Four Big Ten Teams Headed to NCAA Hockey Tournament

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Four Big Ten teams have been selected to participate in the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship which begins Thursday.

The four bids are tied for the most among conferences and matches a Big Ten record that occurred in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Michigan State (24-9-3), which captured the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, is a No. 1 seed (and No. 4 seed overall) and will host No. 4 seed Western Michigan (21-15-1) of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference on Friday, March 29, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU at the Centene Community Ice Center in the Maryland Heights (Mo.) Regional Semifinals. The No. 5/5-ranked Spartans, who received the Big Ten’s automatic berth, are making their 28th NCAA Tournament appearance and their first since 2012.

Michigan (21-14-3) is the No. 3 seed in the Maryland Heights Regional and will face No. 2 seed North Dakota (26-11-2) of the NCHC in a semifinal on Friday, March 29, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The No. 10/10-ranked Wolverines are making their 41st NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth-straight trip to the postseason.

Minnesota (22-10-5) is the No. 2 seed at the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Regional and will take on No. 3 seed Omaha (23-12-4) of the NCHC in a semifinal on Thursday, March 28, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. The No. 8/8-ranked Golden Gophers are making their 41st overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having earned a berth for the fourth-consecutive year.

Wisconsin (26-11-2), a No. 2 seed, landed in the Providence (R.I.) Regional and squares off against No. 3 seed and defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac (26-9-2) of ECAC Hockey in a semifinal on Friday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPNews at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The No. 9/9-ranked Badgers are making their 27th appearance in the NCAA postseason and first since 2021.

Regional winners will advance to the NCAA Frozen Four, to be held April 11 and 13, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.