College hockey has long since been dominated by the blue-blooded teams of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and the powerhouse programs of the Hockey East. Despite its recent lack of postseason success, the Big Ten is never too far behind in talent and the conference might have its best shot to compete for a national title in decades.
To say the Big Ten is loaded with talent this season would be an understatement. Boasting multiple championship frontrunners and some of the most premier talent in history after the newly granted collegiate eligibility to CHL players, any team’s conference schedule is going to be a battle.
With puck drop on the 2025-26 season just under a month away, take a look at how the Big Ten teams are stacking up this preseason.
Tier 1: Penn State / Michigan State
Penn State and Michigan State have the potential to be two of the most dominant teams on the college hockey scene as the frontrunners for the national title, alongside Hockey East foe Boston University.
The blue and white are coming off a monster season, which included the program’s first-ever Frozen Four appearance back in April. While returning most of its roster and recruiting one of the most impressive classes in Penn State Athletics history, the program’s expectations have only elevated.
With the addition of generational talent Gavin McKenna, first-round draft pick Jackson Smith, Hobey Baker Top-10 Finalist Mac Gadowsky and more, the Nittany Lions are poised for another monumental season.
Gavin McKenna readies in round robin game 4 of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Moncton Wildcats and the Medicine Hat Tigers on May 26, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Que. (Vincent Ethier/CHL)
Via Vincent Ethier/CHL
Michigan State sat atop the college hockey rankings for a majority of last season, and despite 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard departing for the NHL, the team still retained many of its best players, including elite goaltender Trey Augustine and 2023 first-round pick Charlie Stramel.
The Spartans were another team to land a highly sought-after top NHL prospect, No. 6 overall pick, Porter Martone. 2024 No. 4 overall pick Cayden Lindstrom and 2025 No. 26 overall pick Ryker Lee are just two more elite skaters heading to East Lansing this winter.
Tier 2: Michigan / Minnesota
While Penn State and Michigan State are leading the pack in the hunt for the national title, both Michigan and Minnesota have put together teams very capable of making a deep run.
The Wolverines have one of the top hockey programs in the country, churning out NHL talent on a yearly basis, but they had a bit of a down year last season after falling to the Nittany Lions in the first round of the Big Ten tournament and failing to obtain a postseason bid.
Forward Carson Dyck (7) skates with the puck during the Penn State men’s hockey playoff game against Michigan on Friday, March 7, 2025 in the Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mi. The Nittany Lions beat the Wolverines 6-5 in overtime.
Jacob DeLuca
Michigan is looking to turn the tide, however, bringing 14 new faces to Ann Arbor this season. Made up of 11 freshmen and three transfers, all but five of whom are NHL bound, the Wolverines have a promising future ahead with a talented new class.
Minnesota, on the other hand, performed well last season, tying at the top of the conference with the Spartans with 50 points and earning a postseason bid.
The Golden Gophers lost a lot of their top scorers from last year, but they are another team bringing in a talented new class. Among the new faces are two top 2025 picks in 6-foot-6 defenseman Jacob Rombach and fourth-round forward L.J. Mooney.
Tier 3: Wisconsin / Notre Dame / Ohio State
While Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Ohio State have all put together solid rosters for the upcoming season, they sit a little farther back from a potential championship than some of the other Big Ten programs this season.
The Buckeyes put together a solid season last year, but Wisconsin and Notre Dame found themselves at the bottom of the conference, and with more talent joining the Big Ten, it looks like that fate might be repeated.
MORE HOCKEY COVERAGE
Penn State has garnered another commitment.
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.