The Columbus Classic
College Hockey South and AAU College Hockey are proud to announce The Columbus Classic, the first women's collegiate hockey tournament in league history.
On January 2, 2023, College Hockey South announced the first-ever women's collegiate hockey division in the southeastern United States. For the 2023-24 season, the Women's Division will feature teams from Auburn University, University of Georgia, University of Miami, University of South Florida, University of South Carolina and University of Tampa.
"We're extremely excited about this event," College Hockey South Commissioner Kyle Knell said. "Being able to partner with AAU College Hockey and the Columbus Sports Council has been great. Ever since we made the announcement of the Women's Division, we knew we wanted to do something special to kick off the season."
The Columbus Classic will feature the women's collegiate hockey teams from Auburn University, University of Georgia, University of South Florida and University of Tampa. The 3-day event will take place in Columbus, Georgia, September 22-24, 2023, at the Columbus Ice Rink located at 400 4th St, Columbus, GA 31901.
"This is the start of a new era for women's hockey. Gone are the days of just going to a northern school for girls to continue to play hockey at the next level. We want to grow the game and be more inclusive by offering more opportunities to college athletes passionate about playing hockey," Knell said.
The schedule and game times are as follows:
Friday, September 22, 2023
University of Georgia vs. University of Tampa - 4:30 p.m. EST
Auburn University vs. University of South Florida - 6:15 p.m. EST
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Auburn University vs. University of Tampa - 5:30 p.m. EST
University of Georgia vs. University of South Florida - 7:15 p.m. EST
Sunday, September 24, 2023
University of South Florida vs. University of Tampa - 10:00 a.m. EST
Auburn University vs. University of Georgia - 11:45 a.m. EST
All games will be free admission.
Auburn University Head Coach Jack Rosenhammer is looking forward to the event and the future of women's hockey. "We're excited to host the first collegiate women's hockey tournament in the south. The women's game is rapidly expanding to new schools and markets, and this is a great opportunity for young girls to have incredible role models to look up to. This tournament and the CHS Women's Conference are a huge step in the right direction to change the narrative and grow the game," Rosenhammer said.
College Hockey South is not the only organization trying to change the landscape of women's hockey. On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) announced its inaugural season will start in January 2024.
"The Professional Women's Hockey League just announced their original six teams and season. That's a massive win for women's hockey. Who says we can't make a difference too? This is just the beginning," Knell said.
For questions about the event, email info@collegehockeysouth.com.
ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 25-school, 38 team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning seven southeastern U.S. states that competes in AAU College Hockey. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.