2026 College Hockey South Playoffs
- Kyle Knell
- 20 hours ago
- 5 min read
College Hockey South is proud to officially announce the 2026 CHS Conference Playoffs, set for February 26 through March 1, 2026, at the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Florida.
With 29 teams, 35 games across four days, and all four CHS divisions represented, this year’s postseason will be the largest tournament in conference history—a true mini nationals to close out the 2025–26 season.
The event will once again be supported by Visit Lauderdale. Their support helps bring College Hockey South’s premier events to one of the top hockey destinations in the Southeast.
A Championship Stage for Every Division
Postseason play will begin on Thursday, February 26, with the Men’s Division 3 and Men’s Division 2 tournaments kicking off the action.
On Friday, February 27, the spotlight expands as both the Women’s Division and Men’s ACDC Division join the field, turning Coral Springs into a nonstop hub of playoff hockey.
Across four intense days, teams will battle through elimination rounds, semifinals, and championship matchups, with conference champions crowned on Sunday, March 1.
With seasons—and postseason dreams—on the line, every shift will matter.
Playoff Formats by Division
Men’s Division 2
College Hockey South Men’s Division 2 play will begin on Thursday, February 26, 2026. With three teams competing, each team will face one another once during round-robin play. The two teams with the best records will advance to the Men’s Division 2 Championship Game on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Men’s Division 3
Men’s Division 3 playoff action will begin on Thursday, February 26, 2026, with four opening-round play-in games. Matchups will be Seed 5 vs. Seed 12, Seed 6 vs. Seed 11, Seed 7 vs. Seed 10, and Seed 8 vs. Seed 9. Winners will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, February 27.
Teams that fall in Thursday’s play-in games will continue play in the 11th Place and 9th Place games on Friday. Following each round, teams will be reseeded highest to lowest.
The top four seeds (Seeds 1–4) will enter the tournament on Friday, February 27, joining the play-in winners in quarterfinal play. Teams that lose on Friday will compete in the 7th Place and 5th Place games on Saturday.
Winners of Saturday’s semifinal matchups will advance to the Men’s Division 3 Championship Game on Sunday, March 1. There will be no third-place game in the Men’s Division 3 tournament.
Men’s ACDC Division
Men’s ACDC playoff games will begin on Friday, February 27, 2026, with two quarterfinal matchups: Seed 3 vs. Seed 6 and Seed 4 vs. Seed 5.
Seed 1 and Seed 2 will receive byes and begin play on Saturday, February 28. Winners from Friday night’s quarterfinals will face Seeds 1 and 2 in Saturday’s semifinal round, with teams reseeded highest to lowest.
Teams that lose in Friday’s quarterfinal games will compete in a 5th Place Game on Saturday. Losers from Saturday’s semifinal games will play in the 3rd Place Game on Sunday.
Winners of Saturday’s semifinals will advance to the Men’s ACDC Championship Game on Sunday, March 1.
Women’s Division
Women’s Division playoff action will begin on Friday, February 27, 2026, featuring four cross-divisional quarterfinal matchups:
North Seed 1 vs. Wild Card Seed 1
North Seed 2 vs. South Seed 3
South Seed 1 vs. Wild Card Seed 2
South Seed 2 vs. North Seed 3
Winners will advance to the semifinals on Saturday, while losing teams will compete in the 7th Place and 5th Place games. Teams will be reseeded highest to lowest following each round.
Winners of Saturday’s semifinal games will advance to the Women’s Division Championship Game on Sunday, March 1. There will be no third-place game in the Women’s Division tournament.
Game Times & Schedule
Below is the full playoff schedule. All game times are listed in Eastern Time.
Thursday, February 26 (Men’s Division 3 & Men’s Division 2)
Stadium
11:15AM - 1:45PM – M3 Play-in Game
9:15PM - 11:45PM – M2 – Florida vs. Florida Atlantic
Mezzanine
11:30AM - 2:00PM – M3 Play-in Game
2:15PM - 4:45PM – M3 Play-in Game
Den
9:45PM - 12:15AM – M3 Play-in Game
Friday, February 27 (Men’s Division 3, Men’s Division 2, Women’s Division, ACDC)
Stadium
9:45AM - 12:15PM – M3 11th Place Game
12:30PM - 3:00PM – ACDC Quarterfinal Game
3:15PM - 5:15PM – Women’s Quarterfinal Game
5:30PM - 8:00PM – M3 Quarterfinal Game
8:30PM - 11:00PM – M2 – Florida vs. Tampa
Mezzanine
9:15AM – 11:15AM – Women’s Quarterfinal Game
11:30AM - 2:00PM – M3 Quarterfinal Game
2:15PM - 4:45PM – M3 Quarterfinal Game
6:15PM - 8:15PM – Women’s Quarterfinal Game
Den
11:15AM - 1:45PM – M3 9th Place Game
2:00PM - 4:00PM – Women’s Quarterfinal Game
5:30PM - 8:00PM – ACDC Quarterfinal Game
8:15PM - 10:45PM – M3 Quarterfinal Game
Saturday, February 28 (All Divisions)
Stadium
10:00AM - 12:00PM – Women’s 7th Place Game
12:15PM - 2:45PM – M3 7th Place Game
3:00PM - 5:00PM – Women’s Semifinal Game
5:15PM - 7:45PM – M3 Semifinal Game
8:00PM - 11:15PM – M2 – Florida Atlantic vs. Tampa
Mezzanine
3:15PM - 5:45PM – ACDC 5th Place Game
6:00PM - 8:30PM – ACDC Semifinal Game
8:45PM - 9:00PM – M3 Semifinal Game
Den
11:15AM - 1:15PM – Women’s 5th Place Game
1:30PM - 4:00PM – M3 5th Place Game
4:15PM - 6:15PM – Women’s Semifinal Game
6:45PM - 9:15PM – ACDC Semifinal Game
Sunday, March 1 (Championship Day)
Stadium
8:15AM - 10:45AM – ACDC Championship
11:00AM - 1:30PM – M3 Championship
1:45PM - 4:15PM – M2 Championship
Mezzanine
8:00AM - 10:30AM – ACDC 3rd Place
10:45AM - 12:45PM – Women’s Championship
Tickets & Fan Information
Fans are invited to experience the biggest CHS event of the year live at Panthers IceDen.
Single-Day Pass: $20
Weekend Pass: $40
Tickets can be purchased here.
Whether you’re following one team or soaking in wall-to-wall hockey all weekend, the CHS Playoffs promise nonstop action from morning puck drops to championship celebrations.
Watch Live Anywhere
Every game of the 2026 College Hockey South Playoffs will be streamed live on the College Hockey South YouTube channel, giving fans, families, and alumni the chance to follow the action from anywhere.
With four divisions, dozens of teams, and championships on the line, the 2026 CHS Conference Playoffs will be a defining moment of the season—and a milestone event for the conference.
The 2026 CHS Playoffs is proudly presented by Visit Lauderdale, inviting fans to experience everything Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer — from vibrant beaches to world-class dining and entertainment.
The road to a championship ends in Coral Springs. We’ll see you at the IceDen!
ABOUT College Hockey South: Founded in 2008, College Hockey South is a 29-school, 45 team intercollegiate hockey conference spanning eight southeastern U.S. states. College Hockey South is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization.
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