NIU had field hockey at one time (the '78 team is in the NIU Hall of Fame, 11-0 season). I do not know its history, nor why it was cut. I graduated long before that. Maybe someone else knows more, like when it was dropped. NIU did not have baseball from 1983-90, so maybe the cuts were part of the same shift in programs.

According to the NCAA listings, also playing field hockey in the region is Concordia (Wisconsin), Northwestern, Indiana, DePauw (Indiana) and St. Louis U. List indicates it's humongous in New York state and Pennsylvania, but plenty of schools in the Carolinas for those spring trips south.

According to ncaasports.org/field hockey/colleges, the average team is 20-25 players (11 on the field at one time). Also " ... Field hockey is immensely popular in the northeastern United States, with colleges as far south as the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ... The sport is growing across the country with many midwestern schools and even schools out on the west coast ... "

Any rough idea what it would cost to set up? Outdoor rec area has fields?