FORT WAYNE, Ind. –  Indiana Tech, along with five member universities of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in cooperation with the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) have announced the formation of the Varsity Division beginning with the 2017-18 season. The Varsity Division was officially approved at the annual ACHA Coaches Convention in Naples, Florida and formalized with each head coach signing a declaration of intent to compete in the division.
 
The charter members include Aquinas College, Indiana Tech, Lawrence Tech, Life University, Lindenwood University-Belleville, and Waldorf University.
 
The NAIA hosted an ice hockey championship from 1968 to 1984.  The sport regained interest with many NAIA universities over the last decade and additional universities are positioning themselves to establish varsity programs over the next few years.
 
In 2014, a group of coaches and athletic administrators began working with NAIA officials to sponsor the initiative to return ice hockey as a championship sport in the NAIA.  In 2016, the group formed a coaches' association and worked with ACHA leadership to create the new division that will host the NAIA varsity programs during the multi-year process to regain NAIA championship status.
 
ACHA Executive Director, Mike Walley, led the effort to create the new division for the growing number of varsity programs at NAIA universities. The ACHA will continue to serve as the governing body and support the programs during the NAIA's emerging sport process as well as encourage growth of the sport at other NAIA universities.
 
The NAIA Division will begin competition in October 2017 with the national championship in Columbus, Ohio in March 2018.