In 1993, General Manager Mike Hoffarth led the program to achieving ACHA Division I status propelling the Sun Devil hockey program into the national spotlight by qualifying for the ACHA Division I National Tournament just two years later in the 1995–96 season.

On November 18, 2014, Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson announced that the Sun Devils would move to NCAA Division I ice hockey.

The transition was funded by a $32 million donation by multiple parties (including former ASU hockey players).

[6] On July 5, 2023, the Sun Devils announced that they will be joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) starting in the 2024-2025 season.

Selected games each season were played at Glendale's Gila River Arena, the former home of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes.

[9] With the move to NCAA Division I, Anderson stated they planned to pursue an on-campus arena in the future.

Coach Powers was a three time ACHA Division 1 All-American Goaltender while playing hockey for the Sun Devils, and graduated from ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 1999.