The 1979 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament was the 32nd such tournament in NCAA history. It was held between March 18 and 24, 1979, and concluded with Minnesota defeating North Dakota 4 to3. The first round game was held at the home team venue while all succeeding games were played at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The NCAA gave four teams automatic bids into the tournament. The two ECAC teams that reached the ECAC tournament final received bids as did the two WCHA co-champions. The NCAA also had the ability to add up to 4 additional teams as it saw fit and chose to include the CCHA tournament champion.