| College Hockey South | |
| Font Color: | white |
| Founded: | 2022 |
| Conference: | CHS |
| Teams: | 28 |
| Sports: | College Ice Hockey |
| Mens: | Yes |
| Womens: | Beginning in 2023-2024 |
| Region: | Southeastern United States |
| Formerly: | South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC) [2008-2021] |
| Commissioner: | Kyle Knell (2022) |
| Website: | CHS official website |
| Map Size: | 250 |
College Hockey South (CHS), formerly known as the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC), is a non-varsity ice hockey conference in the Southern United States. The conference plays in Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3 and Women's Division of Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) College Hockey. The member clubs of College Hockey South are member universities of several different conferences in NCAA athletics.[1] [2]
On February 11, 2022, the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference rebranded as College Hockey South.[3]
After the 2012–13 season Arkansas moved from the South Region of Division 3 to the Pacific Region but remained a member of the ACHA.[4]
Following the 2014–15 season, both Arkansas and Alabama moved up to ACHA Division 1. Alabama discontinued their participation in the SECHC in 2015, but returned to the conference in 2021.
On January 2, 2023, College Hockey South announced the addition of a women's division beginning in the 2023-2024 season. The division will consist of women's teams from Auburn, Miami, South Florida, and Tampa as well as the teams of Georgia and South Carolina which are both currently being formalized.[5]
| School | City | State | Founded | Joined | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Home Arena | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | Auburn | Alabama | 1856 | 2023-24 | Public | 25,379 | Tigers | Columbus Ice Rink | |
| University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa | Alabama | 1831 | 2023-24 | Public | 32,458 | Crimson Tide | Pelham Civic Center | |
| University of Georgia | Athens | Georgia | 1785 | 2023-24 | Public | 30,714 | Bulldogs | Classic Center | |
| University of South Carolina | Columbia | South Carolina | 1801 | 2023-24 | Public | 27,343 | Gamecocks | Flight Adventure Park Irmo | |
| University of Tampa | Tampa | Florida | 1931 | 2023-24 | Private | 9,602 | Spartans | Clearwater Ice Arena |
| Division | School | City | State | Founded | Joined | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Home Arena | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Division | Alabama | University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville | Alabama | 1950 | 2018–19 | Public | 9,000 | Chargers | Wilcoxon Ice Complex |
| Clemson University | Clemson | South Carolina | 1889 | 2018–19 | Public | 24,387 | Tigers | The Pavilion / Bon Secours Wellness Arena | ||
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta | Georgia | 1885 | 2019-20 | Public | 28,000 | Yellow Jackets | Atlanta Ice Forum | ||
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Tennessee | 1911 | 2018–19 | Public | 21,913 | Blue Raiders | Ford Ice Center | ||
| University of Mississippi | Oxford | Mississippi | 1848 | 2009–10 | Public | 23,838 | Ice Rebels | Midsouth Icehouse | ||
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville | Tennessee | 1794 | 2008–09 | Public | 27,739 | Ice Vols | Knoxville Civic Coliseum | ||
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Tennessee | 1873 | 2008–09 | Private / Non-sectarian | 13,537 | Commodores | Ford Ice Center | ||
| South Division | ||||||||||
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Daytona Beach | Florida | 1926 | 2022-23 | Private | 33,678 | Eagles | Daytona Ice Arena | ||
| University of Florida | Gainesville | Florida | 1853 | 2008–09 | Public | 49,679 | Ice Gators | Various | ||
| Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton | Florida | 1961 | 2019–20 | Public | 30,808 | Owls | Florida Panthers Ice Den | ||
| Lynn University | Boca Raton | Florida | 1962 | 2019–20 | Private | 3,000 | Fighting Knights | Palm Beach Skate Zone | ||
| University of Central Florida | Orlando | Florida | 1963 | 2022-23 | Public | 70,406 | Knights | RDV Sportsplex | ||
| University of South Florida | Tampa | Florida | 1956 | 2022-23 | Public | 50,830 | Bulls | Florida Hospital Center Ice | ||
| University of Tampa | Tampa | Florida | 1931 | 2022-23 | Private | 9,304 | Spartans | Clearwater Ice Arena |
| School | City | State | Founded | Joined | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname[6] | Home Arena | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa | Alabama | 1831 | 2023-24 | Public | 32,458 | Crimson Tide | Pelham Civic Center | |
| Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond | Kentucky | 1906 | 2023-24 | Public | 12,072 | Colonels | Lexington Ice Center | |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Daytona Beach | Florida | 1926 | 2022-23 | Private | 33,678 | Eagles | Daytona Ice Arena | |
| University of Florida | Gainesville | Florida | 1853 | 2008–09 | Public | 49,679 | Ice Gators | Various | |
| Florida Southern College | Lakeland | Florida | 1883 | 2022-23 | Private | 30,808 | Moccasins | Lakeland Ice Arena | |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | Florida | 1851 | 2019–20 | Public | 45,493 | Seminoles | Columbus Civic Center | |
| Florida Institute of Technology | Melbourne | Florida | 1958 | 2022-23 | Private | 9,316 | Panthers | Space Coast Iceplex | |
| University of North Florida | Jacksonville | Florida | 1972 | 2023-24 | Public | 16,517 | Ospreys | Community First Igloo | |
| University of South Florida | Tampa | Florida | 1956 | 2022-23 | Public | 50,830 | Bulls | Florida Hospital Center Ice | |
| Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw | Georgia | 1963 | 2018–19 | Public | 35,000 | Owls | The Cooler | |
| University of Miami | Miami | Florida | 1925 | 2022-23 | Private | 17,811 | Hurricanes | Pines Ice Arena | |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville | Tennessee | 1794 | 2022-23 | Public | 27,739 | Volunteers | Knoxville Civic Coliseum |
| School | City | State | Founded | Joined | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Home Arena | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University | Auburn | Alabama | 1856 | 2023-24 | Public | 25,379 | Tigers | Columbus Ice Rink | |
| University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa | Alabama | 1831 | 2023-24 | Public | 32,458 | Crimson Tide | Pelham Civic Center | |
| University of Georgia | Athens | Georgia | 1785 | 2023-24 | Public | 30,714 | Bulldogs | Classic Center | |
| University of South Carolina | Columbia | South Carolina | 1801 | 2023-24 | Public | 27,343 | Gamecocks | Flight Adventure Park Irmo | |
| University of Miami | Miami | Florida | 1925 | 2023-24 | Private | 12,504 | Hurricanes | Kendall Ice Arena | |
| University of South Florida | Tampa | Florida | 1956 | 2023-24 | Public | 38,046 | Bulls | Clearwater Ice Arena | |
| University of Tampa | Tampa | Florida | 1931 | 2023-24 | Private | 9,602 | Spartans | Clearwater Ice Arena |
| School | City | State | Joined | Left | Conference left for | Current conference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 2009–10 | 2017–18 | Dropped team | ||
| Mississippi State University | Starkville | Mississippi | 2008–09 | 2017–18 | Dropped team | ||
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:25
Period = from:07/01/2008 till:12/31/2022TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:30 left:30 bottom:50 top:5
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote) id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:07/01/2015 text:Alabama (2008–2015) bar:2 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Arkansas (2008–present) bar:3 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Florida (2008–present) bar:4 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Georgia (2008–present) bar:5 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:07/01/2018 text:Mississippi State (2008–2018) bar:6 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:end text:South Carolina (2008–present) bar:7 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Tennessee (2008–present) bar:8 color:Full from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Vanderbilt (2008–present) bar:9 color:Full from:07/01/2009 till:07/01/2018 text:Louisiana State (2009–2018) bar:10 color:Full from:07/01/2009 till:end text:Mississippi (2009–present) bar:11 color:Full from:07/01/2010 till:end text:Auburn (2010–present) bar:12 color:Full from:07/01/2018 till:end shift:(-40) text:Alabama–Huntsville (2018–present) bar:13 color:Full from:07/01/2018 till:end text:Clemson (2018–present) bar:14 color:Full from:07/01/2018 till:end shift:(-10) text:Florida State (2018–present) bar:15 color:Full from:07/01/2018 till:end shift:(-10) text:Georgia Tech (2018–present) bar:16 color:Full from:07/01/2018 till:end shift:(-20) text:Kennesaw State (2018–present) bar:17 color:Full from:07/01/2018 till:end shift:(-50) text:Middle Tennessee State (2018–present) bar:18 color:Full from:07/01/2019 till:end shift:(-50) text:Florida Atlantic (2019–present) bar:19 color:Full from:07/01/2019 till:end shift:(-50) text:Lynn (2019–present) bar:20 color:Full from:07/01/2019 till:end shift:(-50) text:Georgia Tech (2019–present) bar:21 color:Full from:07/01/2022 till:end shift:(-100) text:Miami (FL) (2022–present) bar:22 color:Full from:07/01/2022 till:end shift:(-100) text:South Florida (2022–present) bar:23 color:Full from:07/01/2022 till:end shift:(-100) text:Central Florida (2022–present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:2009TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:^"CHS Membership History"
The CHS Championship Tournament is held every year in February at the conclusion of the regular season and after the ACHA South Regionals. After the 2014–15 season the cross-divisional playoff format was abandoned. For the 2015–16 season there was just one division within CHS and the first round of the playoffs featured the #1 seed vs the #8 seed, the #2 seed vs the #7 seed, etc.
| Year | Champion | |
| 2009 | Tennessee | |
| 2010 | Arkansas | |
| 2011 | Arkansas | |
| 2012 | Alabama | |
| 2013 | Arkansas | |
| 2014 | Arkansas | |
| 2015 | Arkansas | |
| 2016 | Georgia | |
| 2017 | Georgia | |
| 2018 | Arkansas | |
| 2019 | Georgia | |
| 2020 | Ole Miss | |
| 2021 | Georgia | |
| 2022 | Georgia | |
| 2023 | Tampa |
Venues for the teams vary from community ice rinks to civic-center sized arenas. As the conference has expanded and interest in hockey has grown in the Southern United States teams have sought larger venues for games. The 2010-11 SECHC Championship Tournament was held at the 8,500 seat Columbus Civic Center.[7] Two teams, Georgia and Florida along with in-state rivals Georgia Tech and Florida State, as well as a Thursday game played between in-state rivals South Carolina and Citadel play a yearly tournament at the Savannah Civic Center.[8]
CHS has sent 13 teams to the ACHA Division 3 National Tournament. While no CHS team has ever made it out of pool play, Arkansas in 2014 had the best success going 2-1 in their pool but losing the goals against tie breaker to the eventual champion Adrian College.
2009 Host City: Rochester, NY
Hope College (L 3-5)
Colorado (W 7-6)
Dordt College (L 1-4)
Albany (W 6-5)
2010 Host City: Fort Myers, FL
College of the Canyons (L 3-8)
Saginaw Valley State (L 1-14)
Robert Morris (W 8-6)
Colorado (L 1-7)
Hope College (L 2-5)
Fredonia State (L 2-4)
2012 Host City: Vineland, NJ
California (PA) (L 3-7)
Hope College (L 1-9)
Cal State Northridge (L 6-7 OT)
2013 Host City: Springfield, MO
Colorado State (W 2-1)
Farmingdale State (L 2-5)
Adrian College (L 0-9)
Iowa State (W 4-2)
California (PA) (L 5-7)
Michigan-Flint (L 1-7)
2014 Host City: Coral Springs, FL
Adrian College (L 3-4)
Neumann (W 14-6)
Central Florida (W 6-2)
California (PA) (L 2-8)
Davenport (L 2-10)
Aurora (L 3-9)
2015 Host City: Pelham, AL
Fairfield (W 6-2)
Calvin College (W 9-2)
Florida Gulf Coast (L 1-6)
Michigan State (T 4-4)
Pittsburgh-Johnstown (W 6-1)
Colorado State, (L 6-7 OT)
Oakland (L 4-7)
California (PA) (L 3-7)
Metro State (L 1-6)
2017 Host City: Columbus, OH
Oakland (L 6-7)
Bryn Athyn (L 1-6)
Missouri State (W 7-3)
2018 Host City: Columbus, OH
Nebraska (W 5-1)
Oakland (L 4-8)
Farmingdale State (L 7-3)