Automatic bid The concept of an automatic bid ( also known as autobids or automatic qualifiers ) to the NCAA Tournament , over time , has changed greatly . Generally , conferences with more than six teams that compete at the NCAA division prescribed are given an automatic bid to award to one of their teams , at their discretion . Today , this bid is universally awarded to the winner of each conference tournament . As of 2005 , every team in Men ' s Division I can compete for an autobid through their league tournament , and all teams are eligible for the 10 at - large bids . Men ' s Division I . The first four NCAA Tournaments did not include autobids . Between 1948 and 1951 , the NCAA itself chose the four participants for the tournament , always inviting two western teams and two eastern teams . From 1952 to 1959 , the prominent western teams formed the MCHL ( later the WIHL ) in order to help the NCAA select the two western teams . The top two regular season teams - there was no tournament - were selected each year for the NCAA Tournament . The NCAA was not required to invite the top two teams , so these were not considered automatic bids in the true definition , but in practice , the system was common sense if the NCAA wished to invite the two best western teams . The WIHL disbanded in 1959 , and for that year the NCAA returned to their previous system . In 1960 , the Western Collegiate Hockey Association was formed , complete with a post - season playoff system . The two teams who reached the WCHA Championship Game were selected as the NCAA representatives from the west . This was the first true instance of an automatic bid system . The same year , the NCAA required the eastern teams to play " play - in " games for their bids . These games were not part of the NCAA Tournament or any type of championship structure . The eastern teams created a counterpart to the WCHA when they formed the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1962 . This created a system where all four NCAA Tournament teams were chosen by conference tournaments - the participants of the respective leagues ' championship games were given automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament . For over a decade , from 1962 to 1976 , the automatic bids were the only path to the NCAA Tournament , there were no at - large bids . In 1966 , the WCHA decided to stop playing a championship game , since it did not have any bearing on the advancement of the teams . The semifinal winners who had previously played in the WCHA Championship were awarded automatic bids without playing against each other . In 1976 , with the advent of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association , the number of tournament teams became somewhat flexible . The NCAA decided that the tournament was expandable to five or six teams if there was a deserving eastern or western team to warrant an at - large bid from either region . There was not determined to be one for that season , but in 1977 , the third western bid became mandatory , to be awarded to the CCHA champion . From 1977 to 1980 , there were 5 autobids - 2 from the ECAC , 2 from the WCHA , and 1 from the CCHA . There was also an optional at - large bid available for a worthy eastern team . This optional bid was only awarded in 1978 , creating the first and only six - team field . In 1981 the tournament was expanded to eight teams , and the ECAC and WCHA each lost one of their autobids each of the three established leagues were given one autobid each , to be awarded to the tournament champions . As such , the WCHA resumed their championship game in 1982 . Under this system , two of the at - large bids were required to be western teams , while the other three were eastern teams . The next season , the at - large bids were re - arranged again , requiring 2 eastern bids and allowing 3 bids from either region . The NCAA during this time was still careful to maintain a balance of eastern and western teams . In 1985 , Hockey East was awarded an automatic bid after their first season concluded , moving the number of autobids to four , one for each league ' s tournament champion , and 4 at - large bids from among the teams that did not win their league tournament . This marked a departure from the NCAA ' s previous mandate to ensure an equal divide of eastern and western teams . From 1985 forward , the NCAA attempted to take the best teams for the at - large bids under the prescribed method for awarding them . In 1988 , the tournament was expanded to twelve teams , but the four autobids remained . 1 at - large bid was earmarked for a team not eligible for an automatic bid - playing outside of the Big Four leagues , such as an Independent team , 4 at - large bids were saved for a second team from each of the Big Four leagues , and the remaining 3 were open to any team . The guaranteed independent bid was abolished in 1993 . In 1995 , four more potential autobids were handed out to the Big Four , awarding an automatic bid to any regular - season champion which did not go on to win the league tournament . Any league with the same team winning both the regular season and tournament was given only one autobid for the year , and an additional at - large bid would be awarded instead . This system lasted for the remainder of the 1990s . With the creation of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference league in the late 1990s , there was a fifth league meeting the NCAA requirements for an automatic bid , and the league was awarded an autobid beginning in 2001 . Concurrently , the autobid option for Big Four league winners was rescinded , leaving 5 autobids and 7 at - large bids . With College Hockey America due to gain an autobid , the NCAA bowed to popular pressure and expanded the tournament to 16 teams in 2003 , the same year the CHA was first awarded an autobid , creating a tournament with 6 autobids and 10 at - large teams . In 2004 , the MAAC was replaced by Atlantic Hockey which inherited the MAAC ' s autobid , creating the current NCAA autobid system . Women ' s Division I . Prior to 2014 , there were three automatic bids to the tournament ; ECAC , Hockey East , and WCHA tournament champions plus five at - large bids awarded at the discretion of the selection committee . Starting with the 2015 tournament the four conference ( College Hockey America , ECAC , Hockey East , and WCHA ) tournament champions were awarded the conference ' s automatic bid to the tournament . Four at - large bids were awarded at the discretion of the selection committee . Men ' s Division III . As of the 2015 tournament there were 7 automatic bids awarded to conference tournament champions . ECAC East , ECAC Northeast , Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference , Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference . New England Small College Athletic Conference , Northern Collegiate Hockey Association State University of New York Athletic Conference . The remaining four bids are at - large spots awarded at the discretion of the selection committee . Women ' s Division III . As of the 2015 tournament five conference tournament champions receive automatic bids to the tournament ( ECAC East , ECAC West , Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference , New England Small College Athletic Conference , and Women ' s National Collegiate Hockey Association . The remaining 3 bid are at - large bids awarded at the discretion of the selection committee .