DENVER — Minnesota Duluth
lost the NCHC championship game 4-3 in double overtime at Denver
on Saturday, giving the Pioneers the automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA tournament.
Thankfully for the Bulldogs, they had already secured an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as insurance.
UMD is returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022. They’ll hear their name called during the selection show at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.
The Bulldogs finished at No. 8 in the
which replaced the Pairwise rankings as the formula used to select at-large teams and seed the NCAA tournament. The formulas for the NPI and Pairwise are pretty close, with a strong nonconference record by a team and league influencing the rankings. The Bulldogs went 9-1 outside the NCHC during the regular season.
UMD will be a No. 2 seed in its regional. Which regional will that be? That’s a good question. Here’s the News Tribune’s prediction:
Albany, New York Regional
March 27-29
1. Michigan vs. 16. Bentley
7. Providence vs. 9. Penn State
Sioux Falls, South Dakota Regional
March 26-28
2. North Dakota vs. 15. Merrimack
8. Minnesota Duluth vs. 10. Quinnipiac
Worcester, Massachusetts Regional
March 26-28
3. Michigan State vs. 14. UConn
6. Dartmouth vs. 12. Wisconsin
Loveland, Colorado Regional
March 27-29
4. Western Michigan vs. 13. Minnesota State
5. Denver vs. 11. Cornell
2026 Conference Tournament Champions
(These teams received automatic bids)
NCHC: Denver
Big 10: Michigan
ECAC: Dartmouth
Hockey East: Merrimack
AHA: Bentley
CCHA: Minnesota State
Do I really think UMD lands in Sioux Falls?
Not really, so don’t get too excited about the Bulldogs being there.
Naturally, the Bulldogs should remain in Albany, but No. 8 UMD and No. 7 Providence are separated by just .16 in the NPI. The two teams they are supposed to play in the first round, No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Quinnipiac, are even closer at .02. Why not make this switch?
I flipped No. 11 Cornell and No. 12 Wisconsin to break up the ECAC intraconference matchup between No. 6 Dartmouth and No. 11 Cornell. In my eyes, UMD and Providence are just as close. The committee may not see it that way.
Co-host of the Bulldog Insider Podcast and college hockey reporter for the Duluth News Tribune covering the Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s hockey programs.