Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)

What Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) does

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is one of six NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conferences, governing regular-season and postseason competition among nine member universities across Michigan (4), Minnesota (3), Ohio (1), and South Dakota (1). The conference was originally founded in 1971, ceased operations in 2013, and was relaunched for the 2021-22 season, with member schools including Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Bemidji State, Minnesota State, St. Thomas, Bowling Green, and Augustana. Combined, member programs have won seven NCAA National Championships, and the conference is led by Commissioner Don Lucia.

The CCHA operates a unified digital platform centered on CCHA TV+, a subscription streaming service (powered by Sidearm Sports) offering live game video, on-demand archives, and freemium audio broadcasts across web, iOS, Android, and connected TV. Supporting products include the CCHA Scoreboard (real-time scores/schedules), CCHA Standings (conference statistics with detailed tiebreaker rules), CCHA Radio (audio broadcasts), and a News Archives module. The organization also runs the CCHA Postseason Tournament with formal seeding procedures.

The conference's revenue model rests on two streams: subscription revenue from CCHA TV+ (including paid video tiers and free audio options, with separate subscriptions required per school), and NCAA-related distributions from conference championships and Frozen Four participation. Member institutions function both as governing stakeholders and as resellers of tickets, merchandise, and school-specific subscriptions. The organization employs 8 staff based in Deephaven, Minnesota, and operates with no parent company, no venture funding, and no public listing.

Name

Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)

Legal name

Central Collegiate Hockey Association

Website

https://ccha.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CCHA is an NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conference governing nine member universities across the upper Midwest, operating the CCHA TV+ subscription streaming platform and postseason tournament under Commissioner Don Lucia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Athletic Conference / Sports League

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

Keywords

• Collegiate hockey conference
• NCAA Division I hockey
• Ice hockey streaming
• College sports broadcasting
• Athletic conference operations

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. CCHA TV+ Subscriptions: The conference generates revenue through subscription-based streaming services offering live game broadcasts, audio-only options, and on-demand content. Free audio streaming is also available. Individual school subscriptions are separate from other institution's content, requiring unique sign-ups for each.
2. NCAA Championship and Tournament Revenue: As an NCAA Division I conference, CCHA benefits from NCAA Frozen Four tournament participation and conference championship events, which drive attendance, broadcasting rights, and merchandise revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is an NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conference that organizes regular season competition, conference championships, and postseason tournaments among nine member universities across Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and South Dakota. The conference also delivers live and on-demand game coverage through its CCHA TV+ streaming platform, complemented by real-time scores, standings, radio broadcasts, and news coverage for fans.

Product overview

CCHA operates a single unified digital platform centered on streaming coverage and information services for collegiate hockey. The core offering consists of CCHA TV/All Access (subscription streaming for live and on-demand video and audio), CCHA Scoreboard (real-time game tracking), CCHA Standings (conference statistics), and CCHA Radio (audio broadcasts). Supporting modules include the News Archives and CCHA Tournament features. The platform is built on Sidearm Sports technology infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CCHA TV+ / All Access Streaming

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHA is one of six Division I men's ice hockey conferences in the NCAA. As an NCAA conference, CCHA teams compete for NCAA Frozen Four tournament spots and national championships. NCAA provides governance, championship structure, and institutional framework for college hockey.
• Sidearm SportscoreTechnology or IntegrationSidearm Sports provides the streaming technology infrastructure for CCHA TV+, including live game broadcasts, audio streaming, on-demand content, and subscription management platform. Their All Access platform handles video encoding, delivery, and viewer authentication.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Ten Hockey Conference: One of the other six NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conferences. Comparable as a multi-school hockey conference competing for the same NCAA tournament slots, recruits, and fan audiences.
• Hockey East: Largest NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conference with 11 members. Direct structural peer competing for the same Frozen Four talent pipeline, media coverage, and conference realignment decisions.
• National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC): Direct NCAA D-I men's ice hockey peer with 8 member institutions; built from schools that left the old CCHA and WCHA, making it a particularly close structural and competitive analogue.
• ECAC Hockey: Another of the six NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conferences. Competes with CCHA for the same recruit pool, Frozen Four slots, and national media visibility.
• Atlantic Hockey: NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conference of 11 members operating the same conference governance, scheduling, and championship model as CCHA, competing for the same six conference Frozen Four bids.

Broad incumbents

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): Governing body and championship organizer for all Division I men's ice hockey conferences. Operates the Frozen Four tournament that CCHA members qualify for, sets eligibility rules, and distributes tournament revenue that flows back to CCHA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cchahockey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA)