RMU cuts hockey programs

[Captain Crash]

Decision seems to come out of nowhere. Certainly a disappointing development.

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[CrazyEddie20]

A small school with limited reach and a minuscule endowment and a tiny rink cut a sport that costs a lot more to play than it brings in in revenue. Not shocking.

 

[Captain Crash]

A small school with limited reach and a minuscule endowment and a tiny rink cut a sport that costs a lot more to play than it brings in in revenue. Not shocking.

But they were also the lone D1 hockey program in an NHL market with growth in youth hockey. They had a good relationship with the Penguins, Nailers, Tomahawks, and local youth and high school hockey. I'm looking at it as more of a setback for a metro area that has started to cultivate hockey talent.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

But they were also the lone D1 hockey program in an NHL market with growth in youth hockey. They had a good relationship with the Penguins, Nailers, Tomahawks, and local youth and high school hockey. I'm looking at it as more of a setback for a metro area that has started to cultivate hockey talent.

I absolutely agree. It's a huge setback for hockey in greater Pittsburgh and a shortsighted move by the school. They could've dropped the FCS football program that literally no one cares about.

 

[Beauner]

A small school with limited reach and a minuscule endowment and a tiny rink cut a sport that costs a lot more to play than it brings in in revenue. Not shocking.

It's more nuanced than that



They also just built a new arena on campus that, for some reason, wasn't outfitted for hockey. The hockey teams are arguably the most popular on campus and at worst right behind basketball. Being the only D1 program in the region meant something, and it's just an incredibly short-sighted move to eliminate the programs.

I absolutely agree. It's a huge setback for hockey in greater Pittsburgh and a shortsighted move by the school. They could've dropped the FCS football program that literally no one cares about.

I'm not even exaggerating- the hockey programs' attendance likely matched or even exceeded the football teams. And the arena isn't even on campus

 

[CrazyEddie20]

It's more nuanced than that



They also just built a new arena on campus that, for some reason, wasn't outfitted for hockey. The hockey teams are arguably the most popular on campus and at worst right behind basketball. Being the only D1 program in the region meant something, and it's just an incredibly short-sighted move to eliminate the programs.


I'm not even exaggerating- the hockey programs' attendance likely matched or even exceeded the football teams. And the arena isn't even on campus

Hockey is the one sport that set RMU apart from Pitt and Duquesne, and they just pissed it away.

 

[JMCx4]

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

A surprise but not that much of a surprise. A smaller school in the suburbs of Pittsburgh that tries/tried to compete with bigger rivals in Pittsburgh and Duquesne. Their off-campus arena was simply a very nice community rink and the school invested just enough money to keep them relevant but not enough to make them stand out. The men's and women's programs barely got any coverage in the city obsessed with football or the trifecta of Pittsburgh sports. They cut back sports about 10 years ago as well.

 

[mk80]

Based on what I've seen floating on twitter. It appears the coaching staffs were caught off guard.



This also opens a larger discussion on the impact of conferences on both the women's and men's side. One would think the already good fit and expected Atlantic Hockey addition LIU might get an official invite to join.

On the women's side the CHA is now left with 5 teams being: Lindenwood, RIT, Syracuse, Penn State, and Mercyhurst

This could open up a broader conversation on either could the CHA find another team to add to get back to 6 and regain their auto-bid, or does this trigger a breakup of the conference altogether? I wouldn't rule out the second option altogether.

 

[mk80]

They also just built a new arena on campus that, for some reason, wasn't outfitted for hockey. The hockey teams are arguably the most popular on campus and at worst right behind basketball. Being the only D1 program in the region meant something, and it's just an incredibly short-sighted move to eliminate the programs.

I haven't verified this, but some of the rumblings I'm seeing on Twitter is that the donor who put up the money for that new facility made a point to tell the university not to include hockey in it.

Also the university press release is just odd. It says they are cutting hockey as part of it's efforts to be a top institution in the region as the school heads toward the 100 year anniversary. Then goes on to talk about meeting all their fundraising goals ahead of schedule. RMU Charts Strategic Course Headed into its Centennial Year | Robert Morris University

If you're going to cut the hockey programs that's one thing, but I've never seen a university also pump it's tires on fundraising in the same press release when announcing any sort of cuts.

 

[Hollywood3]

Could be lots more of this.

 

[mk80]

The whole thing just seems odd, and that there is definitely something more to it than what has come out so far.

 

[Spydey629]

Oh, there is a lot more to the story...

Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, Pirates News, Live Coverage | DK Pittsburgh Sports

 

[mk80]

Oh, there is a lot more to the story...

Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, Pirates News, Live Coverage | DK Pittsburgh Sports

As I suspected.

I'm no expert of how college and university boards function but if your school President and one board member can unilaterally make a decision and run with it like this what is the point of having an entire board.

I wonder if the other members of the board who are against cutting the programs could take action to remove the university president?

Also the Owner of Black Bear Sports (Youngstown Phantoms, Maryland Black Bears, and other teams/ ice arenas has now joined the fight with a big proposal for the university

 

[JMCx4]

At the rate this trend is progressing - UAH, UAA, RMU ... did I miss any? - there may soon be enough floundering or abandoned men's DI programs to form an independent conference supported exclusively by GoFundMe accounts & campus bake sales.

 

[cjcanucks]

Ramifications also on the transfer portal which has been thrown by COVID. Recruiting is seriously affected by programs being dropped and by the extra year of eligibility. Would hate to be a mid-level recruit trying to find a spot.

 

[JMCx4]

 

[mk80]

That is the big issue in this, the one's making the decision (School President, and Board Chairman) don't care about the hockey program and don't care to save it no matter what they are offered. They want to purge it.

 

[JMCx4]

The next wave of cavalry has arrived ...

 

[JMCx4]

And USCHO.com's take on it ... Newly created Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation looking to ‘right this wrong,’ bring Robert Morris men’s, women’s teams back into fold

 

[mk80]

The next wave of cavalry has arrived ...

And USCHO.com's take on it ... Newly created Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation looking to ‘right this wrong,’ bring Robert Morris men’s, women’s teams back into fold

The problem is that they will run into the same thing that Murry Gunty and others making efforts to save hockey ran into. The school/President/Board Chairman do not have any intention of saving the program or even listening to any offers to reduce or eliminate costs of the programs.

At this point, Mario Lemieux himself could walk into the RMU Preident's office with a few suitcases full of cash and likely the administration would turn him away.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Robert Morris hockey players now represented by lawyer who beat the NCAA in Supreme Court, represented Tom Brady

Tim Benz
Monday, June 28, 2021 11:09 a.m.

A coalition of members from the recently eliminated men’s and women’s hockey programs at Robert Morris University is now being represented by Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney perhaps best known in Pittsburgh as Tom Brady’s lawyer in his legal battle against the NFL in “Deflategate.” ...

On Monday morning, Kessler sent a letter to Robert Morris, alerting the university to legal rights the players feel may have been compromised by the elimination of their hockey programs. It was the first of two such letters the university received Monday. ...

About five hours after Kessler’s correspondence, Ohio attorney Kevin Spellacy sent a letter to Robert Morris university president Dr. Christopher Howard, informing the university that he is representing a hockey player and RMU student.

Robert Morris officials acknowledged that they received the letters and were reviewing them. ...

Read more at: TribLive.com Story

 

[mk80]

So I guess they are going to try to save their program now for this season…. With a July 31 deadline?

After losing entire recruiting classes and all the top players, plus coaches.

 

[JMCx4]

This has FAIL 3.0 written all over it.

 

[mk80]

This has FAIL 3.0 written all over it.

I think it is more of a way to for the administration to try and save face to say "hey look we tried to save it"

On the chance they are being genuine, there's no way they get it saved for this season. If they're genuine I would want to see announcements about how they're stabilizing their program ahead of a 22-23 return to play.