Men’s and Women’s Hockey Programs to Join UCHC

St. John Fisher University will join the United Collegiate Hockey Conference as a men’s and women’s hockey member effective with the 2025-26 academic year.

“We are excited to welcome St. John Fisher University to college hockey and the UCHC,” said UCHC Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “The University has many nationally competitive teams and ice hockey is positioned for early success. We are proud to provide high quality experiences for their student-athletes and be part of the history and growth of their programs.”

Fisher will begin play for both men's and women's hockey in 2025-26. The Cardinals, who have enjoyed tremendous conference and national success in several sports as a member of the Empire 8, will have 26 NCAA Division III sports with the addition of both ice hockey programs. Fisher has won a combined 104 Empire 8 Championships since the league was formed in 1999. The University, founded in 1948, offers nearly 40 academic majors in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, business, education, and nursing, as well as 11 pre-professional programs and has a robust residential student and campus life.

“Joining the UCHC is an exciting step for our university not only because we enter a new realm of competition, camaraderie, and growth as we add men’s and women’s hockey to our intercollegiate offerings, but also because we do so joining a nationally competitive conference made up of institutions focused on excellence,” said Jose Perales, vice president for enrollment management at the University. “We want to thank the UCHC member institutions as well as Commissioner Mitrano for welcoming Fisher, a challenge that our coaches and student-athletes are looking forward to in 2025.”

The Cardinals are set to play their home games at the Rochester Ice Center in Fairport, New York.

Founded in 2017, the UCHC has developed into one of the premier NCAA Division III hockey conferences, both on the ice and in the classroom. The conference consists of current members SUNY Brockport (men), Chatham University, SUNY Geneseo (men), Manhattanville University, Nazareth University and Utica University. Albertus Magnus, Elmira College, Hilbert College (women), and Fisher are set to join for the 2025-26 season, giving the men’s league nine teams and women’s league eight members.