SUNYAC Adds Teams, Expand Playoffs in Men’s & Women’s Ice Hockey
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As the first pucks of the 2025-26 season drop, the SUNYAC unveils the start of an exciting and new era of men's and women's ice hockey.
The SUNYAC has expanded its membership in men's ice hockey to 10 teams by welcoming three-time NCAA Division III National Champion Hobart to the fold. In addition, the SUNYAC will be represented in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for the first time by a strong program in Skidmore.
"Although the SUNYAC always has been strong in men's ice hockey, adding Hobart and Skidmore clearly makes the SUNYAC a leader in Division III," Tom DiCamillo, commissioner of the conference, said. "The competition and challenge will be exciting, and including two more schools from New York in the conference allows for ideal partnerships for travel."
The move allows for more natural geographic travel partners as Plattsburgh and Skidmore team up, while Canton and Potsdam are just a few miles apart. Oswego shifts to a travel partnership with Hobart.
In addition to the expansion of program in the SUNYAC, the men's ice hockey also will expand its playoff format to eight teams – up from six – with no teams receiving first-round byes. The format of Wednesday-Saturday-Saturday will remain intact, and teams will be reseeded after each round with pairings determined by the seeds of the surviving teams.
The SUNYAC has expanded its conference schedule from 14 to 18 games with each team playing a double-round robin.
The SUNYAC women's ice hockey season will feature an expanded playoff format as well, moving from four to six teams after William Smith was admitted as an associate member starting this year.
"SUNYAC women's ice hockey has seen rapid growth over the past few years and adding William Smith just makes the conference that much tougher," the commissioner said. "Being able to reduce the number of times each team plays the other also is a huge benefit by bringing in an eighth program."
The SUNYAC's eight women's teams will play a 14-game schedule – reduced by four games from 18 the conference had used since its inception.
With the conference sponsoring seven teams in the past, each squad would face the other team three times to complete the 18-game format. Now the teams will square off just twice in a double-round robin schedule. Buffalo State and William Smith will team up as travel partners.
The playoff format will be the same as the men with first-round games taking place on the Wednesday following the conclusion of the regular season followed by the semifinals and championship on consecutive Saturdays.
The top six teams will earn playoff berths with the top two seeds receiving byes in the opening round. The teams will be reseeded after first round with the #1 seed always playing the lowest remaining seed.
Both the men's and women's ice hockey schedules in the SUNYAC have been approved for the next four years through the 2028-29 campaigns.
The 2025-26 men's and women's ice hockey seasons open on Halloween.
