NCAA seeding

[cowboys5xsbs]

Ohio State and Merrimack in spoiler territory

[nodakvindy]

No need to add Duluth to Sioux Falls regional and break bracket integrity. UND and either augie or mankato bring enough attendance wise. 

[franchise]

9 minutes ago, nodakvindy said:

No need to add Duluth to Sioux Falls regional and break bracket integrity. UND and either augie or mankato bring enough attendance wise. 

Zam Plante will win it in OT and give UMD the 5th spot

[siouxweet]

Wisconsin to SF or Loveland?

[TwamleyShuffle]

20 minutes ago, siouxweet said:

Wisconsin to SF or Loveland?

It’s within bus territory so maybe SF?

[TwamleyShuffle]

RN I feel like our regional will be the following if UMD loses

 

1. UND

2. UMD

3. Wisco

4. Merrimack

[cberkas]

2 minutes ago, TwamleyShuffle said:

RN I feel like our regional will be the following if UMD loses

 

1. UND

2. UMD

3. Wisco

4. Merrimack

The only reason to move anyone it to not have Denver/Western Michigan possible matchup to go to the Frozen Four. 

[cowboys5xsbs]

It basically comes down to Merrimack if they stay true to seeding or Mankato if they care about travel 

[cberkas]

Just now, cowboys5xsbs said:

It basically comes down to Merrimack if they stay true to seeding or Mankato if they care about travel 

It's a big gap between the two

[cberkas]

If you swap a 4 seed it would be Mankato and UConn

[fargosioux]

How much of a guarantee is it that we get placed in Sioux Falls? Do we automatically get placed there as the #2 overall seed since it's the closest regional to Grand Forks?

If Duluth wins and you look at bracket integrity, the committee could make one minor change by swapping Denver (6) and Dartmouth (7), and put UND in Loveland with Denver. Then they could give the Sioux Falls regional to W. Michigan along with Mankato, Duluth, & Wisconsin.

[cberkas]

1 minute ago, fargosioux said:

How much of a guarantee is it that we get placed in Sioux Falls? Do we automatically get placed there as the #2 overall seed since it's the closest regional to Grand Forks?

If Duluth wins and you look at bracket integrity, the committee could make one minor change by swapping Denver (6) and Dartmouth (7), and put UND in Loveland with Denver. Then they could give the Sioux Falls regional to W. Michigan along with Mankato, Duluth, & Wisconsin.

The Michigan school have to fly UND doesn’t. 

[brianvf]

1 minute ago, fargosioux said:

How much of a guarantee is it that we get placed in Sioux Falls? Do we automatically get placed there as the #2 overall seed since it's the closest regional to Grand Forks?

If Duluth wins and you look at bracket integrity, the committee could make one minor change by swapping Denver (6) and Dartmouth (7), and put UND in Loveland with Denver. Then they could give the Sioux Falls regional to W. Michigan along with Mankato, Duluth, & Wisconsin.

They could...but that would sure hose over the #2 overall seed.
Not to mention crush attendance in SF.

[fargosioux]

9 minutes ago, brianvf said:

They could...but that would sure hose over the #2 overall seed.
Not to mention crush attendance in SF.

I get it. But I fear it would just be too easy for them to make that swap. Plus Duluth & Mankato would fill some seats in Sioux Falls.

I'm planning on Sioux Falls. I just have this uneasy feeling it could shake out this way.

[cowboys5xsbs]

Going by NPI it should be:

 

UND (2), Merrimack (15), Cornell (11), and Providence (7)

[cberkas]

Just now, cowboys5xsbs said:

Going by NPI it should be:

 

UND (2), Merrimack (15), Cornell (11), and Providence (7)

Penn State

[brianvf]

2 minutes ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

Going by NPI it should be:

UND (2), Merrimack (15), Cornell (11), and Providence (7)

Yeah, you know the NCAA will want to move some teams around to avoid sending three Eastern teams out to SD to face UND.

[Wilbur]

I think we play Merrimack first.  Duluth finished 8th in the NPI.

If it went chalk you'd have:

Michigan vs. Bentley and Duluth vs. Penn State in Albany.

UND vs. Merrimack and Providence and the Q in Sioux Falls.

I invision a Providence and Duluth swap. 

[TwamleyShuffle]

I envision us having either Kato or UMD in our regional. Which is FINE I suppose. If we get BOTH I’ll be upset. I’d hope the NCAA would know by now that UND fans alone can fill a regional and thus moving teams to it isn’t needed 😉 

[brianvf]

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2026/03/22_Bracket-Breakdown-Final-.php

Albany
1. Michigan vs. 16. Bentley
8. Minnesota Duluth vs. 9. Penn State

Sioux Falls
2. North Dakota vs. 15. Merrimack
7. Providence vs. 10. Quinnipiac

Worcester
3. Michigan State vs. 14. Connecticut
6. Dartmouth vs. 12. Wisconsin

Loveland
4. Western Michigan vs. 13. Minnesota State
5. Denver vs. 11. Cornell

Quote

However — and here's the big caveat. The Committee may very well shift a bunch of stuff around for attendance purposes. Look at that Sioux Falls Regional, with three Eastern teams there. It would make a ton of sense to swap the Providence-Quinnipiac game to Albany, and have Minnesota Duluth play Penn State in Albany. Of course, then you have the same issue as with Denver/WMU, where two NCHC teams that just played each are lined up. But we've already established that the Committee doesn't care.

 

[RedFrog]

My shot at predicting the bracket:

Albany

1 Michigan (1) v 4 Bentley (16)

2 Dartmouth (6) v 3 Penn State (9)

Sioux Falls

1 UND (2) v 4 Merrimack (15)

2 Providence (7) v 3 Quinnipiac (10)

Worcester

1 Michigan St (3) v 4 UConn (14)

2 UMD (8) v 3 Cornell (11)

Loveland

1 Western Mich (4) v 4 Mankato (13)

2 Denver (5) v 3 Wisconsin (12)

 

I'm swapping Dartmouth and UMD instead of Penn State and Cornell ... I'll admit, however, that I don't know the locations of some of these schools out east in contrast to Albany and Worcester.  I know it's odd to move the higher seed to avoid an interconference matchup, but that is what I did.  Otherwise, you go rock chalk jayhawk.  If you want to protect certain teams, you go away from the current regional hosting system as it is.

That ECAC issue with Dartmouth at 6, the Queue at 10 and Cornell at 11 is what makes this interesting.

[petey23]

17 minutes ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

Going by NPI it should be:

 

UND (2), Merrimack (15), Cornell (11), and Providence (7)

7 plays 10

[Fratt Mattin]

The fact that we may get a much harder regional than we deserve because of attendance/travel concerns is everything that’s wrong with the current system. Number one seeds should host and everybody should play their numerical match. I could get on board with adjusting matchups to prevent conference foes meeting in the first round, but otherwise, we should be limiting human involvement in match making as much as possible. The high seeds need to be rewarded for playing well in the regular season and not punished to promote attendance

[cberkas]

2 minutes ago, brianvf said:

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2026/03/22_Bracket-Breakdown-Final-.php

Albany
1. Michigan vs. 16. Bentley
8. Minnesota Duluth vs. 9. Penn State

Sioux Falls
2. North Dakota vs. 15. Merrimack
7. Providence vs. 10. Quinnipiac

Worcester
3. Michigan State vs. 14. Connecticut
6. Dartmouth vs. 12. Wisconsin

Loveland
4. Western Michigan vs. 13. Minnesota State
5. Denver vs. 11. Cornell

 

Dartmouth will be moved to Sioux Falls and Cornell to Albany. 

Providence to Worcester 

[brianvf]

Something tells me we're gonna see all four NCHC teams put into 2 regionals.
And then if all advance past game one, it will just be repeats of the NCHC tourney semi-final games.