Rocko604
Sports will break your heart.
Simon Fraser University, located in Burnaby, BC right next to Vancouver, looking to add a D1 hockey program.
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2016/0...of-landing-an-ncaa-mens-div-1-hockey-program/
Two major hurtles:
1. An arena to play in. Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby currently hosts their club team and seats 2000 but would need some upgrades. But is that sustainable? There's the Pacific Coliseum, but with the city of Vancouver looking to get rid of the Giants by bending them over on a lease agreement, would they welcome a different hockey team? Ironically, the type of arena that would be best suited for a team like this is on the CIS UBC campus, the 7000 seat Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
2. The market. Naturally everyone is going to point at the Canucks and Giants, but it goes beyond that. This city and region DOES NOT support college sports. We don't have the tradition of supporting university teams. There might be a honeymoon period where the interest is high for a bit but it will fade. No alumni from UBC I know would ever go cheer or support anything to do with SFU.
Now having said that I look forward to their study, which will include the market and sporting landscape in the region, and see what they conclude.
After thinking about it for a little bit, my best case scenario is them playing in the WCHA at the aforementioned Bill Copeland Arena with select out of conference games (your top NCHC, B1G schools) being played at Rogers Arena or Pacific Coliseum.
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2016/0...of-landing-an-ncaa-mens-div-1-hockey-program/
BURNABY — Theresa Hanson is only four months into her tenure as the new athletic director at Simon Frsser University, yet she has already begun to lay the groundwork for what could be one of the most substantial start-ups in the 51-year history of Clan athletics.
Hanson told The Province on Thursday that SFU is putting togther a plan aimed at bringing an NCAA Div. 1 men’s hockey program to the school.
To that end, Simon Fraser has contracted the services of a U.S.-based consultant well-versed in NCAA matters to provide a business model that will better enable the university to make its final decision...
...Depending on that decision, potential conference affilations and other timing issues, the Clan could be on the ice as soon as the 2018-19 season, said Hanson.
Two major hurtles:
1. An arena to play in. Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby currently hosts their club team and seats 2000 but would need some upgrades. But is that sustainable? There's the Pacific Coliseum, but with the city of Vancouver looking to get rid of the Giants by bending them over on a lease agreement, would they welcome a different hockey team? Ironically, the type of arena that would be best suited for a team like this is on the CIS UBC campus, the 7000 seat Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
2. The market. Naturally everyone is going to point at the Canucks and Giants, but it goes beyond that. This city and region DOES NOT support college sports. We don't have the tradition of supporting university teams. There might be a honeymoon period where the interest is high for a bit but it will fade. No alumni from UBC I know would ever go cheer or support anything to do with SFU.
Now having said that I look forward to their study, which will include the market and sporting landscape in the region, and see what they conclude.
After thinking about it for a little bit, my best case scenario is them playing in the WCHA at the aforementioned Bill Copeland Arena with select out of conference games (your top NCHC, B1G schools) being played at Rogers Arena or Pacific Coliseum.
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