AAU College Hockey prides itself on providing its student-athletes and member organizations with the most dynamic inter-collegiate hockey experience possible while fostering a culture of academic excellence, competitive integrity, and a "student-athlete first" organizational focus.

To provide a "players first" option for student-athletes to continue their competitive experience while participating in an alternative varsity level of inter-collegiate hockey.

AAU College Hockey is an association of accredited collegiate hockey conferences dedicated to maintaining a culture of academic excellence, competitive integrity, and a "student-athlete first" organizational focus. AAU College Hockey has identified the following as its Core Tenets.

• Provide the most dynamic alternative, inter-collegiate varsity hockey experience for its student-athletes.
• Develop a vision for the future of how to effectively grow and scale AAU College Hockey.
• Evolve AAU College Hockey to align with members' competitive and academic needs.
• Ensure that every member has a voice and vote.
• Maintain full transparency on governance and operations.
• Secure sponsorship and fundraising to add value and offset member costs.
• Establish a culture of fiduciary responsibility by leadership to spend and invest wisely.
• Include our members in evolving their inter-collegiate hockey experience.
• Preserve broad lines of communication to keep members informed.
• Develop proper alignment of board governance and executive management.
• Expand competitive standardization, competitive integrity, and competitive structures, including the AAU National Championship  Tournament structure to expand access and opportunities to more member programs.