There are 63 NCAA Division 1 men's hockey programs in the nation. There are only 45 on the women's side. It's a significant, and less than logical gap.

The biggest gap exists in the state of Michigan, where men's hockey is played at Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Western Michigan, Lake Superior State, and Ferris State. Near Michigan, Notre Dame, Bowling Green, and Miami (Ohio) are all absent on the women's side, as are Canisius and Niagara just across in western New York. 

In the east, men's hockey has a higher concentration of programs in Massachusetts as well with UMass-Lowell, UMass, Bentley, and American International. Army is also located in New York state.

There are other sizeable gaps, including in the west where North Dakota, Augustana, Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, Colorado College, Air Force, and Arizona State all sit geographically west of women's hockey's WCHA.

Delaware was the most recent women's hockey addition into Atlantic Hockey America, but men's hockey continues to add more quickly with Maryville and Tennessee State set to join in the coming seasons, and no new NCAA women's programs scheduled to launch.

But there are schools who should, and could field women's hockey programs at the NCAA Division 1 level. Many have American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) teams already, but the pressure continues to mount for more schools to add NCAA Division 1 women's hockey programs.

Here's a look at five schools that should already have teams, and need to add a women's hockey program.

The school already completed a feasibility study, but many believe any hope of a program at the University of Michigan is several years away. Michigan has one of the best men's hockey programs in the nation, and the state is a hot bed for producing top women's hockey talent. When they reach college however, they all need to leave the state. With PWHL Detroit moving in however, the heat is going to get turned up yet again for Michigan and the six other school's in the state with men's hockey, but not women's hockey. Michigan's ACHA team plays in the CCWHA.

See everything above, and repeat it. The fact Michigan State hasn't set up an NCAA Division 1 program in Lansing is baffling. Michigan is taking the critique and heat, but Michigan State hasn't even taken the steps to look at an NCAA women's hockey program. Their ACHA club team also plays in the CCWHA against Michigan, and other school's like Lake Superior State and Miami (Ohio) who are part of the imbalance between men's and women's hockey.

The fact you need to drop to ACHA Division 2 hockey to find Notre Dame is sad. More than a dozen Notre Dame alumni played in the NHL last season. Their men's roster also featured seven current NHL draft picks. For the rich history Notre Dame has in sport, and the proximity of the school to Michigan and Illinois, two women's hockey rich states without programs of their own, not to mention the fact Indiana where Notre Dame is located doesn't have a team either, and the school could be a trifecta bridge for the game.

Members of the WCHA until the school discontinued women's hockey in 2017, the school looks silly now for dropping the sport. When North Dakota dropped the sport, along with men's and women's swimming and diving to meet a mandated $1.3 million budget cut, 11 players filed lawsuits against the school for alleged Title IX violations. From 2010 onward, North Dakota never finished worse than fourth in the WCHA, which would have put them in impressive company today. They advanced to the WCHA finals twice beating Wisconsin each time to get there before falling to Minnesota. With North Dakota alumni including Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen, Kristen Campbell, and Emma Nuutinen still active in the PWHL, the school would have strong ambassadors should they bring back women's hockey.

What would be really pioneering is bring a women's hockey program beyond their existing ACHA team who plays in the WWCHL along with also absent Colorado State, to Colorado. Their men's hockey program has evolved into one of the best in the nation with with 15 NHL draft picks on their roster, more than a dozen players on NHL rosters, and a 2026 national title to their name. It seems like they've got it figured out on the men's side, making the decision not to start a women's program even more confusing.