INDIANAPOLIS - After well over a decade of waiting for many, the men's membership of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference will have even more to play for this upcoming postseason. The NCAA Championships Committee announced in their June 2018 report that the UCHC membership has been approved for an Automatic Bid to the NCAA tournament for its conference tournament champion effective for the 2019 tournament. 

The approval comes as of a result of a related decision to allow the UCHC to utilize the 2016-17 season as part of the NCAA's two year probationary period for automatic qualifier status. Per NCAA guidelines, a conference must maintain a membership of seven teams for a two year period to receive an automatic bid.

Previously, the NCAA voted not to allow the UCHC to use 2016-17 as part of that requirement last summer, as the membership of the conference conducted play under a previous administration and the UCHC had not formally played its first game yet. That decision, if upheld this Summer, would have pushed the expected timetable for the league to receive an automatic bid to 2020.

With one season under its belt, the UCHC asked the NCAA to re-consider, and the championships committee deemed it appropriate for the UCHC to proceed with an automatic bid given the continuity of teams in the conference over a two year time period, among other factors. 

The decision is a significant victory for UCHC member schools, coaches, athletic departments, and student athletes. UCHC teams previously needed to reach the lofty achievement of an At-Large selection from the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Committee in order to make the NCAA tournament. This past season, only two conferences in the country, the UCHC and WIAC were required to do so as their only means of qualification. With an automatic qualifier now on the table, this change levels the playing field for access to the nation's biggest spotlight for our programs, and the opportunity to play for a national championship is now more prevalent than ever for our strong membership and our dedicated student athletes. 

"We are thrilled with the NCAA Championships Committee decision to approve our waiver for 2016-17," UCHC Commissioner Chuck Mitrano said. "These student athletes and institutions have waited many years for this opportunity and we are very appreciative of the committee's consideration. We look forward to our first season of automatic qualification."

The changes do not affect the timetable for the UCHC women, who separated from an existing group of schools that held the automatic bid. The UCHC Women are presently on course to receive a new automatic bid of their own in 2020. 

About the UCHC
The United Collegiate Hockey Conference is a collaborative effort between eleven institutions to provide a competitive environment and structure for NCAA Division III men's and women's ice hockey in the Eastern United States. Our membership encompasses a wide geographic area spanning from Central and Western New York, to the greater Pittsburgh and Baltimore areas. In its inaugural season, the UCHC will incorporate the efforts of ice hockey student-athletes from Chatham University, Elmira College, King's College, Lebanon Valley College, Manhattanville College, Nazareth College, Neumann University, Stevenson University, Utica College, and William Smith College into their strong, but evolving membership that strives for on-ice excellence while also preparing student athletes for their off-ice futures. In addition, Wilkes University is set to begin men's and women's play in the fall of 2018. For more on the UCHC, visit the league's homepage at http://www.TheUCHC.com, or follow the league on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/UCHCHockey.