Tennessee State to introduce college hockey (First HBCU school to do this)

[JMCx4]

Will they apply for Atlantic Hockey Association membership? CCHA?

I suspect TSU will remain independent for 2 or more seasons, mimicking other recent men's program promotions as the school-level organization gets its feet wet (or snowy) under DI play & business conditions. I also think the existing DI conference membership groups are fully occupied by the CHL-NCAA settlement, so the men's DI "conference shuffle" I alluded to above will be delayed by a couple of years. Presuming AHA ("Atlantic Hockey America" now) & CCHA even exist in their current forms by then.

 

[JMCx4]

In terms of location, CCHA is the best for them and the conference is going to lose St. Thomas to NCHC. However, if Long Island can't get into Atlantic Hockey, I am not sure TSU will be able to get into a more prestigious conference like CCHA.

You need to dig a little deeper in your casual internet searches. The current CCHA incarnation has never been a "more prestigious conference" in the men's DI hierarchy. The two conferences you referenced are simply hanging on - with a shared organizational structure to spare operating costs - hoping to survive on sheer determination & favors from the truly dominant conferences and the NCAA.

 

[Nodak651]

TSU has major institutional budget issues right now so I hope they can hang on and get the hockey program started. If they do get the program up and running, I wouldn't be surprised if Austin Peay eventually follows suit, as they have a brand new 5k arena next to campus that doesn't have a major tenant, and they also have the support of the Preds who just helped them start a club program. Their president is from MN, is a huge hockey fan, and he has shown an interest in D1 hockey to help attract students from the rust belt. UAH is probably a long shot, but a new conference consisting of Austin Peay, TSU, UAH, Lindenwood, and the Alaska Schools isn't out of the realm of possibilities. Of course there are many reasons that wouldn't happen so no need to restate them. TSU going D1 was more of a long shot than either UAH or Austin Peay are.