NCAA Division I men’s hockey features the top college hockey programs in the United States, bringing together elite student-athletes competing for their schools, conferences and ultimately a national championship. With 41 Division I programs, the season features some of hockey’s top prospects and a major development path toward professional hockey.

Teams compete throughout the regular season within their conferences, with the Big Ten being one of the major conferences in college hockey. When the regular season ends, teams battle through conference tournaments before the NCAA Tournament field is selected.

The road to a national championship leads to the NCAA Tournament. Sixteen teams qualify: the champions of the six conferences receive automatic bids, while the remaining teams are selected at-large. The tournament is single elimination, with four regional champions advancing to the Frozen Four for the national semifinals and championship game.

At Next Gen Hockey, our NCAA coverage will focus primarily on the Big Ten, following its teams, players and prospects throughout the season and all the way to the Frozen Four.