Tennessee State to introduce college hockey (First HBCU school to do this)
- Thread starter Blackhawkswincup
- Start date
LadyStanley
Registered User
TheGreenTBer
It's all been a waste of time. All of it.
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I can't unsee the Cincinatti Bengals old logo
Primary Assist
The taste of honey is worse than none at all
- Jul 7, 2010
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This is exactly what we mean when we say we want to grow the game. Awesome stuff!
Yukon Joe
Registered User
As an HBCU grad I congratulate Tennessee State. This is big an hopefully more HBCUs are able to get hockey teams as well.
KevFu
Registered User
I was unaware that the NHL offers free consultation and feasibility studies for colleges looking at starting hockey. THAT'S just as awesome.
It sounds like the NHL is partnering to make it happen.
It sounds like the NHL is partnering to make it happen.
No Fun Shogun
34-38-61-10-13-15
Always good to see college hockey grow.
As a salty Illini fan though, annoyed at yet another example of a school just freaking doing it and starting a varsity hockey program rather than sitting on their butts for a decade+ waiting for a perfect storm of conditions that'll never materialize before doing so. Illinois athletics are the epitome of letting perfect be the enemy of good by more when it comes to hockey.
As a salty Illini fan though, annoyed at yet another example of a school just freaking doing it and starting a varsity hockey program rather than sitting on their butts for a decade+ waiting for a perfect storm of conditions that'll never materialize before doing so. Illinois athletics are the epitome of letting perfect be the enemy of good by more when it comes to hockey.
Men's team will start at the club level with a goal of fielding Division I men’s and women’s teams “in the near future.”
www.wkrn.com
TSU ready to make history as the 1st HBCU to add ice hockey
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State University (TSU) for so long has been best known in athletics as the place where Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph and the Tigerbelles made track history a…
www.wkrn.com
sawchuk1971
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Big McLargehuge
Fragile Traveler
Gnashville
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TSU has had that blue Tiger logo going back to the 1970’s at least.I can't unsee the Cincinatti Bengals old logo
No Fun Shogun
34-38-61-10-13-15
ponder719
M-M-M-Matvei and the Jett
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
It’s no where near bad asI can't unsee the Cincinatti Bengals old logo
And every. Single. One of them. has the same "rowwwrrroorrrrrrr!!!!!" stock audio for their radio broadcasts.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
Talents to what league? Hope you don't mean the NHL. They are only offering club hockey under the ACHA umbrella and there is absolutely no indication they are going to have a NCAA D1 program in the short or long term.
Armourboy
Hey! We suck!
I think you will see the NHL probably put a lot more into this than one would imagine. As much as they have tried going overseas it's the one area you can grow the sport and never leave North America. It will definitely take time, and ultimately it may fail, but I hope not only the TSU support it but the local Nashville crowds as well.
I don't know how much talent they will ever have but it would be nice if some of those old NHL guys that are retired in the area and still playing in local leagues go out and give them a hand as well.
Exactly. This is doomed to fail in the current format. They are one of dozens of choices for ACHA Club hockey in the area. They have no history and no real market to differentiate themselves in that area since this is a club sport and pay to play (though I do assume the Predators involvement helps make the financial aspect a little better for them). If they were to go full throttle into Division 1, they would have a different product that would seem to generate more interest. However, I would suspect they would run into problems similar to those that plagued University of Alabama-Huntsville in Division 1, which is difficulty in maintaining conference affiliation and crazy travel for away games with difficulty attracting opponents for home games. It is difficult either way, but I think they have chosen the worst pathway possible to accomplish anything meaningful. This pathway requires an almost mythical financial supporter like ASU and PSU received to be sustained.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
What does any of this have to do with my post? My post wasn't about growing the game or any of that, which you didn't even properly support that Nashville helping TSU will actually do. You can grow the game in the countless different ways better than this.
My post was in direct response to someone stating they can't wait until TCU puts talent into the NHL. The only reasonable avenues being by having their players drafted, having drafted players as part of their draft class, or having their players offered NHL contracts.
I was pointing out their hopes were beyond ridiculous considering TSU is only offering men and women's club teams under the ACHA umbrella and there are absolutely no indications from any reliable source they are even close to being able to offer a NCAA program.
Armourboy
Hey! We suck!
And my point was with enough backing that might eventually be the case. It may have a bit more outside support than your standard start up program would have, although who knows the actual level of backing the NHL, Preds, and the surrounding corporate people will put into it.
It definitely isn't going to happen over night though that is for sure, but it's a start and you gotta start somewhere.
People all over the hockey world said the Preds would fail too, and it's become a prime example of how NHL hockey today can work in non-traditional markets to the point these types of markets are now considered common targets for expansion or relocation.
You can't succeed without trying.
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
I am not against growing hockey, especially in Tennessee and in Nashville. Let's make that clear. But, there are far better alternatives for accomplishing this.
However, I will play along with what you're getting at.
With enough backing, there is potentially the chance they can get a NCAA team. It would require an insane amount of financial backing on a long term basis. It would never be sustainable. Travel costs, inability to get into a conference, the same things that killed off Alabama-Huntsville. In addition, there is minimal regional recognition, a minimal finances available in the athletic department. So in the best case scenario, you've dumped huge sums of cash which will never be recouped into a program which is likely independent due to geography, noncompetitive due to their inability to get into a conference and because of the inherent travel, a horrible home schedule because of their geography and difficulty attracting opponents. Everything is present in these circumstances to have the venture fail, or at the very least be "not successful," and that is after huge financial investment.
Nashville could build four or five sheets of ice around the metro area instead , start full-fledged youth organizations in each one, provide free equipment for anyone who partakes in their presumably USA Hockey LTS/LTP programs, and have exponentially more people exposed to hockey and the goodwill of the organizations than what is happening with TSU.
Far too many people in the United States have gotten massive hard-ons about NCAA hockey expansion and how it grows the game. NCAA hockey does grow the game, but it isn't a cookie cutter solution suitable for every NHL team and a nearby college athletic program. The Predators organization doing this provides nothing other than temporary good will and provides zero long-term benefits to hockey in Nashville...
