NCAA Division I Independents (men's hockey)

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NCAA Division I independents are four-year institutions that do not participate in a conference in a given sport. This does not mean that Division I independents schedule each other for competition like conference schools do. Many independent schools later join established conferences. As of 2006, there are no schools competing as a D-I independent in men's hockey.

In men's ice hockey, there are several current schools who, at one time or another, competed as D-I independents.

[edit] Current Programs who were at one point independent

• The University of Alabama in Huntsville (1987-1992, 1998-1999). 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.

• The University of Alaska Anchorage (1988-1993). 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.

• The University of Alaska Fairbanks (1988-1994). The Nanooks went independent following the demise of the Great West Hockey Conference, and then joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

• The American International College played as a D-I independent from 1948 to 1998 when they joining the MAAC Hockey League

• Bemidji State University has a stint from 1946 to 1967 as a D-I independent.

• Boston College iced and independent team from 1917 to 1961 when the school joined the ECACHL.

• Boston University played an independent team from 1917 to 1961 when the school joined the ECACHL.

• Brown University played as an independent team from 1897 to 1961 when they joined the ECACHL.

• Clarkson University iced an independent team from 1920 to 1961 when they also joined the ECACHL.

• Colgate University had two stints (1915-1917, 1920-1961) in which the school had an independent team before joining the ECACHL.

• Colorado College played two stints as an independent with the first being from 1937 to 1951 before joining the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League, and the other being the 1958-1959 season as the team made the transition from the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League to the WCHA.

• Cornell University had three stints as an independent (1900-1901, 1902-1903, 1906-1961) before they joined the ECACHL.

• Dartmouth College played from 1905-1961 as an independent before entering the ECACHL.

• The University of Denver played their first stint as an independent from 1949 to 1951 before joining the MCHL. They played as an independent again in the 1958-1959 season before joining the WCHA

• Harvard University iced an independent team from 1897 to 1961 when the university joined the ECACHL.

• Holy Cross iced an independent D-I team from 1966 until 1998 when they joined the MAAC.

• Lake Superior State University (then Lake Superior State College) played from 1966 until 1972 as an independent and then joined the CCHA.

• The University of Maine had an independent team from 1977 to 1984 when they joined Hockey East.

• The University of Massachusetts played one season (1993-1994) as an independent after reinstating their program and before joining Hockey East.

• Merrimack College played as an independent squad from 1984-1989 before they joined Hockey East. Merrimack received an NCAA tournament invitation in 1988 while an independent.

• Miami University iced an independent team for the 1978-1979 and 1979-1980 seasons before joining the CCHA.

• The University of Michigan played the 1958-1959 season as an independent between their time in the WIHL and the WCHA.

• Michigan State University played the 1958-1959 season as an independent between their time in the WIHL and the WCHA.

• The Michigan Technological University played 2 stints as independent with the first being from 1919 to 1951 when they joined the MCHL. The next time they iced a team as an independent was the 1958-1959 season before joining the WCHA.

• The University of Minnesota played two stints as an independent with the first being from 1921 to 1951 when the school joined the MCHL. Then again in the 1958-1959 season before joining the WCHA.

• The University of Minnesota-Duluth had two stints (1930-1932, 1946-1965) as an independent before joining the WCHA.

• Minnesota State University, Mankato played 3 seasons (1996-1999) as a D-I independent after moving up from Division II and before joining the WCHA.

• The University of New Hampshire had two stints as an independent, 1924-1961 and 1964-1966, both before stints in the ECACHL.

• Niagara University played two seasons as a D-I independent before being a charter member of the CHA.

• The University of North Dakota played severals stints as an independent from 1929 to 1951 before joining the MCHL and again during the 1958-1959 season before joining the WCHA.

• Northeastern University played as an independent from 1929 to 1961 before joining the ECACHL.

• Northern Michigan University played one season (1976-1977) before joining the CCHA.

• The University of Notre Dame (1984-1992). The Irish competed as a D-I independent in between stints in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

• The Ohio State University played from 1963 to 1972 before being a charter member of the CCHA.

• Princeton University ice an independent team from 1900 until 1961 when they joined the ECACHL.

• Providence College played tree stints (1926-1927, 1952-1954, 1955-1961) with the second and third being split by a season in the Northeast League and the third stint ending when Providence joined the ECACHL.

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was home to an independent squad from 1901 until 1950 when they joined the Tri-State League.

• The Rochester Institute of Technology played its first years of its probation period after joining Division I as an independent.

• Sacred Heart University (1993-1998). The Pioneers competed as a D-I independent from their inaugural season until 1998, when they joined the MAAC.

• St. Cloud State University played as an independent from 1931 to 1942 before the program was dropped. It was later revived and played in Division II. After rejoining Division I, SCSU played 3 season (1987-1990) as an independent before joining the WCHA.

• St. Lawrence University played two stints (1925-1930, 1938-1961) before they joined the ECACHL.

• Union College played a stint from 1903 to 1949 as an independent before suspending their program until 1975.

• The United States Air Force Academy (Air Force) (1968-1999). The Falcons were independent from the program's inception until 1999, when the school became a charter member of College Hockey America.

• The United States Military Academy (Army) (1903-1961, 1972-1984, 1991-1999). Army's Cadets were members of the ECAC from 1961-1972 and 1984-1991. In 1999, they joined the CHA and then moved to Atlantic Hockey prior to the 2003-2004 season.

• The University of Wisconsin played as an independent from 1921-1935 and again from 1965 to 1969 before joining the WCHA.

• Yale University played as an independent from 1895 to 1961 when they joined the ECACHL.

[edit] Defunct Teams

• Fairfield University played as a D-I independent from 1974 to 1999 when they joined the MAAC Hockey League.

• The University of Illinois-Chicago played one season as a D-I independent after moving up from Division II but before joing the CCHA.

• Northern Arizona University competed as a D-I independent for five seasons before joining the Great West Hockey Conference before folding their program after one season in the GWHC.

• The U.S. International University competed as a D-I independent for six seasons before playing three season in the Great West Hockey Conference and dropping their program when the GWHC folded.

• Villanova University played as a D-I independent until dropping their program after the 1997-1998 season for Title IX reasons

List is incomplete. Awaiting further research.