NCAA · Men's Hockey
NCAA · Men's HockeyOLC Tournament Projection
Projected NCAA Tournament Field · 16 Teams · 4 Regionals · 6 Projected Automatic Qualifiers Updated Oct 10, 2026, 2:47 AM PT
Projected NCAA Tournament Field
16 Teams · 4 Regionals · 6 Projected Automatic Qualifiers
| # | Team | OLC Rating | Record | Conference | Bid | Regional | R-Seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan St. | 67.93 | 1-0-0 | Big Ten | AQ | Region A | 1 |
| 2 | Augustana (SD) | 67.67 | 1-0-0 | CCHA | AQ | Region B | 1 |
| 3 | Boston U. | 65.48 | 2-0-0 | Hockey East | AQ | Region C | 1 |
| 4 | Western Mich. | 65.38 | 2-0-0 | NCHC | AQ | Region D | 1 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 65.08 | 2-0-0 | Big Ten | AL | Region D | 2 |
| 6 | Air Force | 64.75 | 1-0-0 | Atlantic Hockey America | AQ | Region C | 2 |
| 7 | Michigan | 64.54 | 3-0-0 | Big Ten | AL | Region B | 2 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 64.35 | 1-0-0 | NCHC | AL | Region A | 2 |
| 9 | Quinnipiac | 64.05 | 3-0-0 | ECAC Hockey | AQ | Region A | 3 |
| 10 | Denver | 63.87 | 2-0-0 | NCHC | AL | Region B | 3 |
| 11 | Providence | 63.00 | 1-0-0 | Hockey East | AL | Region C | 3 |
| 12 | Colorado Col. | 62.29 | 2-0-0 | NCHC | AL | Region D | 3 |
| 13 | Bentley | 61.25 | 1-0-0 | Atlantic Hockey America | AL | Region A | 4 |
| 14 | Rensselaer | 61.25 | 1-0-0 | ECAC Hockey | AL | Region C | 4 |
| 15 | Union (NY) | 60.55 | 1-0-0 | ECAC Hockey | AL | Region B | 4 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 59.85 | 3-0-0 | Big Ten | AL | Region D | 4 |
Projected Automatic Qualifiers
OLC uses each conference’s highest-rated eligible team as its projected automatic qualifier. Conference tournaments are not simulated, and these teams have not actually clinched an automatic bid.
Air Force
Atlantic Hockey America
Michigan St.
Big Ten
Augustana (SD)
CCHA
Quinnipiac
ECAC Hockey
Boston U.
Hockey East
Western Mich.
NCHC
First Four Out
The next at-large teams, just outside the projected field
| # | Team | Conference | OLC Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | UConn | Hockey East | 58.80 |
| 12 | Clarkson | ECAC Hockey | 57.75 |
| 13 | Minn. Duluth | NCHC | 57.54 |
| 14 | Michigan Tech | CCHA | 56.22 |
Projected NCAA Regionals
Four 4-team regionals · Seed 1 plays Seed 4, Seed 2 plays Seed 3 · the number beside each team is its REGIONAL seed, not its overall tournament seed
Region A
1Michigan St.Big Ten
vs4BentleyAtlantic Hockey America
2North DakotaNCHC
vs3QuinnipiacECAC Hockey
Region B
1Augustana (SD)CCHA
vs4Union (NY)ECAC Hockey
2MichiganBig Ten
vs3DenverNCHC
Region C
1Boston U.Hockey East
vs4RensselaerECAC Hockey
2Air ForceAtlantic Hockey America
vs3ProvidenceHockey East
Region D
1Western Mich.NCHC
vs4WisconsinBig Ten
2Notre DameBig Ten
vs3Colorado Col.NCHC
Frozen Four Path
Structure only -- OLC does not project who wins any regional, semifinal, or the national championship
Region ARegional Champion
vsRegion DRegional Champion
Region BRegional Champion
vsRegion CRegional Champion
National Championship2027 Frozen Four · Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
How OLC Hockey Bracketology Works
1
Build Field
Every D1 team is rated from game results (and preseason ranks early in the year). The field starts from those ratings.
2
Project AQs
Each of the 6 conferences’ highest-rated eligible team is projected as that conference’s automatic qualifier. Conference tournaments are not simulated.
3
Select At-Large
The remaining highest-rated teams fill the other 10 spots in the 16-team field, ranked by OLC Rating.
4
Assign Regionals
The 16-team field is split into 4 regionals of 4, seeded 1-4 in each, minimizing same-conference first-round matchups where possible.
5
Build Frozen Four Path
The bracket structure connecting the 4 regional winners to the national semifinals and championship is laid out -- no winners are projected.