The Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I level ice hockey league. The GLCHL is made up of nine schools, including one in Indiana, one in Illinois, and seven in Michigan.
The league was announced in late 2009 and began play in the Fall of 2010 with six member teams, all located within the state of Michigan. Eastern Michigan, Michigan-Dearborn and Western Michigan all joined the league after competing as members of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. Oakland and Adrian College previously competed as ACHA Division 1 Independents. Davenport joined after making the transition from ACHA Division 2 to Division 1. In 2012, Kent State announced they would move from the CSCHL to the league beginning in the 2012âÂÂ13 season. Indiana Tech and Rochester College joined the league in the 2015âÂÂ16 season. Before the 2017âÂÂ18 season Indiana Tech left to join the newly formed NAIA Division. Calvin College moved up from ACHA Division 3 to fill the spot left by Indiana Tech. In 2019, Rochester and Michigan-Dearborn left the conference after the NAIA Division consolidated into the WolverineâÂÂHoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), the all-sport conference for both RU and UMD. In recent years, though, the league has been able to supplement its membership with programs making the transition from ACHA D2 to D1, adding Grand Valley State for the 2020âÂÂ2021 season, and Purdue University Northwest for the 2022âÂÂ2023 season.
Adrian College has won the most regular season and playoff titles with seven regular season and five playoff titles.
The conference plays a 16-game league schedule, two games against each teamâÂÂhome team alternates each season. In addition team schedules will include other ACHA Division I opponents. The GLCHL holds a league championship tournament at the end of the regular season in February. The winner of the league championship advances to the ACHA National Championships which take place at Centene Community Ice Center in St. Louis, Missouri.https://www.achahockey.org/acha-unveils-official-logo-and-dates-for-2026-acha-national-championships