DENVER – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced the Denver Pioneers' 26-game conference schedule for the 2020-21 season on Monday.
 
The NCHC season will be divided into two portions. The first portion will take place at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb., where all eight teams will play 10 games in the 'Pod' from Dec. 1-20. The second portion of the season will feature regular travel for the remaining 16 games hosted on campus sites, beginning in January. Denver is set to open the season on Wednesday, Dec. 2 against Minnesota Duluth.
 
With the focus on the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staff, and officials, the NCHC divided the conference into two divisions based on geography for 2020-21 scheduling purposes: East and West. The East Division consists of Miami, Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State and Western Michigan. The West Division consists of Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota and Omaha. Teams will play each of their divisional opponents six times (18 games total) and each cross-division opponent twice (8 games total), with all cross-division games taking place in the Pod.

Game times for the Pod will be determined by the NCHC and announced soon. Game times for the second portion of the season will be determined and announced by the host institutions. The NCHC's Return to Play protocol and COVID testing plans will been released within the coming weeks.
 
Schedule Highlights

• The Pioneers' season opener is set for Wednesday, Dec. 2 vs. Minnesota Duluth

• Denver's home opener in Magness Arena is set for Saturday, Jan. 2 vs. Colorado College. The Pioneers are scheduled to play a total of eight games in Magness Arena in 2020-21 against Colorado College (3), Omaha (3) and North Dakota (2)

• The Battle for the Gold Pan will include six games: three in Denver and three in Colorado Springs
• As it stands, the NCHC postseason format remains unchanged with the top four teams hosting a best-of-three first-round playoff series to advance to the 2021 Frozen Faceoff
• Denver will host the 2021, 2022 & 2026 NCAA West Regional in Loveland, Colo.

Virtual Season Ticket

Activate exclusive virtual benefits for the 2020-21 season! Denver Athletics & Recreation is committed to making the best out of an unprecedented situation and, if we are not able to be together in person at Magness Arena, then we will do our very best to bring Denver Hockey to you! When you opt-in to be a Virtual Season Ticket Holder you gain access to exclusive season-long benefits including:

• 5280 TOGETHER limited-edition commemorative poster
• Access to individual home game tickets based upon availability and guidelines set forth by the NCAA, DU, and local and state health officials
• Exclusive invitation to the weekly coaches "chalk talk"
• Complimentary NCHC.TV & Pioneer Vision subscriptions
• Official tailgate package delivered to your home

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.

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