San Diego State to D1?

[Rightnut]

Heard a rumor this week that San Diego State is looking at jumping to D1 in two years. Supposed announcement next spring. Apparently they have twice as many women's sports as men's and will add men's hockey to even things out. Looking at their website, that looks to be true so maybe there is something to the rumors. They have a fairly strong club team. No rink on campus but a good practice facility within a mile or two of campus and big enough venues for D1 hockey within 10-15 minute drives. San Diego is a surprisingly strong hockey market as the Gulls averaged 8,000 in their inaugural AHL season as the Ducks top farm team. Don't know if there would be enough to support a D1 college team and the Gulls. Lots of issues to overcome as have been documented in other threads about other schools possibly adding hockey but here is another school to discuss.

[giwan]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

heard a rumor this week that san diego state is looking at jumping to d1 in two years. Supposed announcement next spring. Apparently they have twice as many women's sports as men's and will add men's hockey to even things out. Looking at their website, that looks to be true so maybe there is something to the rumors. They have a fairly strong club team. No rink on campus but a good practice facility within a mile or two of campus and big enough venues for d1 hockey within 10-15 minute drives. San diego is a surprisingly strong hockey market as the gulls averaged 8,000 in their inaugural ahl season as the ducks top farm team. Don't know if there would be enough to support a d1 college team and the gulls. Lots of issues to overcome as have been documented in other threads about other schools possibly adding hockey but here is another school to discuss.

show me the $$$$

[Bill]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

D1 hockey has been tried previously in San Diego and failed (US International University).

[Rightnut]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

D1 hockey has been tried previously in San Diego and failed (US International University).

True but not comparable. USIU was a private school that was woefully underfunded and has gone out of business. If the rumor is true, San Diego State has the financial might to fully fund a program, especially if they decide that they don't need to build an on campus arena. The football and basketball programs are strong although football has not been great lately. Still likely a longshot but if it ever happened ASU would probably be happy and maybe other west coast programs would fall into place. I have heard that the major impediment for some of the PAC 12 schools is the Title IX impact as they would have to add women's sports. The rumor with SDSU is that it is in fact the opposite issue there.

[Bill]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

True but not comparable. USIU was a private school that was woefully underfunded and has gone out of business. If the rumor is true, San Diego State has the financial might to fully fund a program, especially if they decide that they don't need to build an on campus arena. The football and basketball programs are strong although football has not been great lately. Still likely a longshot but if it ever happened ASU would probably be happy and maybe other west coast programs would fall into place. I have heard that the major impediment for some of the PAC 12 schools is the Title IX impact as they would have to add women's sports. The rumor with SDSU is that it is in fact the opposite issue there.

I agree that it should have a better chance this time assuming SDS does add D1 hockey. Bigger school, more money, nearest geographic rival (ASU) is bigger with more money than Northern Arizona (also folded) which was USIs nearest geographic rival back in the day. I was just pointing out that this could be the 2nd time that San Diego has had D1 hockey. If SDS adds D1 hockey and a few other West coast teams eventually add D1 hockey, we might eventually see a West coast conference.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

I wouldn't jump the gun yet, but if this proves to be true, I absolutely agree that we would have a much better situation for West Coast hockey than we had with US Int'l and Northern Arizona.

LONG LIVE THE GWHC

[sbkbghockey]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

Heard a rumor this week that San Diego State is looking at jumping to D1 in two years. Supposed announcement next spring. Apparently they have twice as many women's sports as men's and will add men's hockey to even things out. Looking at their website, that looks to be true so maybe there is something to the rumors. They have a fairly strong club team. No rink on campus but a good practice facility within a mile or two of campus and big enough venues for D1 hockey within 10-15 minute drives. San Diego is a surprisingly strong hockey market as the Gulls averaged 8,000 in their inaugural AHL season as the Ducks top farm team. Don't know if there would be enough to support a D1 college team and the Gulls. Lots of issues to overcome as have been documented in other threads about other schools possibly adding hockey but here is another school to discuss.

Exciting news if this is true!

With the state school budget shortfalls, I wouldn't expect any State school in California to add ice-hockey unless there's a large donation like Penn State or ASU that's specifically for the sport.

Also one thing to note, Title IX relates to college athletics as sport opportunities reflecting the gender pop not specifically equal sports opportunities so SDSU likely has more women's sports because they have FBS Football with eats up a lot of men's sports opportunities. Since there's no women's sport with roster sizes close to football so schools often have a few more women's sports. If SDSU does need to add a men's sport because of a title IX issue, I'd imagine they would add a less expensive sport that they have the facilities and women's sport versions already, such as men's lacrosse or men's water polo.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

And we can file this topic under "XXXXX is going D1... but then nothing happens because they don't have the needed facilities or $100M laying around..."

SDS is going D-I in two years, but won't announce their plans for another 9 months. Ask ASU how that type of planning works out. "Hey we're going D1 next season. We should start thinking about a rink now..."

Related topics: Buffalo to D1, Illinios to D1, UIC BACK to D1, Iowa to D1, ASU to D1, The Entire SUNY conference to D1, Univ of Winnipeg to D1, Mighty Ducks the Movie Cast to D1...

Ryan J

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

I know, I know, I know... but still...

GWHC!!!!

[Rightnut]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

And we can file this topic under "XXXXX is going D1... but then nothing happens because they don't have the needed facilities or $100M laying around..."

SDS is going D-I in two years, but won't announce their plans for another 9 months. Ask ASU how that type of planning works out. "Hey we're going D1 next season. We should start thinking about a rink now..."

Related topics: Buffalo to D1, Illinios to D1, UIC BACK to D1, Iowa to D1, ASU to D1, The Entire SUNY conference to D1, Univ of Winnipeg to D1, Mighty Ducks the Movie Cast to D1...

Ryan J

All true. But the dream lives on. Time will tell.

[LordofBrewtown]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

Yeah, the 2 years seems a little off timing wise, and I would remain skeptical without hearing about any funding.

On the other hand, SDSU has always wanted in to the Pac 8/10/12, and have traditionally been shunned by some of the Cal schools who were/are basically afraid of the potential recruiting power they might have. They are a huge school alumni wise, so funds could appear, and it may be possible (even if unlikely) that the athletic department might anticipate other Pac 10 schools adding hockey eventually, and believe that getting out ahead of them and establishing a hockey program makes them more attractive/helps them get in to the Pac 10 in a future expansion for all sports.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

I would imagine that SDSU to the Pac 1? would be a lot like adding Pittsburgh or Bowling Green to the Big Ten, wouldn't it be? Lower end of academic standards, and a smaller presence in a market the conference already has. The only thing SDSU would have going for it there would be their alumni base.

(This is, of course, purely speculative blow-hard nonsense, but such is the nature of offseason threads. Let's just roll with it)

[Patman]

Yeah, the 2 years seems a little off timing wise, and I would remain skeptical without hearing about any funding.

On the other hand, SDSU has always wanted in to the Pac 8/10/12, and have traditionally been shunned by some of the Cal schools who were/are basically afraid of the potential recruiting power they might have. They are a huge school alumni wise, so funds could appear, and it may be possible (even if unlikely) that the athletic department might anticipate other Pac 10 schools adding hockey eventually, and believe that getting out ahead of them and establishing a hockey program makes them more attractive/helps them get in to the Pac 10 in a future expansion for all sports.

Ive always had the position that hockey should be the goal of any school who has the means and wants the attention that big time athletics wouldn't otherwise provide. For me this includes anybody from middling div 1 schools on down. That Lindenwood isn't varsity men's boggles my mind.

Edit: I say that, I think they made their men's choice in another sport altogether

[davyd83]

And we can file this topic under "XXXXX is going D1... but then nothing happens because they don't have the needed facilities or $100M laying around..."

SDS is going D-I in two years, but won't announce their plans for another 9 months. Ask ASU how that type of planning works out. "Hey we're going D1 next season. We should start thinking about a rink now..."

Related topics: Buffalo to D1, Illinios to D1, UIC BACK to D1, Iowa to D1, ASU to D1, The Entire SUNY conference to D1, Univ of Winnipeg to D1, Mighty Ducks the Movie Cast to D1...

Ryan J

Don't forget UNLV!

[Rightnut]

Re: San Diego State to D1?

Yeah, the 2 years seems a little off timing wise, and I would remain skeptical without hearing about any funding.

On the other hand, SDSU has always wanted in to the Pac 8/10/12, and have traditionally been shunned by some of the Cal schools who were/are basically afraid of the potential recruiting power they might have. They are a huge school alumni wise, so funds could appear, and it may be possible (even if unlikely) that the athletic department might anticipate other Pac 10 schools adding hockey eventually, and believe that getting out ahead of them and establishing a hockey program makes them more attractive/helps them get in to the Pac 10 in a future expansion for all sports.

Speaking of this and adding another layer of unsubstantiated rumor to this off season thread, I heard from an ASU recruit's dad this week that UCLA received a $25 million dollar donation to start a hockey program. My source is fairly knowledgeable so I don't completely write it off but I'm more skeptical of this rumor than even the SDSU rumor as I would assume that a donation of that size would not be made without a lot of fanfare. Once again all the same issues about rinks arise with UCLA although they too have some off campus options within a reasonable drive including the Toyota Sports Center where the Kings practice which is not far at all and could probably hold a couple thousand people. A lot nicer than where ASU plays anyway. Most likely none of this is true or going to happen. On the other hand, where there is smoke, there is sometimes fire. Or really big fires like here in SoCal. At worst it gives the board something to talk about for a while until it fades away.