NCAA National Collegiate women’s hockey tournament

2026 bracket

2026 tournament

Locations, dates:

• Selection show: Sunday, March 8, TBA
• Regional semifinals: Campus sites of top three seeds, March 12/13
• Regional finals: Campus sites of top four seeds, March 14/15
• Frozen Four: Pegula Ice Arena, State College, Pa., March 20 and 22

Qualifying teams: 11

Format: Five automatic qualifiers and the top six other teams from the NCAA Power Index are selected. The top four overall seeds are No. 1 seeds and will host regional finals. The next four overall seeds are No. 2 seeds. The remaining three teams are No. 3 seeds. The No. 4 overall seed will play the No. 5 overall seed. The bottom three No. 2 seeds will play the three No. 3 seeds in the regional semifinals. All rounds are single elimination. More: NCAA Division I women’s tournament selection process

Automatic qualifiers: Postseason tournament champions from Atlantic Hockey America, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, NEWHA and WCHA.

NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey committee

• Janine Oman, Ohio State senior deputy director (chair)
• Melanie Ruzzi, Brown coach
• Dean O’Keefe, Stonehill athletic director
• Britni Smith, Syracuse coach
• Brittany Kane, Boston University senior associate athletic director

Future sites

2027

• Frozen Four: Amsoil Arena, Duluth, Minn.

2028

• Frozen Four: Martire Family Arena, Fairfield, Conn.

NCAA champions

NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Players