The Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League is a college ice hockey league comprising teams from smaller colleges and universities in and near Upstate New York that is affiliated with the Collegiate Hockey Federation (CHF). The league is based in New York State and has a majority of teams competing in-state along with some from neighboring Pennsylvania and Vermont.
The league was founded by Andrew Musto in 2006 with the purpose of creating a league that is a low-cost alternative to higher cost leagues. As of 2017 the league fee per team is $300. League fees are used for playoff ice time, referee fees, scorekeepers, and awards.
At the end of the 2016âÂÂ17 season, Musto stepped down as commissioner and appointed Jon Marchese the new commissioner. The UNYCHL opened its 11th season with the biggest expansion in its history. The league grew to 23 teams with the additions of SUNY Albany, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Clarkson University, Niagara County Community College, Binghamton University and Syracuse University as well as the return of Alfred State College, Hilbert College and SUNY Canton. In addition the league was organized into three divisions based on geography to cut down travel.
Before the 2019âÂÂ20 season, the league left the ACHA and has joined the Collegiate Hockey Federation.
The league also organizes a second-tier league called UNYCHL Tier 2, which launched with the 2018âÂÂ19 season. This tier is for new programs in an effort to "provide local area teams an avenue to play competitive hockey while minimizing budgetary impacts and reducing travel costs." UNYCHL T2 holds ten teams which compete among one another for a separate league championship.
In February 2025, the UNYCHL announced a merger with the Super East Collegiate Hockey League (SECHL) for the 2025âÂÂ26 season, with the two playing under the SECHL name in ACHA Men's Division 2. Once the merger with the UNYCHL is complete, the SECHL will have two divisions. The SECHL East Division will comprise the then-current six current SECHL members (Army (West Point), Clarkson University, Marist University, Montclair State University, Sacred Heart University, and Siena College) while the SECHL West Division will be made of the former UNYCHL teams. UNYCHL members Binghamton University, Niagara University, and St. Bonaventure University applied and were accepted into the ACHA, with other UNYCHL teams going through the ACHA application process. Teams in each SECHL Division will compete against one another and maintain separate divisional playoffs.
The 2015 UNYCHL Playoffs were played February 20âÂÂ22 at the home rink of each #1 and #2 seeds and 27th and 28th at Holiday Twin Rinks in Cheektowaga, New York.