"The winners of the five conference tournaments earned automatic bids to the field, with the next six highest teams in the NPI rankings getting at-large spots. The top five seeds receive first-round byes, with the top four teams hosting regional finals. Regional play begins Thursday with three first-round games."
"Ohio State earned the top overall seed after beating Wisconsin 2-1 for the WCHA tournament championship Saturday. The Badgers are the No. 2 seed, with Penn State of Atlantic Hockey America at No. 3. Minnesota (WCHA) and Northeastern (Hockey East) round out the top five seeds."
"Wisconsin beat Ohio State 4-3 in overtime to win the 2025 national championship. Those teams have alternated as national champs over the last five seasons and have met in the title game the last three years, with Wisconsin winning in 2023 and Ohio State taking the crown in 2024."
The 2026 NCAA women's hockey tournament field consists of 11 teams, with five conference tournament winners earning automatic bids and six additional teams selected via NPI rankings. Ohio State secured the top overall seed by defeating Wisconsin 2-1 in the WCHA tournament championship. The top five seeds receive first-round byes, while the top four teams host regional finals. Regional play begins Thursday with three first-round matchups. The Frozen Four takes place March 20-22 at University Park, Pennsylvania. All tournament games stream live on the ESPN App, with the championship game airing on ESPNU at 4 p.m. on March 22. Wisconsin and Ohio State have dominated recent championships, alternating titles over the last five seasons and meeting in the title game three consecutive years.
#ncaa-womens-hockey-tournament #2026-tournament-format #ohio-state-championship #frozen-four #conference-tournament-champions
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]