NC State UNC Amazing Club Hockey Attendance

[Raleighpig]

NC State versus UNC in club hockey played before about 26k at the outdoor rink in Raleigh two days after the Hurricanes and Caps sellout at their outdoor game.

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[S E P H]

That's really cool, but I can't see any team going to D1 in a long time. Maybe NC State since they got an arena, but it seems they're fine with the popularity of their basketball/throwball teams. If we leave billionaire owner's funding potential out of this, the University of Kentucky I think has a better chance of going D1 before these two since they normally have one of the strongest clubs in the region. The problem with all three schools is that they're ACHA DII when the majority of the most recent expansions (that have been successful) have all been D1 in the ACHA and quite successful for a long period (Penn State, ASU). I am looking at schools like Minot State University, Adrian College, Ohio University, University of Rhode Island, University of Arizona, or perhaps Villanova University to surprise as the next out-of-nowhere teams to want to go D1. I would say that Pitt should try to give hockey another go considering how much the Penguins have transformed that city into hockey, but they're probably done with that route for the foreseeable future (all their athletics went down the drain, didn't they have an absurdly good basketball programme in the past?).

 

[JMCx4]

Free Admission + National Holiday + the lingering buzz from Saturday night's sold-out NHL Stadium Series = a very fond memory for those club hockey players. Good for them, and stick taps to the Raleigh area sports fans for supporting ice hockey in such a demonstrable way.

More on the weekend events ... WRAL-TV: Future of outdoor hockey games in Raleigh