Michigan gets the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, to face Colgate

Michigan gets the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, to face Colgate

• NCAA bracket

Ann Arbor, Michigan. The University of Michigan ice hockey team is the top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament as announced Sunday (March 19) on the NCAA Selection Show. Michigan (24-11-3) will take on fourth seed Colgate (19-15-5) in the Allentown, Pa., regional at 8:30 p.m., Friday (March 24) at the PPL Center and on ESPNU.

No. 2 seed and host Penn State and No. 3 seed Michigan Tech will meet in the other regional semifinal. The two semi-finalists of the Allentown Regional will play Sunday (March 26) for a spot in the Frozen Four, scheduled for April 6-8 in Tampa, Florida.

This is the second straight season and fifth time overall that Michigan has been a single seed since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 2003.

Automatic NCAA entry By winning the Big Ten championship, Michigan earns the program’s 40th bid to the NCAA Tournament, the most in NCAA history. The Wolverines boast a 55-31 record in the NCAA tournament, including a record nine national championships.

Michigan has been ranked in the top 10 all season, and in the top 5 since February 6. The Wolverines finished second in the Big Ten conference standings and earned a No. 2 seed in the league championship. En route to its third Big Ten Tournament title, Michigan swept Wisconsin in the quarterfinal series, defeated Ohio State 7-3 in the semifinals and won 4-3 Minnesota in the championship game on Saturday (March 18).

Michigan NCAA Tournament Notes

• This is Michigan’s 40th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, most of which is tied with Minnesota.

• Michigan has a 55-31 (.640) all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.

• Michigan was the No. 1 seed in 2008 and 2022 and was the No. 4 seed in 2009 and 2012. Michigan was No. 2 in 2004, ’05, ’07, ’11, ’16, ’18 and ’21.

• UM has 26 Frozen Four games, the most in college hockey. This includes 10 consecutive appearances from 1948-57.

• Michigan has nine national championships, most of them in Division I ice hockey (1948, ’51, ’52, ’53, ’55, ’56, ’64, ’96, ’98). The last national title came in 1998 when UM defeated Boston College 3-2 in overtime.

• The Wolverines appeared in 12 championship games (1948, ’51, ’52, ’53, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’64, ’77, ’96, ’98, 2011).

• Michigan’s 22 consecutive championships from 1991-2012 is the longest streak ever.

• Former Michigan head coach Vic Helliger’s six championships are the most by any coach, and his 10 consecutive Frozen Four appearances are twice the longest streak of Frozen Fours championships by a coach.

• Former coach Reed Berenson participated in 23 matches in the tournament, which is the second most ever among coaches.