The competing teams for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 Friendship Four hockey tournaments have been announced, marking a major milestone as the event celebrates its 10-year anniversary in Belfast in 2025.
Founded by the Odyssey Trust and held annually at the SSE Arena, Belfast, the Friendship Four is the first and only NCAA Division I hockey tournament to take place outside of North America. Since its inception in 2015, the tournament that is contested for the Belpot Trophy has become a flagship event in Northern Ireland’s sporting calendar, bringing world-class collegiate hockey to Belfast while promoting education, cultural exchange, and community engagement.
The 2026 edition of the Friendship Four will welcome Connecticut, Providence, Minnesota Duluth and Colgate. In 2027, Northeastern, Quinnipiac, North Dakota and Wisconsin will take to the ice, while the 2028 lineup will see Notre Dame, Omaha, Dartmouth and Maine.
“Reaching the 10-year anniversary of the Friendship Four is a remarkable achievement and a celebration of everything the tournament has come to represent,” said Odyssey Trust sports director Steve Thornton in a statement. “Over the past decade, Belfast has welcomed some of the top NCAA teams and inspired new generations of fans. As we look to the future, we are thrilled to confirm three outstanding lineups for 2026, 2027 and 2028, which promise to deliver more unforgettable hockey memories at the SSE Arena.”
The high-profile tournament is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the Sister Cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, signed a decade ago. The agreement aims to foster stronger economic development, trade and investment, tourism, youth, cultural exchanges, and educational linkages between the two cities, as well as to increase awareness of Belfast and Boston being growth cities in the connected health and life sciences, creative industries, tourism, financial services, and knowledge economy sectors.
In conjunction with the recent announcement in Boston, a special acknowledgement was also made to Ralph Cox, whose vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in the growth and success of the Friendship Four since its inception. Cox, who is a member of the Friends of the Friendship Four Advisory Board, was presented the Belfast Homecoming Ambassador Medal, a prestigious honor presented annually to outstanding individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to reconnecting with, investing in, and supporting Belfast.
The Friendship Four returns to Belfast this November with the Rochester Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart, Miami and Union. The fourth women’s Friendship Series tournament will see Boston University, Harvard, Quinnipiac and Minnesota Duluth take to the ice in Belfast in January 2026.
For more information or to purchase tickets for both tournaments, visit Ticketmaster.
