The Arizona State Sun Devils ice hockey team is the second of only two NCAA Division I ice hockey programs located in the southern half of the United States (the other being Alabama–Huntsville). ASU announced plans to transition their ACHA men's hockey program to an NCAA varsity program on November 18, 2014. The Sun Devils continued play in the ACHA in 2014–15, played a hybrid schedule in 2015–16 with a mix of NCAA and ACHA competition, will play as a Division I independent in 2016–17, and plans to join a conference in 2017–18. The Big Ten Conference, National Collegiate Hockey Conference, and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have been seen as potential landing spots for Arizona State.