History of NCAA women's ice hockey tournament in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 26, 2025

The NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, officially the National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship, is an annual tournament held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. Its purpose is to determine the best women's college ice hockey team in the NCAA. The tournament represents the culmination of the women's college ice hockey season and features top teams from various conferences competing for the national championship.

1965: First collegiate women's ice hockey team created

In 1965, Brown University established the first collegiate women's ice hockey team in the United States, marking a pioneering moment for women's ice hockey.

February 1966: Pembroke Pandas' first match

In February 1966, the "Pembroke Pandas", Brown University's women's ice hockey team, played their first match against the Walpole Brooms, a non-collegiate team.

1971: Cornell University's women's ice hockey program begins

In 1971, the women's ice hockey program at Cornell University was established, contributing to the growth of collegiate women's hockey.

1972: Big Red's first match

In 1972, The Big Red team competed in its first match in 1972, which it won 4–3, against Scarborough. In 1972, they played eight matches and lost half, including two defeats against the Pembroke Pandas.

December 9, 1975: Yale University women's hockey debut

On December 9, 1975, Yale University debuted its women's ice hockey program, joining other Ivy League schools in developing women's hockey.

1976: First Ivy League women's ice hockey tournament

In 1976, Brown University hosted the inaugural Ivy League women's ice hockey tournament, featuring Princeton, Yale, and Cornell, with Cornell winning the tournament.

1984: Providence Friars win inaugural ECAC championship

In 1984, the Providence Friars secured victory in the inaugural ECAC women's ice hockey championship, marking a significant achievement.

1997: American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) debut

In 1997, the American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) was established with financing from the United States Olympic Committee, leading to the first national women's ice hockey championship.

1999: WCHA joins ECAC to pursue NCAA sanctioning

During the 1999–2000 season, WCHA joined the ECAC in an attempt to make women's ice hockey an NCAA sanctioned sport.

1999: AWCHA championship won by Harvard

In 1999, Harvard won the American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) championship, showcasing their dominance in collegiate women's ice hockey.

August 2000: NCAA announces national division for women's ice hockey

In August 2000, the NCAA announced the establishment of a national division for women's ice hockey, including a national championship starting in the 2000–01 season, marking a significant step forward for the sport.

2000: AWCHA championship won by Minnesota

In 2000, Minnesota secured the American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) championship, marking another achievement in their hockey program.

2001: NCAA Tournament's initial year

In 2001, the NCAA Tournament started, becoming the initial year the post-season tournament was under the auspices of the NCAA, with 30 teams appearing in at least one year.

2001: NCAA women's ice hockey championship begins

In 2001, the NCAA championship of women's ice hockey officially began, marking a significant milestone for the sport at the collegiate level.

2009: Mercyhurst's title game appearance

In 2009, Mercyhurst made a title game appearance. They belong to the CHA, the women's predecessor to Atlantic Hockey America.

2014: Clarkson breaks WCHA's championship hold

In 2014, Clarkson ended the WCHA's dominance by defeating Minnesota to win the national championship.

February 2017: NCAA reaches deal with Big Ten Network to televise championship game

In February 2017, the NCAA announced a four-year deal with Big Ten Network to televise the Women's national championship game starting in 2017.

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2018: Big Ten Network to televise Frozen Four semi-finals

Starting in 2018, the deal between NCAA and Big Ten Network included televising the Frozen Four semi-finals in addition to the championship game.

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2020: 2020 championship canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020, the NCAA women's ice hockey championship was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting the season.

2021: ESPN acquires rights to NCAA women's ice hockey championship

In 2021, ESPN announced it had acquired the rights to air one semi-final and the national championship annually on ESPNU, with the other semi-final available via streaming, under a multi-year deal.

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