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+---- Thread: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? (/thread-820615.html)
University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dreamlander - 06-22-2017 01:45 PM
Travis Hughes at SBNation on twitter, "NHL is holding a press conference 'in support of college hockey' in Chicago tomorrow. Univ. of Illinois athletic director will be there." Link
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-22-2017 02:00 PM
Interesting. But why in Chicago? UIC restarting?
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - IWokeUpLikeThis - 06-22-2017 02:03 PM
Apparently it's just an initiative. Not sure why Illini AD is getting involved.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/877931444802207745
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-22-2017 02:03 PM
https://www.thechampaignroom.com/2017/6/22/15855168/illinois-fighting-illini-hockey-team-news-josh-whitman-nhl-press-conference
Is the University of Illinois on the verge of announcing a Division-I Hockey program?
Fighting Illini athletic director Josh Whitman is attending an NHL press conference on Friday.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-22-2017 02:04 PM
(06-22-2017 02:03 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote: Apparently it's just an initiative. Not sure why Illini AD is getting involved.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/877931444802207745
That's the million dollar question...
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-23-2017 12:58 PM
Apparently, the NHL will fund ice hockey feasibility studies for five DI schools. Illinois is one of them.
Others might be Arizona, USC, UNLV, Stanford, Rutgers, Colorado, Utah, Syracuse, Iowa, Nebraska.
Announcement tonight.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - MplsBison - 06-23-2017 01:03 PM
That's kinda bogus ... we could tell them what is obvious, for free: it's expensive.
If the NHL really wants to push college hockey to be more like college bball or football ... then pay for it!
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-23-2017 01:05 PM
(06-23-2017 12:58 PM)NoDak Wrote: Apparently, the NHL will fund ice hockey feasibility studies for five DI schools. Illinois is one of them.
Others might be Arizona, USC, UNLV, Stanford, Rutgers, Colorado, Utah, Syracuse, Iowa, Nebraska.
Announcement tonight.
Source?
If so, that would be outstanding.
Although I am still pissed that NAU doesn't have DI hockey anymore - if any Arizona school has it, it should be NAU.
Getting more western schools would help hockey expand penetration in hearts and minds.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-23-2017 01:06 PM
(06-23-2017 01:05 PM)dbackjon Wrote:(06-23-2017 12:58 PM)NoDak Wrote: Apparently, the NHL will fund ice hockey feasibility studies for five DI schools. Illinois is one of them.
Others might be Arizona, USC, UNLV, Stanford, Rutgers, Colorado, Utah, Syracuse, Iowa, Nebraska.
Announcement tonight.
Source?
If so, that would be outstanding.
Although I am still pissed that NAU doesn't have DI hockey anymore - if any Arizona school has it, it should be NAU.
Getting more western schools would help hockey expand penetration in hearts and minds.
There are posters on our board very tied into the hockey world (former pros, coaches etc).
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-23-2017 01:08 PM
Look - the source
Link!! That is so easy!!
http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2017/06/23_NHL-Hopes-to-Help-Bring-More.php
The NHL will announce later today that the league will sponsor studies at five U.S. colleges to examine the feasibility of a Division I hockey program on those campuses, according to an NHL source. The University of Illinois will be the first university to undergo the study.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Renandpat - 06-23-2017 01:20 PM
I can give you the Executive Summary for each of these feasibility studies.
Quote:
If you want Division I Ice Hockey on your campus, get that you have an athletics benefactor willing to donate $50 million to: endow scholarships, coaching positions, build proper facilities. Then, if you are a public school, get the student government on board to increase their student fees to cover the cost of operating your new proper facilities.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-23-2017 01:23 PM
(06-23-2017 01:20 PM)Renandpat Wrote: I can give you the Executive Summary for each of these feasibility studies.
If you want Division I Ice Hockey on your campus, get that you have an athletics benefactor willing to donate $50 million to: endow scholarships, coaching positions, build proper facilities. Then, if you are a public school, get the student government on board to increase their student fees to cover the cost of operating your new proper facilities.
Some schools like Utah, UNLV, Colorado and Arizona already have workable minor league stadiums near them, so they wouldn't be quite as expensive. But agree with what you wrote.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Mav - 06-23-2017 01:27 PM
Colorado's been notoriously reluctant to fund athletics in the past, let alone willing to sponsor something as expensive as hockey. I don't expect them to be one of the five.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - MplsBison - 06-23-2017 01:29 PM
(06-23-2017 01:20 PM)Renandpat Wrote: I can give you the Executive Summary for each of these feasibility studies.
If you want Division I Ice Hockey on your campus, get that you have an athletics benefactor willing to donate $50 million to: endow scholarships, coaching positions, build proper facilities. Then, if you are a public school, get the student government on board to increase their student fees to cover the cost of operating your new proper facilities.
Yep.
If the NHL wants more major college athletic depts to have college hockey ... then the NHL should pay for it! Not throw a couple peanuts on the table for a "study".
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-23-2017 01:31 PM
(06-23-2017 01:03 PM)MplsBison Wrote: That's kinda bogus ... we could tell them what is obvious, for free: it's expensive.
If the NHL really wants to push college hockey to be more like college bball or football ... then pay for it!
The NHL has a record % of NCAA'ers now and it's been increasing for decades. Even many of the stars, like Toews, Oshie and Parise came from one backwater Northern plains school. The NHL likes the NCAA product.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - MplsBison - 06-23-2017 02:30 PM
Good! I like the NCAA product too.
So ... the NHL should help fund the expansion of that product.
But, possibly, could get hard lobbying against that from Juniors program? Don't know ... I have nothing to back that up. Wild guess
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - TerpsNPhoenix - 06-23-2017 02:41 PM
Ok, how is this for speculation. How does this relate to the recently announced postponement of Memorial Stadium renovation. Was going to be $300 Million but now it looks like something much less. Is the money going possibly towards hockey? Or am I just having fun making stuff up?
http://csnbbs.com/thread-820637.html. H/T to Transic (got this article from the B1G board)
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - The Sicatoka - 06-23-2017 02:42 PM
(06-23-2017 01:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote: If the NHL wants more major college athletic depts to have college hockey ... then the NHL should pay for it! Not throw a couple peanuts on the table for a "study".
You mean like the National Basketba ...
Or like the National Footba ...
I mean Major League Baseba ...
Nevermind.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-23-2017 02:54 PM
(06-23-2017 02:30 PM)MplsBison Wrote: Good! I like the NCAA product too.
So ... the NHL should help fund the expansion of that product.
But, possibly, could get hard lobbying against that from Juniors program? Don't know ... I have nothing to back that up. Wild guess
The major junior teams are nearly all in Canada and their not looking to expand to Phoenix or San Jose or Las Vegas. But there are existing U's in those regions that could help spread hockey interest.
NCAA hockey is kind of in a war againot the Canadian Major Juniors anyway for talent. More Canadian players and Europeans are choosing the NCAA because it yields better all around players that can deal with life better. Major Juniors are just a grind - an NHL type schedule without amenities for 18 and 19 yos.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - IWokeUpLikeThis - 06-23-2017 03:05 PM
(06-23-2017 02:54 PM)NoDak Wrote:On the flipside, NCAA hockey is 35-40 games while major juniors is 68 + playoffs. One prepares you for an NHL schedule and allotts an off-ice schedule that mirrors the NHL. Also major juniors generally has more top end talent to play against.(06-23-2017 02:30 PM)MplsBison Wrote: Good! I like the NCAA product too.NCAA hockey is kind of in a war againot the Canadian Major Juniors anyway for talent. More Canadian players and Europeans are choosing the NCAA because it yields better all around players that can deal with life better. Major Juniors are just a grind - an NHL type schedule without amenities for 18 and 19 yos.
So ... the NHL should help fund the expansion of that product.
But, possibly, could get hard lobbying against that from Juniors program? Don't know ... I have nothing to back that up. Wild guess
One isn't better than the other. It comes down to the specific major junior team and specific college you're choosing, as well as NHL chances (CHL usually better for top prospects, NCAA always better for late blooming prospects).