The ACHA was formed by two NCAA Division I independent programs, University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Kent State University Golden Flashes, one NCAA Division II independent program, Lake Forest College Foresters, and one NAIA program, University of Michigan–Dearborn Wolves. The four schools shared a common philosophy on athletics, education, and finances. Michigan-Dearborn had sponsored varsity hockey since the 1979–1980 season, but had been left without a governing organization to play under when the NAIA stopped sanctioning hockey after the 1983–1984 season. Notre Dame had dropped varsity hockey after the 1983–1984 season for financial reasons, but restarted the program for the 1985–1986 season as a non-scholarship program. Kent State started varsity hockey for the 1980–1981 season, but with limited scholarships they were unable to gain conference affiliation in Division I. Plans for the league started during the 1985–1986 hockey season. Plans were finalized in June 1986. The University of Alabama-Huntsville was interested in joining the league but league members were concerned about travel costs. Other schools that were interested in possibly joining the league were University of Dayton, Iowa State University, Lawrence University, and St. Norbert College
Each team played 12 league games, two home, two away against each league member. The tournament was a four-team, single elimination format with hosting rotated year-to-year among conference members.
Disbandment
In September 1988, the Kent State hockey program was embroiled in a hazing incident that sent a near death freshman player to the hospital and resulted in charges against 12 members of the KSU hockey team. In response, President Michael Schwartz made the decision to cancel hockey for the 1988–1989 season. The school would not commit to bringing back varsity hockey until after the 1988–1989 school year. Before the season, Notre Dame had announced that 1988–1989 would be its last season in the ACHA so they could pursue playing a full independent schedule against other Division I teams. These developments left just two teams committed to the conference, both of which were not NCAA Division I sanctioned. The league was disbanded after the 1988–1989 season.
Aftermath
Notre Dame went back to being a Division I independent program and, eventually, joined the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in 1992. Kent State regained its varsity hockey program for the 1989–1990 season. The Golden Flashes applied for and were accepted to the CCHA with the Irish for the 1992–1993 season. Kent State dropped hockey in 1994. Lake Forest dropped to NCAA Division III and joined that division's Northern Collegiate Hockey Association in 1992. Michigan-Dearborn dropped varsity hockey following the 1989–1990 season after failing to gain political and financial support for a move to NCAA Division I in hockey.
