UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-LAS VEGAS, DEFENDING MEN’S DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, STARTS ATOP AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION PRESEASON RANKING FOR 2025-2026 SEASON
Rebels and #2 Adrian College Have Met in Last Two Championship Games
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (September 10, 2025) – University of Nevada-Las Vegas (30-2-3), the defending Men’s Division I National Champions of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, received 23 of 24 first-place votes to come in as this year’s pick for the top spot in the 2025-2026 ACHA Men’s Division I Preseason Ranking. The Rebels, regular season champions of the Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHL), have finished in the Top 5 each of the last four seasons. University of Nevada-Las Vegas is the 15th different school to win the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship and first newbie since Adrian College became the 14th different champion when they won their first title back in 2017-2018. No. 2 Adrian College (29-4-2), which received the other first-place vote and were Men’s Division I National Champions in 2018, 2021, and 2024, played in its third consecutive and fifth overall ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship Game. The Bulldogs were both regular season and playoff champions of Great Lakes 6 Hockey Conference (GL6) and have finished in the Top 5 each of the last nine seasons. No. 3 Minot State University (39-3-3), Men’s Division I National Champions in both 2018 and 2021 and runners-up in 2023, regular season and playoff champions of Midwest College Hockey (MCH), have finished in the Top 5 in 10 of the last 11 seasons. The Beavers have finished no lower than ninth place in all 20 Men’s Division I Nationals it has competed in since its first appearance in 2000. Rounding out the Top 5 was No. 4 Liberty University (23-6-5), which has 13 Top 10 finishes in 16 appearances at Men’s Division I Nationals, and No. 5 Ohio University (19-5-4), which has finished in the Top 10 in all 34 seasons of ACHA Men’s Division 1 hockey. The Bobcats are still seeking their fifth national championship and first since 2004.
The Western Collegiate Hockey League leads the way with seven (of 11) of its member teams ranked, while Great Lakes 6 Hockey Conference and Midwest College Hockey each have four (of 7) of its member teams ranked, and Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League, playing in its inaugural season at the Men’s Division 1 level, has four (of 10) of its member teams ranked.
Over the past 22 seasons, 13 different schools have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship: Lindenwood (4), Minot State (3), Adrian (3), Central Oklahoma (2), Illinois (2), Arizona State, Davenport, Delaware, Nevada-Las Vegas, Oakland, Ohio, Penn State, and Rhode Island.
Entering its 35th season of action, there have been a total of 15 schools that have won the ACHA Men’s Division I National Championship:
- Penn State University (5 times)
- Lindenwood University (4)
- Ohio University (4)
- Adrian College (3)
- Minot State University (3)
- North Dakota State University (2)
- University Central Oklahoma (2)
- University of Illinois (2)
- Arizona State University
- Davenport University
- Iowa State University
- Oakland University
- University of Delaware
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas
- University of Rhode Island
A total of 81 teams will compete in Men’s Division I this season, including former Men’s Division II members Central Michigan University, North Carolina State University, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and University of North Carolina, along with former Men’s Division III members Hope College, the reigning ACHA Men’s Division III National Champions, and University of Michigan-Flint. The Concordia University Ann Arbor program, which made the announcement to relocate to Siena Heights University back in April, folded in July before getting to play a game as the Saints.
The computer ranking, which will not commence until November 5, will for the twelfth time determine the 24 teams that qualify for the 2026 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, which will include the following six auto bids:
- (CHMA) College Hockey Mid-America
- (ECHA) Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
- (GLCHL) Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League
- (MCH) Midwest College Hockey
- (WCHL) Western Collegiate Hockey League
- (WHAC) Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
The first ranking of the regular season will be released on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
The 2026 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships presented by FloHockey will be hosted March 12-17 for the fourth time at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. This will be the third year of the 24-team format.
| 2025-2026 ACHA Men’s Division I Preseason Ranking | ||||||
| Rank | School Name | 1st Votes | M1 Record | Pts | Previous | Conference |
| 1 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 23 | 30-2-3 | 500 | 1 | WCHL |
| 2 | Adrian | 1 | 29-4-2 | 471 | 2 | GL6 |
| 3 | Minot State | 39-3-3 | 464 | 3 | MCH | |
| 4 | Liberty | 23-6-5 | 438 | 4 | INDEP | |
| 5 | Ohio | 19-5-4 | 413 | 5 | INDEP | |
| 6 | Jamestown | 24-9-2 | 391 | 6 | MCH | |
| 7 | Maryville | 21-9-3 | 380 | 7 | INDEP | |
| 8 | Niagara | 21-5-4 | 358 | 9 | INDEP | |
| 9 | Drury | 28-3-0 | 350 | 8 | INDEP | |
| 10 | Utah | 21-7-1 | 320 | 10 | WCHL | |
| 11 | Calvin | 25-6-1 | 304 | 11 | GL6 | |
| 12 | Grand Canyon | 16-12-3 | 274 | 12 | WCHL | |
| 13 | Arizona | 17-13-1 | 257 | 13 | WCHL | |
| 14 | Mary | 22-14-1 | 244 | 14 | MCH | |
| 15 | Purdue Northwest | 16-12-2 | 214 | 15 | GL6 | |
| 16 | Oswego State | 21-8-4 | 193 | 16 | ACCHL | |
| 17 | Indiana Tech | 28-4-1 | 176 | 17 | WHAC | |
| 18 | Midland | 18-18-2 | 152 | 18 | MCH | |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 18-9-1 | 136 | 19 | WCHL | |
| 20 | Pittsburgh | 14-13-5 | 119 | 20 | ACCHL | |
| T 21 | Arizona State | 14-16-3 | 87 | 22 | WCHL | |
| T 21 | Delaware | 22-13-3 | 87 | 21 | ACCHL | |
| 23 | Grand Valley State | 16-10-1 | 61 | 23 | GL6 | |
| 24 | Stony Brook | 13-12-6 | 35 | 24 | ACCHL | |
| 25 | Colorado | 18-15-2 | 18 | 25 | WCHL | |
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About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 560 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 16,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college-bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and enters its 35th season in September 2025. For more information, visit achahockey.org.
