Is "Varsity" Ice Hockey in USFs Future?

[BULLfreak]

I forgot all about that one

[Guest Sprtsfn627]

Right now they have only announced Women's Ice Hockey...the rumor (according to the article) is they will eventually start a Men's team as well.

What probably will happen is a Big East Showcase Tournament.  The Big Ten does something similar (they have 5 hockey members).  The 4 teams would play two games each over one weekend.  So the sport wouldn't be sponsored by the Big East...but would at least be supported in one way or another.

[Bobcat99]

Hockey will never happen here. The travel would be absurd, and we'd have to build a new facility (the Brandon complex has nowhere near the seating to meet the NCAA Division I requirements).

You can forget about us playing Division III, too, since all those teams are in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Club hockey is competitive and well-appreciated (and my own alma mater has four ACHA Division I national championships in the past ten years or so) and it's a perfectly fine alternative.

[Jamie]

There's also no way USF could draw the kinds of crowds that show up to a college hockey game. Up north you can get 10,000+ fans, easy. There wouldn't be nearly enough ticket revenue to support the team.

[Guest Sprtsfn627]

Hopefully I'm not taking this too off topic, but if there is one sport I'd like to see added at USF it's Lacrosse.  That's an exciting sport really on the rise.

[Guest]

Travel is not an issue.  Well it's an issue, but it's not THE issue.

Remember EVERY sport has to travel... and for conference games our closest Big East opponents are still a plane ride away.

To be sure, teams can take buses to other schools in the southeast (in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc...) so in that sense, travel would be harder.

But... we could schedule games well... such as traveling with other USF teams... or hitting two or three schools in one road trip...

The biggest issues are: Title IX and the cost of operating a Varsity level team... renting ice time at the Brandon Sports Fourm and/or the SPT Forum would be higher than other schools who have their own facilities.

Let's just say that travel would be the last excuse, not the first one.

[outrunner]

Hopefully I'm not taking this too off topic, but if there is one sport I'd like to see added at USF it's Lacrosse.  That's an exciting sport really on the rise.

Here's the problem with that. First, not many Florida schools play. Nearest real concentration is in Tobacco Road. Second, the Big East does not recognize men's lacrosse. Thank you title IX.

[Eric_Soncrant]

I'm not sure how big a question the BIG EAST sponsoring lacrosse will be.  Remember the last sport we added was sailing.  They have their own federation that the schools compete in.

As of right now we are strong on our title IX numbers.  I don't think we will be adding any men's sports in the relatively near future.  But everyone has an opinion on what sport to add.

I'd love for it to be hockey.  After spending 4 years at Maine, it was such a great atmosphere.  My wife and I both miss it.  I have to get to some of the club games just to check them out this year.  

Eric

[USF_Girl]

4 years ago the Sun Dome was measured for ice, it would require moving 4 rows of seats. NHL teams have worked with colleges with discounted ice until colleges could build their own facilities. The TBL allowed us to play the game before the NCAA games at the College Classic this year to draw attention to us.

Brandon is building a 3rd sheet of ice with stadium seating that will be fit a large number of fans (thousands). USF has had 1,000 fans present at a game before. The year average is 600 fans, when we do charity events we get more in.

Alabama-Huntsville called when the Frozen Four was announced to be in Tampa and asked what they could do to help USF get NCAA so we could host.

USF plays ACHA teams that have NCAA at their schools- their ACHA teams act was their JV. We have played and beaten in the past Princeton, UConn, LIU etc. They arent your BC or Minnesota but its good hockey.

USF has had and have several players that have played at the NCAA level, we also have players who have played good Junior hockey in Canada, and northern US.

USF has been invited to the National Showcase in Oct, UNC- Chapel Hill DII tournament in Nov, a Children's Hospital tourney in Dec and will be hosting our 1st tourney to benefit Madison Goss (3 old with cancer) and two other little kids with 5 out of state teams (App State, LSU, Tulane have commited in writing thus far) in Jan at TBSA in Oldsmar.

I think as soon as one "southern" team makes the jump- KSU (won nationals moved to DII) wants to be NCAA in 4 years, I think USF might start considering. USF is looking at 30 something games for the 2007- 2008 season playing DII and DIII teams.

If you would like a sponsorship folder please contact: usficebulls@aol.com or call the team office at (813) 385-3190.

[No_Willie_Jokes_Yet]

USF will NEVER consider mens hockey. We could be the best team in the country but it will cost too much money. Not the hockey team, but the Title IX issues. Take the cost of a hockey team, now double it. How many lines does a college team have 2-3? That's what 15-20 players on scholarship. Now add a womens sport or sports to add that many female scholarships. Add the travel and other costs to operate the female sports. That's the cost of mens hocket at USF.

Its a dead issue.