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+---- Thread: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? (/thread-820615.html)
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Frank the Tank - 06-07-2018 09:28 AM
(06-07-2018 09:10 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: They want a hockey team, but they don't have men's soccer team nor a men's swimming team when those facilities already exist and are cheaper by a huge magnitude.
Yup, sounds like a typical Illinois public employee made decision.
The massive difference is that men's hockey can be a legitimate revenue sport, especially in the Big Ten. Men's soccer and swimming are guaranteed to be straight expenses with no profit.
So, if Illinois is going to add a sport, it certainly makes sense that it adds one that has the potential to actually make money (which isn't realistically possible for any sport in the Big Ten outside of football and men's basketball) as opposed to just looking at what's the cheapest. In essence, you get what you pay for here.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Lord Stanley - 06-07-2018 11:16 AM
There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-07-2018 11:34 AM
(06-07-2018 11:16 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
And you know this how?
When I went to Illinois, I'd go watch the club team. It was very well attended.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Lord Stanley - 06-07-2018 11:43 AM
(06-07-2018 11:34 AM)dbackjon Wrote:(06-07-2018 11:16 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
And you know this how?
When I went to Illinois, I'd go watch the club team. It was very well attended.
Uhhh, I'm from central Illinois?
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Frank the Tank - 06-07-2018 11:45 AM
(06-07-2018 11:16 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
The Illinois club hockey team regularly sells out its games, most of the student population comes from the Chicago area (with the current generation of students having been raised during the Blackhawks Stanley Cup runs), and Penn State has shown that there is a substantial amount of revenue to be made in hockey in Central Pennsylvania with a similar student profile and college town location (and actually fewer townies compared to Champaign-Urbana). In fact, Penn State hockey was more profitable last year than its men's basketball program:
http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/how-hockey-became-one-of-penn-states-biggest-money-makers,1475777/
There is little doubt in my mind that Illinois Division I hockey would be highly successful. The challenge has always been the very high capital startup costs to get it off the ground. Big Ten hockey absolutely makes money and has done so for many years, which is a unique advantage for the league's schools that have hockey (as they're making money from 3 sports as opposed to the vast majority of the rest of the country that can only rely upon football and men's basketball revenue). As an Illinois alum, this investment is definitely worth because it can realistically (not pie in the sky) make a good return.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Lord Stanley - 06-07-2018 11:49 AM
Time will tell. I have strong doubts but wish them success, especially since the facility will be used for other sports as well.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-07-2018 11:49 AM
(06-07-2018 11:16 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
The USHL is a non-pro league of wannabe NCAA ice hockey young athletes in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, the Dakotas etc. Nearly any place south of Minneapolis, there wasn’t an existing hockey culture. Yet, this developmental under age 20 league draws rather significant crowds. Many of these players make DI teams, as it is one of the biggest sources of DI college talent, as high school teams even in Minnesota don’t refine the talent well enough.
Think what a team that is named the Illini or Hawkeyes could draw, as any team associated with a P5 name generates much more attention and allegiance.
http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=USHL1999&sid=2018
Any city or town in that geographical area that has a reasonable rink, and doesn’t have a higher level team, wants to be a member.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 06-07-2018 01:01 PM
(06-07-2018 11:43 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:(06-07-2018 11:34 AM)dbackjon Wrote:(06-07-2018 11:16 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
And you know this how?
When I went to Illinois, I'd go watch the club team. It was very well attended.
Uhhh, I'm from central Illinois?
Makes two of us. And actually went to Illinois
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Mav - 06-08-2018 12:23 AM
(06-07-2018 11:49 AM)NoDak Wrote:Well, the USHL isn't really a fair comparison. Many of those teams predate the current glut of entertainment options, and the more successful ones have been around for over 20 years. Also, the teams in the Plains draw far better than the teams in the Great Lakes, since there isn't a regional pro team to attach yourself to, and there are stronger civic rivalries there.(06-07-2018 11:16 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote: There is no revenue to be made in central Illinois following Illini hockey. Come on.
The USHL is a non-pro league of wannabe NCAA ice hockey young athletes in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, the Dakotas etc. Nearly any place south of Minneapolis, there wasn’t an existing hockey culture. Yet, this developmental under age 20 league draws rather significant crowds. Many of these players make DI teams, as it is one of the biggest sources of DI college talent, as high school teams even in Minnesota don’t refine the talent well enough.
Think what a team that is named the Illini or Hawkeyes could draw, as any team associated with a P5 name generates much more attention and allegiance.
http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=USHL1999&sid=2018
Any city or town in that geographical area that has a reasonable rink, and doesn’t have a higher level team, wants to be a member.
Coincidentally, there's a team Bloomington that barely draws flies. Under 1000 in a 7000 seat barn isn't a good look. The area has much more of a basketball-centric culture, and the people that do care about hockey would rather stay home and watch the Blackhawks and Blues over going to a USHL game. Illinois sports is very much a "go pro or go home" culture. Illini hockey would have to win immediately to reverse that trend.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - IWokeUpLikeThis - 06-08-2018 01:20 AM
Central Illinois is definitely hoops-centric, whether you’re in Chambana (Illinois), Bloomington-Normal (Illinois State), or Peoria (Bradley). Although Peoria supported the Rivermen well for many years. That extends to high school where Central Illinois produces a relatively considerable amount of college hoops players and essentially nothing for hockey.
USHL works in Fargo, Sioux Falls, and the Iowa/Nebraska cities because of the lack of professional hockey and absence of nearby NHL hockey. That region is the USHL’s bread and butter.
USHL doesn’t do well in Illinois (Steel, Bloomington), Indiana (Ice), or Michigan (Muskegon, NTDP). All those teams draw flies and barely stay afloat (Indy is defunct). Muskegon was a great minor league hockey town that has never really bought into junior hockey because watching teenagers just isn’t the same as watching the gongshow and bloodshed of the grown-ups back in the day.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Lord Stanley - 06-08-2018 08:12 AM
But this will all change because there is a block I on the jersey in Champaign? OK. That's a big risk but one that has good upside.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Frank the Tank - 06-08-2018 10:42 AM
People are concentrating too much on the "Central Illinois" aspect and not enough on the "Chicago" aspect. Ultimately, Illinois is a school that has more Chicago area students than virtually all of the schools that are actually located in Chicago. Once again, just like Penn State previously before it moved up to Division I, the Illinois club hockey team *sells out* its games regularly. There's already a longstanding culture of attending even lower level hockey games on campus (similar to Penn State). The school's students are also Chicago-centric and hockey interest has boomed over the past decade due to the success of the Blackhawks. How USHL teams have performed in Central Illinois is pretty much irrelevant when it comes to Illini support. The Lord Stanley's point, the Block I on the jersey actually does matter greatly for the same reason why we have boards like this that discuss college sports 24/7/365 as opposed to minor league baseball and hockey or G-League basketball.
This really isn't much of a risk for Illinois. The only big issue is where the upfront capital costs will come from. As long as those are covered, it's honestly as close to a no-brainer as there is out there as far as athletic department expansions go.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-11-2018 05:31 PM
Illinois hopes to announce hockey by end of the year:
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2018/06/07/Colleges/Illinois.aspx
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - NoDak - 06-12-2018 02:03 PM
More hockey answers from Illini AD:
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2018/06/12_QA-With--Illinois-AD.php
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Schadenfreude - 05-06-2019 03:38 PM
It appears Illinois is serious about hockey.
Given that the Big Ten is at seven, would this make it less likely that Arizona State would receive an invitation?
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - dbackjon - 05-06-2019 04:26 PM
That is great news!
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - Renandpat - 05-06-2019 04:52 PM
(05-06-2019 03:38 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote: It appears Illinois is serious about hockey.
Given that the Big Ten is at seven, would this make it less likely that Arizona State would receive an invitation?
Well, last week, this did occur.
https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/the-yards-downtown-development-clears-hurdle-at-champaign-city-council-stud
Quote:Champaign City Council members indicated in a study session Tuesday night that they’re ready to commit future tax revenue to help a quarter billion downtown project known as “The Yards”.
Developers Brian Neiswender, Marc Lifshin and Hans Grotelueschen are working together on the $250 million project. “The Yards” would use nearly 11 acres of land in what was Champaign’s original industrial district, located south of University Avenue. The site includes parking lots currently used by Christie Clinic employees, and now-vacant buildings that for many years housed the Goodyear Twin City Tire Co., and the Rogards office supply store.
But some of the city funding would reach developers early, in the form of bonds issued by the city to finance the building of the parking structures and also new sanitary sewers to serve both the new development and other buildings in the area.
That didn’t sit well with residents of the infrastructure-poor Garden Hills neighborhood, which isn’t expected to get its long-sought new storm sewers, streetlights and sidewalks until 2030. Two neighborhood activists, Chad Smith and Amy Revilla, told council members they didn’t appreciate waiting while the new downtown development was seemingly given priority. Another Garden Hills resident who complained was First District council member Clarissa Nickerson Fourman.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - DavidSt - 05-06-2019 06:39 PM
(05-06-2019 03:38 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote: It appears Illinois is serious about hockey.
Given that the Big Ten is at seven, would this make it less likely that Arizona State would receive an invitation?
I think the schools out west that do have club hockey out west should start a varsity program because it would help the schools out west more. The Alaska twins could switch hockey conferences for sure. Arizona State and UNLV would have a home.
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - AZcats - 05-06-2019 07:54 PM
(05-06-2019 06:39 PM)DavidSt Wrote: I think the schools out west that do have club hockey out west should start a varsity program because it would help the schools out west more. The Alaska twins could switch hockey conferences for sure. Arizona State and UNLV would have a home.
There has been talk for several years on the hopes of more hockey teams in the west but it's much easier said than done. Hockey is one of the most expensive college sports; so, does the school have the finances to support a competitive team? You also have T9 issues; Arizona State had to add women's lacrosse and women's triathlon to satisfy T9 when hockey was added at additional costs.
So David, are you going to make donations to these schools in order for them to add varsity hockey?
RE: University of Illinois upgrading Club Hockey to D1? - DavidSt - 05-06-2019 09:33 PM
(05-06-2019 07:54 PM)AZcats Wrote:(05-06-2019 06:39 PM)DavidSt Wrote: I think the schools out west that do have club hockey out west should start a varsity program because it would help the schools out west more. The Alaska twins could switch hockey conferences for sure. Arizona State and UNLV would have a home.
There has been talk for several years on the hopes of more hockey teams in the west but it's much easier said than done. Hockey is one of the most expensive college sports; so, does the school have the finances to support a competitive team? You also have T9 issues; Arizona State had to add women's lacrosse and women's triathlon to satisfy T9 when hockey was added at additional costs.
So David, are you going to make donations to these schools in order for them to add varsity hockey?
Several schools out west already spending money on club or emerging sports already in place. Just need to upped the money for scholarships. Colorado Mesa and Central Washington are 2 schools that do have sports in place that could go varsity. I think the D1 and D2 schools in California also have some club sports in place like LAX that could go varsity. It is just when they get enough money in place to go varsity.