Atlantic Hockey America
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) is a college ice hockey conference with most of its members in the northeastern United States. It plays in NCAA Division I as an ice hockey-only conference. AHA was formed shortly after the 2023–24 season by the merger of the men-only Atlantic Hockey Association (the Association) and the women-only College Hockey America (CHA).[1][2]
History[change | change source]
The Association first formed in 1997 as the men's hockey league of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and became separate in 2003. In the meantime, CHA had formed in 1999 as a men's conference and added a women's division in 2002. After the 2009–10 season, the men's side of CHA folded, with two of the remaining teams joining the Association. At that time, the two conferences began sharing an office staff with a single commissioner. By 2023, the Association and CHA decided to fully merge.[3]
Membership[change | change source]
Three AHA members have teams in both the men's and women's divisions—Mercyhurst, RIT, and Robert Morris. Holy Cross, Lindenwood, Penn State, and Sacred Heart have teams of both sexes, but house only one team in AHA. Niagara and Syracuse sponsor teams only for one sex, but used to sponsor a team for the other.
Current members[change | change source]
Main conference affiliations are current for the first season of the merged AHA in 2024–25.
Future members[change | change source]
Several months after the merger was announced, CHA added a future member in Delaware, which plans to add a women's hockey team in the 2025–26 season.[4] Delaware's future membership transferred to the merged AHA.
| Institution | Location | Nickname | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Joining | Men's | Women's | Main conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | Figntin' Blue Hens | 1743 | Public[e] | 23,281 | 2025 |  |
 |
CAA (CUSA in 2025) |
- ↑ The Academy grounds lie almost entirely outside the Colorado Springs city limits. The U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Census Bureau respectively call the Academy "USAF Academy" and "Air Force Academy".
- ↑ Mailing address is "Niagara University".
- ↑ The U.S. Postal Service calls the entire Penn State campus "University Park". The campus straddles the boundary between State College and College Township.
- ↑ Mailing address is Rochester.
- ↑ Delaware is legally chartered as a "privately governed, state-assisted" institution. This status is broadly similar to that of New York's statutory colleges, mostly housed at Cornell University, or institutions in Pennsylvania's Commonwealth System of Higher Education (such as Penn State).
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Atlantic Hockey, CHA women will combine as Atlantic Hockey America for 2024-25 season". USCHO. April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ↑ "Atlantic Hockey and College Hockey America Join to Form Atlantic Hockey America" (Press release). Atlantic Hockey America. April 30, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ↑ "Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America to Merge Operations in 2024". Atlantic Hockey Association. June 6, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ↑ "University of Delaware to Join College Hockey America for 2025–26 Season" (Press release). College Hockey America. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.