NEWSLETTER
The 2023-24 NCAA men’s hockey season is nearing time for its tournament field to be determined. Which begs the question: how are the 16 teams in the single-elimination bracket determined?
Here are some answers!
Six automatic qualifying bids go to the winners of the postseason conference tournaments of these conferences:
After those six teams, the ten at-large bids are determined by a selection committee comprised of a representative of the six conferences. The committee considers a number of factors, including the Rating Percentage Index (RPI). No media or coaches polls are used in the process.
A good way to get a feeling for how strong a team’s chances are of making the field is referencing the PairWise rankings. The page linked here also includes the RPI rankings. The RPI is determined through three variables:
To be considered for an at-large bid, a team must be over .500 and have played at least 20 games against Division I competition. If a team runs away and wins their conference tournament with a sub-.500 record during the regular season, that would bump a team out of the field — just like the basketball tournament.
For the 2024 tournament, the selection show will air live on ESPNU on Sunday, March 24 at 6 PM CT. Championship selections along with pairings for the tournament will be announced.
