(06-03-2021 10:00 AM)ccd494 Wrote:  

(06-03-2021 12:01 AM)nodak651 Wrote:  I believe you, but do you have a link to the UNLV comment you mention? I think UNLV is only a matter of time. They will have great attendance, aided in part due to their location being a destination for northern fans, but more importantly there is potential for major donors with the casinos there. The engelstads who built und's arena are also major donors to the university and they have already donated nearly a million dollars to the club team. A handful of arena options are already in the area as well. Casinos could also potentially partner on new construction.

Here's the list of every program that has joined D-I since the year 2000:

1. Mercyhurst (2000): elevated a successful D-II/III program.
2. Robert Morris (2004): died.
3. RIT (2005): elevated a successful D-III program.
4. Penn State (2012): $102M donation for an arena and a program.
5. Arizona State (2015): $32M donation, no arena, still an independent.
6. Long Island (2020): funding their program at a sub D-III level. We will see.
7. St. Thomas (2021): elevating a D-III program.

Let's look at the different paths:

1. Go the RIT/STU route and elevate your successful D-III program. No D-III athletic department can move up to D-I in one sport only anymore. You need to move your entire athletic department up to at least D-II. St. Thomas' one time waiver is a unique case, but theoretically this path remains viable.

2. Go the Mercyhurst route and elevate your successful D-II program. The only D-II programs left are the seven in the Northeast-10 (Assumption, Franklin Pierce, SNHU, Saint Anselm, Saint Michael's, Stonehill, Post). I wouldn't call any "successful" but legally, they can move up if they want.

3. Go the Penn State route with a MEGA donation.

4. Go the Arizona State route with a big donation, and figure out or find an arena.

5. Go the RMU/LIU route, make up a program using tape, thumbtacks, and crepe paper, and see what happens.

Obviously, option 3 is your best bet, followed by 4, 1, 2, 5.

If UNLV can find a huge donor, good for them, but I'm skeptical that "the casinos" will see value in pumping $100M into UNLV hockey just to bring in gamblers. Seems more cost effective to pump $50M into UNLV football, turn them into Boise State south, and bump attendance from 15,000/game to 40,000/game. And it wouldn't even involve the headache of adding a sport, or messing with your Title IX balance, or finding a new conference for your new sport.

And RIT managed to upgrade to a new arena within the same time period that ASU will have done so.