The eight member schools of the NCHC were all founded between 1809 and 1903, so they clearly had plenty of history before they began the NCHC's first inaugural season together in 2013-14.
In the short time since, these eight programs have made the NCHC arguably the most competitive league in the country. And indeed, the NCHC has dominated the national landscape this winter in particular — boasting three of the top four spots in the Pairwise entering this weekend.
But the NCHC's conference tournament offers plenty of motivation itself — plenty of pride, and the opportunity to win a hard-fought title that carries bragging rights, and of course, an automatic NCAA bid.