HIgh Point U to build an arena and start DI hockey

[NoDak]

ThE San Jose Sharks are expanding the practice arena to 4200 seat for their minor league club, the Barracudas.

San Jose City Council Approves Expansion to Solar4America Ice at San Jose

Enough for an NCAA club, say Cal St-Hayward, San Jose st, Stanford etc. The Alaska schools need 3 more teams if Ariz St is included. Boise St could be one, someone in Seattle could be two, UNLV could be three using the Knights Practice facility and the Orleans Center, and a host of other PAC12 schools.

 

[BOS358]

Hockey East may split up.

https://www.uscho.com/2020/01/30/as...-might-the-future-of-hockey-east-be-in-peril/

Two schools that may move from the AHA are Holy Cross and Sacred earth. So then the AHA might need to backfill. Delaware, NAvy, Syracuse and a host of others could be possible.

Hockey East isn't splitting up. According to the article, the conference MAY be absorbed into an existing multi-sport conference. Hockey East (the brand) wouldn't exist, but all eleven schools in the conference would still be playing each other, just under a new banner.

Don't assume that if Holy Cross or Sacred Heart leave Atlantic Hockey for Hockey East that another school will be there to take their place. The hypothetical move would give Hockey East 12 teams and Atlantic Hockey an even 10. Of course, Hockey East has taken its time with adding a 12th member and there aren't even rumors floating around as to who it might be.

Also, to my knowledge, Delaware has never even discussed fielding a varsity hockey team, and (pun not intended) the ship has sailed for Navy and Syracuse.

 

[NoDak]

According to this America East wants to provide services, but most just roll their eyes.

Finalists Emerge For Hockey East Commissioner

As America East is the biggest overall conference controlling HE schools, no other multi sport conference is available. Some twitter sources say a split is inevitable.

 

[S E P H]

I love that all these well-known conferences' are exploring and have the desire to get into hockey, but I don't understand what America East has to accomplish their goal? Going through their current members, at least 80% of the teams don't even have a DI or DIII team. CAA or Patroit seems to me to make a lot more sense.

 

[mk80]

Regarding teams jumping from ACHA to NCAA or just adding NCAA hockey. It's important to remember that just like in the minor league board, just because a suitable arena is built or exists for a given to use or they do use it doesn't mean they are automatically going to have NCAA D1 hockey. There's a ton of factors for why schools are in the ACHA to begin with, arenas, funding, Title IX restrictions, etc. The recent examples of Arizona State and Penn State were lucky enough to have some very generous gifts by wealthy alumni wanting to see NCAA hockey at those schools. There's also a lot of programs that could, would, or should make the move but won't.

Like I've said before, I firmly believe college hockey will be in a state of flux in the next few years, with existing teams changing conferences, some schools making the jump to NCAA from ACHA hockey (Illinois, Lindenwood, Oakland) are the three that I see, but of those only Illinois are publicly announced to be starting the process. I think as the sport grows in the west, and south and other areas of the country there will opportunity in the distant future where more schools in those regions might explore NCAA hockey.

 

[S E P H]

I firmly believe college hockey will be in a state of flux in the next few years

Absolutely agree, there will be a lot of rumours and perhaps some teams will drop hockey such as the Alaska teams' and Huntsville. However, I think there will be some positives such as growth in the Big 10 and beyond just Illinois. I also think there might be at least one DIII school who steps up into DI as well. Personally, the next step for college hockey is getting some of these power five schools into the mix, specifically the PAC12 and grow it on the west coast. I mean I could see some southern schools pop out of nowhere like one in Florida, but I think SEC (including the southern ACC teams) and Big 12 are the furtherest away.

It's interesting to note though because from the college hockey survey conducted by the NHL, of the five schools who decided to participant in the study, three of them decided to stay anonymous. Of course, for obvious reasons, but still intriguing to speculate on which schools those are and perhaps one of them could surprise since majority of us have been focused on Oakland, Liberty, and Illinois. Not sure if this is true, but one of the rumoured schools was University of Nebraska.

 

[JMCx4]

... It's interesting to note though because from the college hockey survey conducted by the NHL, of the five schools who decided to participant in the study, three of them decided to stay anonymous. Of course, for obvious reasons, but still intriguing to speculate on which schools those are and perhaps one of them could surprise since majority of us have been focused on Oakland, Liberty, and Illinois. Not sure if this is true, but one of the rumoured schools was University of Nebraska.

In light of @NoDak's post several spots above, wouldn't Indiana University & its new arena have to enter the serious side of this conversation?

 

[S E P H]

In light of @NoDak's post several spots above, wouldn't Indiana University & its new arena have to enter the serious side of this conversation?

You probably know more than me JMC since I don't got a clue with IU. Indiana always seemed like a weird state to me, because all the States around it are hockey hotbeds and Indiana has produced NHL calibre players. However, as Minnesota is to youth hockey and Texas is to youth throwball, Indiana has its youth basketball and I think that sport dominates the culture there. Perhaps I am wrong, but from the Big 10 schools I think the ones who are the least likely to ever put in the resources, funds, or even have basic passion for the game is Northwestern, Purdue, and then Indiana in that order.

We also have to realise and what mk said above, just because a school is investing in an arena doesn't really mean much. Of course it is a HUGE step, but we can't say that all the teams who get an arena will eventually get DI teams...it just doesn't work that way.

Maybe they will surprise me, but Northwestern isn't a very sports orientated school; similar to the military schools they're just something for players to conduct during academic life. This differs to others where players who go to schools like Ohio State or Michigan for that matter still have a dream for the NBA, NFL, or NHL. They're going because they have good sports programmes and can develop into a better player with the specific coach at the helm. You don't go to Northwestern to try and make the NFL, you go to become a lawyer, researcher, or some other graduate school degree. Plus they have a insanely low enrol;ment since they're a private school. Purdue, has never ever shown any passion for hockey and if a school never has any passion then it won't get any further than a dream, and finally as I mentioned above Indiana is a huge basketball state and that might disrupt the chances of getting hockey.

I do think Iowa, Maryland, and Iowa State will get hockey within some time, especially considering that it's getting more popular on the national spectrum even if it is at a snails pace. Rutgers has shown that they want hockey even if the funds are not quite there yet. The weird one is Nebraska and a lot of alumni want to see it happen even though a large donor hasn't come out yet.

What really needs to happen is we need Illinois to start a programme without a financially heavy donor like Pegula. I am not that Illinois need to start the entire team from just their academic funds, but some charity events can help kickstart the foundational process. If they're able to start without a donor, then that blueprint can potentially be a gateway for other teams to copy and use to try and get a DI team.

 

[BOS358]

According to this America East wants to provide services, but most just roll their eyes.

Finalists Emerge For Hockey East Commissioner

As America East is the biggest overall conference controlling HE schools, no other multi sport conference is available. Some twitter sources say a split is inevitable.

Yes, America East wants in, but most of the schools think this is a bad idea. Lord knows that it would make things interesting as Hockey East contains two former AE members (BU and Northeastern.) The multi-sport integration sounds like it was a proposal (one of many,) but most of the members don't seem too high on it, and there aren't enough America East members to form their own conference.

I'll try to not be too much of a pr**k regarding Twitter sources, but the ongoing "talk" of Illinois going varsity should give you enough pause to wait for something official.

 

[BOS358]

CAA or Patroit seems to me to make a lot more sense.

Patriot League has four members with varsity hockey, but only one is a full member of Hockey East. BU is a member of both the men's and women's conference, and Holy Cross is a member of the women's conference only. Colgate plays in ECAC Hockey, and Holy Cross (men) and Army play in Atlantic Hockey. Meanwhile, CAA only has one member (Northeastern) with hockey, so they would probably have no interest in sponsoring the sport.

More generally, the reason why the Big Ten formed its own conference was because of money. It's a Power Five conference with tremendous marketing ability, name recognition (the conference and the schools,) and a large television network. Most other leagues, particularly ones with members that have hockey, are not.

 

[mk80]

More generally, the reason why the Big Ten formed its own conference was because of money. It's a Power Five conference with tremendous marketing ability, name recognition (the conference and the schools,) and a large television network. Most other leagues, particularly ones with members that have hockey, are not.

I think the conference itself also has a clause that says if a certain number of schools (6) have a sport, they have to sponsor it. So when Penn State got the Pegula money and added NCAA hockey they had to form the conference. This is based on things I've read anyway.

 

[BOS358]

Hockey East just announced a new commissioner. No way America East (or any other non-major multi-sport conference) takes over now.

 

[NoDak]

People whoread this Iowa article don't think Iowa work add DI hockey.
.Hawkeye men's hockey team excited to move into ImOn ice arena

But disagree because the scenoario between U of Iowa and Penn St and Arizoba State

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

People whoread this Iowa article don't think Iowa work add DI hockey.
.Hawkeye men's hockey team excited to move into ImOn ice arena

But disagree because the scenoario between U of Iowa and Penn St and Arizoba State

Iowa is not the only school to build legitimate arenas for community and club use: Liberty, URI, Navy, Bates, Ohio, Delaware, Kent, and plenty of others built hockey arenas and haven't added NCAA hockey and have no intentions of adding NCAA hockey.

Every article, not just that one since I can find four within two pages on Google, indicates that the school isn't going to add NCAA hockey, what makes you think that they're going to add a hockey program? What is this grand scenario between Iowa and Penn State and Arizona State? The latter two schools only added hockey programs after $100+ million and $30something million in donations, with that $30 million being the usual markers schools aim for. Iowa doesn't have a donor and has been public about ImOn Ice Arena being for club and community. What are you seeing in this?

 

[S E P H]

have no intentions of adding NCAA hockey.

What sources do you have?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

What sources do you have?

Hawkeyes hockey? Yes, Iowa does have a hockey team

“Iowa athletics officials continually have said varsity men’s and women’s hockey program plans are not in the near future. It’ll remain at club sport at the school, with Brooks wanting it to be a successful one.”

That and literally any source on the internet about Iowa and NCAA Hockey. The donors coming forward aren’t even fully funding their club team, they’re nowhere near a NCAA D1 team.

 

[S E P H]

Hawkeyes hockey? Yes, Iowa does have a hockey team

“Iowa athletics officials continually have said varsity men’s and women’s hockey program plans are not in the near future. It’ll remain at club sport at the school, with Brooks wanting it to be a successful one.”

That and literally any source on the internet about Iowa and NCAA Hockey. The donors coming forward aren’t even fully funding their club team, they’re nowhere near a NCAA D1 team.

Just because they won't have hockey in the near future doesn't mean to outright proclaim that they will never have hockey. That's just irresponsible and lazy posting by you. We ALL know that the NCAA won't expand with a team every offseason, hell after Arizona State/Penn State there hasn't been a new team in close to five seasons now (I believe, might be longer). We all know that majority of the time it is speculation, just cool your jets man whenever someone posts an optimistic article once in a while.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Just because they won't have hockey in the near future doesn't mean to outright proclaim that they will never have hockey. That's just irresponsible and lazy posting by you. We ALL know that the NCAA won't expand with a team every offseason, hell after Arizona State/Penn State there hasn't been a new team in close to five seasons now (I believe, might be longer). We all know that majority of the time it is speculation, just cool your jets man whenever someone posts an optimistic article once in a while.

For the sake of Iowa going NCAA, it's off the board. It's not irresponsible or lazy posting to say to quote word for word what is coming out of the school. But to say that it is happening with any degree of certainty is. The club team had to move off-campus because the hockey-specific infrastructure in the arena the school is building on-campus is being saved for a future ECHL team. That would be one heck of a fake out/smokescreen if the school doesn't let their club team use the hockey-specific infrastructure, prioritize a professional team as well as their volleyball team as their main tenant, their AD says the school doesn't have the money or interest in adding hockey and then they add hockey in something past the near future i.e. 5-10 years. Speculation is cool until someone say that they think Iowa will add hockey as someone did in post #63 of this thread.

 

[NoDak]

The state of Iowa paying for a big part of Coralville's new arena shows there are not adverse to state teams playing there Women volleyball will okay there too. The BIG is already waiting on Illinois, and Iowa wouldn't get accepted within two years of the Illini as the BIG doesn't want a too weak schedule .

The coach saying they would top DI club like Ariz St and Penn St at DI of club is a total lie. They both went NCAA. But rule #1for AD s, lie lie lie until it's OK to says it

 

[NoDak]

Barstool Sports

Illinois to add hockey soon

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Barstool Sports

Illinois to add hockey soon

They also said they were going to announce a decision last April. That deadline came and went. I'll believe it when I see it. For every time news has come out about Arizona State and Penn State and it's been true, there's been a URI and a Minnesota-Moorhead where it's been totally false.

 

[NoDak]

They also said they were going to announce a decision last April. That deadline came and went. I'll believe it when I see it. For every time news has come out about Arizona State and Penn State and it's been true, there's been a URI and a Minnesota-Moorhead where it's been totally false.

That report on Iowa is totally false because those other two teams, Ariz St and Penn St, not club still

 

[NoDak]

Kyle Cannillo (@KyleCannillo) on Twitter

Says an Illini announcement is imminent

The new BIG commish has said hockey is a priority.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

That report on Iowa is totally false because thoae other two teams are not club still

I wasn't referring to the Iowa report, but I think what the report meant was that both schools had national contending ACHA M1 club teams before they added NCAA D1 programs. Arizona State had an entire roster of Canadian Junior A and USHL alumni (nothing incredibly special since the top 10-15 club teams do), winning a national championship two season before joining. Penn State won 7 national championships and played a mixed club/NCAA D3 schedule before Pegula gave them $100+ million. I also think that he meant to insinuate was that a nationally competitive club team draws interest for funding to begin a NCAA D1 program, like the path the only two recent NCAA D1 additions took.

 

[BOS358]

Kyle Cannillo (@KyleCannillo) on Twitter

Says an Illini announcement is imminent

The new BIG commish has said hockey is a priority.

It's been "imminent" since 2017. I'll believe it when I hear an announcement from the school, the B1G, or College Hockey Inc. Random tweets and articles from "sources" like Barstool Sports don't count.