The UNC club ice hockey program is taking a major step up.

On Thursday morning, the team announced it would be officially elevating to Division 1 status in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Carolina will be a founding member of the ACHA’s new Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League M1 Division, along with Alabama, Louisville and NC State.

“It’s clear that interest in hockey is growing exponentially in the southeast,” said the team’s head coach, Adam Dauda. “We want to continue to give our fans the highest quality of hockey possible and this jump will allow us to do that.”

The ice hockey program is coming off some of its most successful seasons to date in the ACHA’s Division 2, which included two consecutive Governor’s Cup victories against NC State and an outdoor game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

“Our players and staff have shown commitment to greatness and I’m confident we will continue to find success at the D1 level,” Dauda said. “I’m thrilled to be able to have our program embark on this exciting next step and hopeful it will lead to great things for UNC Hockey.”

Though the program currently plays games at the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough, it is planning to move into a new $20 million arena at Carraway Village in Chapel Hill by the 2025-26 season. The program plans for the arena to seat more than 2,000 people.

Said ACCHL commissioner Mike Walley, the new division will “showcase the highest levels of collegiate hockey in the Southeast, and in turn, will inspire an entire new generation of youth hockey players in non-traditional hockey areas who aspire to eventually be rostered on these exceptional university ice hockey teams.”

 

Featured image via UNC Hockey on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Club Hockey Facing Carolina Hurricanes Alumni Team in Exhibition
The UNC club ice hockey team is adding an unexpected opponent to its 2024-25 schedule: the Carolina Hurricanes. The retired ones, anyway. UNC announced an exhibition with the Hurricanes Alumni Team this week. The Hurricanes Alumni include Stanley Cup winners Cam Ward, Aaron Ward and Chad LaRose. The exhibition is scheduled for Friday, August 16 […]
UNC Volleyball Beats JMU, Survives Colorado State Comeback to Earn 2 Home Wins
UNC stayed undefeated in 2026 with a four-set win against James Madison Thursday and a five-set thriller against Colorado State Friday, both in Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels dropped the first set against the Dukes Thursday despite winning the first three points. JMU flipped a 7-5 deficit into a 14-9 lead midway through the set, […]
UNC Field Hockey Throttles Penn for First Win of 2026 Season
UNC led 4-0 at halftime on its way to a 7-0 thrashing of visiting Penn at Karen Shelton Stadium Friday night as part of the ACC-Ivy League Conference Crossover. The win is Carolina’s first of the 2026 season. Home sweet shutout home 🏡#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/bQFxj7HqLf — Carolina Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) September 4, 2026 The […]
UNC Baseball Announces 2026 Fall Scrimmage Schedule
Diamond Heels fans will have a chance to see the team in action within the next month. UNC announced its fall scrimmage schedule Friday, with four games on tap both at Boshamer Stadium and Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The four scrimmages are the most the program has ever staged in a single offseason. Missing you […]
UNC Women's Soccer Beats Arizona in First Game of Western Trip
A pair of second half goals from Summer Denigan and Bella Devey helped UNC beat Arizona 2-1 in Tucson Thursday night. Found a way 👏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/iLokMXQPye — UNC Women's Soccer (@uncwomenssoccer) September 4, 2026 The two teams went into halftime tied at 0-0 despite UNC controlling most of the chances. The Tar Heels […]
Art's Angle: No Other Choice
The Bill Belichick nightmare is almost over. With Mike Lombardi’s resignation, the continuing investigations into the former general manager and other members of the UNC football staff, plus WRAL’s exhaustive reporting, Carolina has no choice but to relieve Belichick of his duties likely this week. The 2023 NCAA rules state — without a doubt — […]
UNC Football GM Michael Lombardi Resigns Amid Investigation
UNC football general manager has resigned from his position effective immediately, the school said Thursday. The move comes after the school placed Lombardi on paid administrative leave July 27 and began an investigation into his conduct. In the wake of Lombardi’s resignation, a school spokesman said UNC “will continue its ongoing investigation and will consider […]
Michael Malone Announces Full UNC Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
Michael Malone and the UNC men’s basketball program have officially announced the full coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, Malone’s first as head coach of the Tar Heels. Official. pic.twitter.com/KmX5Ct793x — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) September 3, 2026 The staff features three holdovers from former head coach Hubert Davis’ staff: Sean May and Pat Sullivan will […]
'Something Much Bigger than Myself': Highlights from Michael Malone's Sep. 3 Press Conference
UNC men’s basketball head coach Michael Malone met with the media at the Dean Smith Center Thursday morning. In his comments, Malone addressed eligibility issues around center Cameron Fens, the shifting legal landscape around college sports, his coaching style and more. Read highlights from the press conference, which have been lightly edited for clarity, below: […]
100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'One of the More Remarkable Football Performances'
Few players have left as enduring a mark on the UNC football program as All-American running back Don McCauley.
›