’s where to find the channels on DIRECTV:
ESPN: Channel 206
ESPNU: Channel 208
ESPN2: Channel 209
How Does the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament Work?
The NCAA holds two tournaments each year: one for the Division I schools and another for Division III schools.
NCAA Men’s Hockey Division I Tournament Format
The NCAA Men’s Division I Hockey Championship is a single-elimination tournament featuring the top 16 college hockey teams.
The conference champions of each of the six major conferences (Atlantic Hockey, the Big 10, the CCHA, the ECAC, Hockey East and the NCHC) are awarded automatic spots in the field. The other 10 teams are selected based on their performance, the strength of their schedule and other factors.
During the first round of the tournament, four regional bracket tournaments are held, with the victors moving on to the Frozen Four semifinal round. The two winners in the Frozen Four then face each other to settle the national championship.
NCAA Men’s Hockey Division III Tournament Format
The Division III tournament features 12 teams, and it’s also single elimination.
The eight conference champions receive automatic spots, and four at-large bids are awarded in similar fashion to the Division I tournament.
The top four teams get a first-round bye while the other eight teams go head-to-head. The winners of that round play in the quarterfinals, then the quarterfinal winners face off in the Frozen Four.
The winners of the Frozen Four games play each other for the championship.
NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Full Schedule
Find the upcoming schedule for the Men’s Ice Hockey Championship so you can watch it all on TV live:
Sunday, March 23
- Selection Show – 3:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
March 27
- Regionals Game 1 – 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 2 – 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 3 – 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 4 – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
March 28
- Regionals Game 5 – 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 6 – 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 7 – 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 8 – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
March 29
- Regionals Game 9 – 4:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 10 – 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+)
March 30
- Regionals Game 11 – 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+)
- Regionals Game 12 – 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+)
April 10
- Frozen Four Game 1 – 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+)
- Frozen Four Game 2 – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+)
April 12
- Championship Game – 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+)
Which Teams Will Make the NCAA Men’s Division I Hockey Tournament?
While we won’t know exactly what the final bracket will look like until March 23, here are some of the schools whose teams are likely to secure spots in the tournament:
- Boston College (18-4-1): BC is a hockey juggernaut and nearly took home the title last season.
- Denver (18-6-0): Last year’s champs have a solid shot at pulling off a win for a second straight season.
- Michigan State (20-3-3)
- Minnesota (19-6-3)
- UConn (14-8-2)
- Maine (14-5-3)
- Western Michigan (17-4-1)
- Providence (15-6-3)
- UMass Lowell (13-7-3)
- Boston University (13-9-1)
- Ohio State (15-7-2)
- Michigan (14-10-2)
- Quinnipiac (15-8-2)
- Arizona State (14-9-1)
- Minnesota State (17-7-2)
- Sacred Heart (15-9-4)
- New Hampshire (11-9-3)
- Wisconsin (11-12-3)
- UMass (13-10-2)
Watch College Hockey on DIRECTV
Don’t miss a single puck drop, slapshot or clutch save in the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship. Sign up with DIRECTV and be ready to watch today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams make the Men's NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament?
16 of the best college hockey programs make the tournament each year.
Which school has the most wins in the NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament?
The University of Denver, last year's champs, have the most titles with 10.
Why is the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Tournament often referred to as the Frozen Four?
The Frozen Four refers to the semifinal round of the tournament, and it's a play on the Final Four, the common name for the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, which is more popularly known as March Madness.
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