# Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League

The Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I level ice hockey league. The GLCHL is made up of nine schools, including one in Indiana, one in Illinois, and seven in Michigan.

## History

The league was announced in late 2009 and began play in the Fall of 2010 with six member teams, all located within the state of Michigan. Eastern Michigan, Michigan-Dearborn and Western Michigan all joined the league after competing as members of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. Oakland and Adrian College previously competed as ACHA Division 1 Independents. Davenport joined after making the transition from ACHA Division 2 to Division 1. In 2012, Kent State announced they would move from the CSCHL to the league beginning in the 2012-13 season. Indiana Tech and Rochester College joined the league in the 2015-16 season. Before the 2017-18 season Indiana Tech left to join the newly formed NAIA Division. Calvin College moved up from ACHA Division 3 to fill the spot left by Indiana Tech. In 2019, Rochester and Michigan-Dearborn left the conference after the NAIA Division consolidated into the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), the all-sport conference for both RU and UMD. In recent years, though, the league has been able to supplement its membership with programs making the transition from ACHA D2 to D1, adding Grand Valley State for the 2020-2021 season, and Purdue University Northwest for the 2022-2023 season.
Adrian College has won the most regular season and playoff titles with seven regular season and five playoff titles.

## Format

The conference plays a 16-game league schedule, two games against each team—home team alternates each season. In addition team schedules will include other ACHA Division I opponents. The GLCHL holds a league championship tournament at the end of the regular season in February.

## Member schools
### Current members

| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Primary conference |
| Northwood University | Midland, Michigan | 1959 | Nonsectarian | 1,344 | Timberwolves | 2024 | ? | Great Midwest (G-MAC) |
| Oakland University | Rochester, Michigan | 1957 | Public | 20,519 | Golden Grizzlies | ? | ? | Horizon |
| Saginaw Valley State University | University Center, Michigan | 1963 | Public | 7,523 | Cardinals | 2024 | ? | Great Lakes (GLIAC) |
| University of Toledo | Toledo, Ohio | 1872 | Public | 18,319 | Rockets | 2024 | ? | Mid-American (MAC) |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, Michigan | 1903 | Public | 19,887 | Broncos | ? | ? | Mid-American (MAC) |

#### Notes

* 1 2 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
* 1 2 3 Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
* ↑ Western Michigan has NCAA Division I hockey competing in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

### Former members

| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
| Adrian College | Adrian, Michigan | 1859 | United Methodist | 1,671 | Bulldogs | ? | 2024 | Michigan (MIAA) |
| Calvin University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1876 | Christian Reformed | 3,746 | Knights | ? | 2024 | Michigan (MIAA) |
| Davenport University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1866 | Nonsectarian | 5,384 | Panthers | ? | 2024 | Great Lakes (GLIAC) |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, Michigan | 1849 | Public | 16,294 | Eagles | ? | 2024 | Mid-American (MAC) |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale, Michigan | 1960 | Public | 24,406 | Lakers | ? | 2024 | Great Lakes (GLIAC) |
| Indiana Institute of Technology | Fort Wayne, Indiana | 1930 | Nonsectarian | 7,000 | Warriors | 2010 | 2017 | Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC) |
| Kent State University | Kent, Ohio | 1910 | Public | 26,822 | Golden Flashes | 2012 | 2020 | Mid-American (MAC) |
| University of Michigan–Dearborn | Dearborn, Michigan | 1959 | Public | 9,500 | Wolverines | 2010 | 2019 | Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC) |
| Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, Indiana | 2016 | Public | 9,363 | Pride | 2022 | 2024 | Great Lakes (GLIAC) |
| Rochester College | Rochester Hills, Michigan | 1959 | Churches of Christ | 1,100 | Warriors | 2015 | 2019 | Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC) |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago, Illinois | 1945 | Nonsectarian | 3,725 | Lakers | ? | 2024 | Great Lakes (GLIAC) |

#### Notes

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Member school left the GLCHL to form the Great Lakes Six Hockey Conference (GL6), beginning the 2024–25 school year.
* ↑ Adrian has NCAA Division III hockey competing in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA).
* 1 2 Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
* 1 2 3 4 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
* 1 2 Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
* 1 2 3 Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
* ↑ Formerly known as Rochester College until 2019, then later known as Rochester University until 2024.

## Conference arenas

| School | Hockey Arena | Capacity |
| Adrian | Arrington Ice Arena | 500 |
| Calvin | Eagles Ice Center | |
| Davenport | Patterson Ice Center | 1,200 |
| Eastern Michigan | Ann Arbor Ice Cube | 1,000 |
| Grand Valley State | Griff's Georgetown | |
| Oakland | Onyx Rochester Ice Arena | 750 |
| Purdue Northwest | Kube Sports Complex | |
| Roosevelt | Edge Ice Arena | 3,000 |
| Western Michigan | Wings West Arena | 1,000 |

## Past champions

| | Regular season | Tournament | Tournament site |
| 2011 | Adrian College | Oakland | The Peak Ice Arena, Romulus, Michigan |
| 2012 | Oakland | Adrian College | Arrington Ice Arena, Adrian, Michigan |
| 2013 | Adrian College | Davenport | Patterson Ice Center, Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2014 | Adrian College | Adrian College | ONYX Ice Arena, Rochester, MI |
| 2015 | Adrian College | Adrian College | The Rink, Battle Creek, MI |
| 2016 | Davenport | University of Michigan-Dearborn | University of Michigan-Dearborn Fieldhouse, Dearborn, MI |
| 2017 | Adrian College | University of Michigan-Dearborn | KSU Ice Arena, Kent, OH |
| 2018 | Adrian College | Adrian College | Ann Arbor Ice Cube, Ann Arbor, MI |
| 2019 | Adrian College | Adrian College | Arrington Ice Arena, Adrian, MI |
| 2020 | Adrian College | Adrian College | Patterson Ice Center, Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2021 | Adrian College | Adrian College | Griff's Georgetown, Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2022 | Adrian College | Grand Valley State | Griff's Georgetown, Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2023 | Adrian College | Adrian College | Eagles Ice Center, Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2024 | Adrian College | Purdue Northwest | Farmington Hills Ice Arena, Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2025 | Northwood University | Northwood University | Midland Civic Arena, Midland, MI |

## National tournament results

* 2011: #2 Davenport won the 2011 ACHA Men's DI National Championship defeating #1 Lindenwood 3-2 in overtime; #4 Adrian defeated 4-5 in 2ot by #5 Delaware in Quarter-final Round; #11 Oakland defeated 2-6 by #3 Ohio in Quarter-final Round.
* 2018: #2 ranked Adrian College won the ACHA Men's Div. I National Championship against #5 Illinois, defeating them 8-1.