My next candidates for new varsity D1 programs are Rutgers and the 7 FBS schools in California.
For Rutgers, they are my top candidate for the next new hockey team at a Big Ten school, due to its location in the largest media market in the US. My proposal of building their home arena on the site of the Meadowlands Arena is apparently out since the land is gonna be used for a hotel.
The FBS schools in California would mainly be driven to launch varsity teams by the rise of the sport's popularity in the state after two Stanley Cup wins by the Kings. All seven schools could use existing facilities:
California: Oracle Arena
Stanford: Cow Palace
UCLA: The Forum
USC: Long Beach Arena
Fresno State: Save Mart Center
San Diego State: Valley View Casino Center
San Jose State: HP Pavilion (would have to work out scheduling with Sharks and Barracudas)
The California schools could possibly form their own conference for hockey, which would become the second D1 conference in the sport consisting entirely of FBS schools (the other being the Big Ten, which is an all-sports conference that plays football at the FBS level).
With these 8 schools joining D1, the new all-CA conference could start a challenge series with the Big Ten being the only all-FBS school conferences in D1 hockey.
As to where Arizona State lands, I think the WCHA will add them. They only have one full member of D1 at the moment in the men's side, Bowling Green. They lost all the other men's D1 schools in the recent realignment, so all their other men's members are full D2 schools.
Arizona State could very well become a D1 power if they can replicate their club level success early on. I think they are actually more popular than the Coyotes are at the moment.
For Rutgers, they are my top candidate for the next new hockey team at a Big Ten school, due to its location in the largest media market in the US. My proposal of building their home arena on the site of the Meadowlands Arena is apparently out since the land is gonna be used for a hotel.
The FBS schools in California would mainly be driven to launch varsity teams by the rise of the sport's popularity in the state after two Stanley Cup wins by the Kings. All seven schools could use existing facilities:
California: Oracle Arena
Stanford: Cow Palace
UCLA: The Forum
USC: Long Beach Arena
Fresno State: Save Mart Center
San Diego State: Valley View Casino Center
San Jose State: HP Pavilion (would have to work out scheduling with Sharks and Barracudas)
The California schools could possibly form their own conference for hockey, which would become the second D1 conference in the sport consisting entirely of FBS schools (the other being the Big Ten, which is an all-sports conference that plays football at the FBS level).
With these 8 schools joining D1, the new all-CA conference could start a challenge series with the Big Ten being the only all-FBS school conferences in D1 hockey.
As to where Arizona State lands, I think the WCHA will add them. They only have one full member of D1 at the moment in the men's side, Bowling Green. They lost all the other men's D1 schools in the recent realignment, so all their other men's members are full D2 schools.
Arizona State could very well become a D1 power if they can replicate their club level success early on. I think they are actually more popular than the Coyotes are at the moment.
