The 2024 NCAA Convention ended last Saturday, capping a busy week of progress and celebration.
The Division III Management Council and Presidents Council approved expanding the men’s hockey championship bracket from 12 to 13 teams, starting with the upcoming 2024 tournament.
The NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee recommended the addition of another team to the tournament at its June 2023 meeting. It cited the NCAA’s 1:6.5 ratio for determining the number of teams that make the tournament and said that with 86 teams competing nationally, an additional spot was warranted.
“Adding more championship bids will have a very positive impact on student-athletes across Division III men’s ice hockey,” the committee wrote in support of the proposal. “Increasing the opportunity to make it to the championship could potentially help grow the sport across the country.”
The committee estimated the financial impact of adding another team at $15,000. The change means that there will be five first-round games in the 2024 tournament instead of four. First-round games are scheduled for March 9, with quarterfinals on March 16. The championship concludes at Trinity’s Koeppel Community Sports Center in Hartford, Conn., on March 21 and 23.
In addition, the councils approved a two-year pause in an extra assessment on top of annual NCAA dues for Division III members. The pause will reduce the annual Division III dues from $2,000 to $900 for institutions and from $900 to $450 for conference offices for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
