The National Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) was a national organization of men's college- and university-level ice hockey programs in the United States. The NCHA used to be known as the Collegiate Ice Hockey Association (CIHA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Hockey (NAIH). The association was primarily composed of American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division III teams from the Northeast.
The NAIH was formed in 2011 as an alternative to the ACHA for hockey teams that wanted a lower cost for membership and a high level of competition. However, many teams in the NCHA were also members of the ACHA.
In the spring of 2013, the NAIH changed its name to the CIHA and after the 2013-14 season changed its name to the NCHA.
In July 2014, the NCHA was sanctioned by the United Hockey Union, a branch of Amateur Athletic Union.
For the 2015âÂÂ16 season, the NCHA had four conferences: North Eastern (New York), South Eastern (Pennsylvania/West Virginia), South Wwestern (California) and the Independent Conference. The champion of each conference received an automatic bid to Nationals.
The 2012âÂÂ13 season was the first year the NAIH held a national tournament. The national championship trophy was dubbed the Founders Cup.